Html

[IanMarlowe]

How many html tags are there? anyone know?

[Twey]

Is this a trick question?
The answer varies from browser to browser and version to version. Not to mention doctypes.

[IanMarlowe]

oh, really? There isn't a set number?

[Twey]

No, certainly not. The browser defines the language. Therefore, each browser supports a slightly different (or, in the case of IE, very different) version of HTML. Obviously, this causes massive problems for web developers if browsers deviate too far from the norm (the W3C standard). This is why a lot of webdevs hate IE. HTML itself is just a load of text. It's entirely up to the browser how to parse it.

[jscheuer1]

To make matters more confusing, it is possible to define new tags in some browsers. Maybe we should make a poll for this post:

1 ) 0
2 ) 25
3 ) 100.5236
4 ) Pi
5 ) Ham Sandwich

Put me down for #5 with mustard.

[Twey]

I'll have pi. Steak and kidney, if you'd be so kind.

(totally unrelated link: http://www.pieism.tk)

[mwinter]

No, certainly not. The browser defines the language.

I would disagree with that. HTML is well-defined and fixed to it's current set of elements and attributes. However, most browsers implement proprietary extensions (especially IE).

There are lists of elements and attributes.

Mike

[Twey]

Not so. A browser does define the language. Whatever the browser decides to render, the user sees. Browsers tend to conform (mostly) to the W3C's version of the language, but a language is defined by the speaker, not by the dictionary.