Often, HTML constructs appear incompatible with browsers due to their defects already known. Such defects deter a document to be read in those browsers. Regardless of validity of the HTML constructs, the document can appears illegible in those browsers.
To overcome the difficulties grown due to defects in browsers, some tricks can work for the web developers. They are as follow.
- Often using < or > inside a tag, in a construct as in the case of <IMG SRC=”imply that.gif” ALT=”=>”> put risks of collapsing parsers. So during coding such uses need to be consciously avoided.
- Opening and closing comments should respectively be with <!– and –>. Avoiding “–” or “>” within these delimiters is a preferable practice.
- Images essential to the document are compulsorily associated with alternative texts. For such images height and width attributes are strict no-no. Height and width attributes in other images are also optional. The images of navigation icons should not use those attributes in particular. Otherwise separate text alternatives to navigation icons can be put on the same page as that of icons.
- Numeric RGB notation is recommended for defining color of the document in a BODY tag.
- if situation permits, then, for using a floating image or table, “br clear” should be used before any more images or tables.
- Some browsers do not support HTML tables. Therefore, the code must have provisions to make the content of the tables legible in those browsers.
- Closing of HTML containers, viz, such as paragraphs or table cells should be explicit.
The most user friendly web site should never have issues on its legibility. To avoid such issues some common yet serious author errors need to be avoided. To make a design legible in any browser, the don’ts are as follows:
- The pages with respect to font size, colors, and tables should not depend on particular browsers.
- Assumptions about browser settings pf target display device are not recommended.
This is an attempt to attain a level of user satisfaction. Absolute user satisfaction is a perpetual source of inspiration of enhancement.