Windows Developer Power Tools

22.6 Checking Web Pages with the W3C Markup Validation Service

As web developers, we all teeter on the fine line between efficient, timely development and creating code that is universally accessible. I’m sure you’ve heard or used terms like “Mac issue” and “stupid Netscape,” and more seasoned developers will be familiar with the IE “box model hack.” In your early history as a web developer, you’re sure to have written the phrase, “This site is optimized for Internet Explorer [insert your version here].”

All the “workarounds” you’ve encountered are typically a result of not following the standards set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium (where “an international consortium of Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards”^[8]).

Following these standards can be tricky, and there are certainly plenty of rules to be followed. As professionals with deadlines and budgets, we are often forced to compromise the right way for the fast way. That’s not to say that writing valid markup is slow, but knowing and following all of the rules is certainly more time-consuming than writing for just one version of one browser.

These days, however, more and more U.S. states are writing legislation that requires all commercial web sites to follow not only the validation guidelines, but the rules for handicapped accessibility as well. Sites that are valid are not necessarily 100 percent accessible, but invalid sites are definitely not accessible. How can ...