Home > Articles > Web Development > HTML/CSS

From the Rough Cut Beginner Recipe: Changes to existing elements

Beginner Recipe: Changes to existing elements

The <cite> element

The cite element has been tweaked in HTML5. In HTML4 cite allowed content developers to mark up the name of a speaker/author of a quote:

<cite>Julies Caesar</cite> once said, <q>I came, I saw, I conquered.</q>

It is also used inside blockquote, which is technically incorrect in HTML 4, but nonetheless is commonly used:

<blockquote>
<p>Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
 fames ac turpis egestas. Vestibulum tortor quam, feugiat vitae,
 ultricies eget, tempor sit amet, ante.</p>
<cite>A Person who spoke Latin</cite>
</blockquote>

However in HTML5, cite represents the title of a work, such as a book, or a song. The HTML5 Specification specifically says that a person's name is not the title of a work.

So as we can use it to mark up a title of work, we could use something like:

<p>One of my favourite books is <cite>The Day of the Jackal</cite>
 by <b>Frederick Forsyth</b></p>

(The HTML5 Specification suggests using the b element for author names.)

This change in HTML5 to disallow cite from author names has caused a bit of a stir. Well worth a read is http://24ways.org/2009/incite-a-riot by Jeremy Keith which goes into great depth about the issue. To sum it up:

  • The cite element in HTMl5 is no longer backward compatible;
  • The spec is telling us to use a semantically meaningless element (<b>) to mark up semantically meaningful content

So you have a decision to make – do what the spec says or, as many continue to do, use cite for names. It’s worth keeping an eye on the cite element to see if its definition changes.

The <ol> element

The ol (ordered list) element has been redefined so it now has three acceptable attributes

  • start
  • reversed
  • type

Used in Listing 2.7, the reversed attribute is new to HTML5 and will, when at least one browser chooses to implement it, enable us to reverse a list that counts down to one.

Listing 2.7  

<h1>My favorite colors</h1>
<ol reversed>
<li>Red</li>
<li>Green</li>
<li>Blue</li>
</ol>

This will render like this (no browser currently supports this):

My favorite colors

  • 3 Blue
  • 2 Green
  • 1 Red

The start attribute was deprecated in HTML 4 and so the page would fail validation if start was used. This has proved an annoyance on several occasions for this author and we are glad to tell you that it is now back and perfectly acceptably in HTML5. So if you are required to start an ordered at two then use:

<ol start="2">
<li>here we go</li>
....
</ol>

Also back from the dead is the type attribute. Previously if we wanted to change the display of the list types, say to roman numerals (e.g., i, iv, x), we had to use CSS. But we can do this again in the HTML. Take the Listing 2.8 mark up for example:

Listing 2.8  

<ol>
   <li>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
     <ol>
       <li>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.</li>
       <li>Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.</li>
       <li>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
         <ol>
           <li>Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.</li>
           <li>Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.</li>
         </ol>
       </li>
       <li>Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.</li>
     </ol>
   </li>
   <li>Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.</li>
   <li>Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.</li>
</ol>

The above code would create this:

  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
    1. Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.
    2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
      1. Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.
      2. Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.
    3. Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.
  2. Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.
  3. Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.

Using the type attribute, we can change the type of numbering we get on the lists, without the need for CSS. There are five types to choose from:

type="1" = 1, 2, 3,4, 5
type="a" = a, b, c, d, e
type="A" = A, B, C, D, E
type="i" = i, ii, iii, iv, v
type="I" = I, II, III, IV, V

  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
    1. Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.
    2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
      1. Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.
      2. Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.
    3. Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.
  2. Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.
  3. Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.

Using the different types, in our content we could refer to item "1.b.ii" if you needed to, rather than "1.3.2". Browsers will correctly implement the type attribute, but at the time of writing, it causes a validation error.

The <dl> element

In HTML4, dl was a "definition list", which should have contained a term and then a definition, but its own definition and use was never very clear and so was misused or ditched in favor of another element.

In HTML5 it has been repurposed as a description or association list. It is easier to get an understanding of this element by diving into some examples. In Listing 2.9 we use dl to create a glossary. We've put the glossary in an aside because I have assumed here that it is inside an article, likely on about web development.

Listing 2.9  

<aside>
<h2>Glossary</h2>
<dl>
<dt>HTML</dt>
<dd>HTML, which stands for HyperText Markup Language, is the
 predominant markup language for web pages.</dd>
<dt>PHP</dt>
<dd>PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor is a widely used, general-purpose
 scripting language that was originally designed for web development
 to produce dynamic web pages.</dd>
</dl>
</aside>

In Listing 2.10 a dl is used to mark up movie credits.

Listing 2.10  

<h1>The Shawshank Redemption</h1>
<dl>
<dt>Director:</dt>
<dd>Frank Darabont</dd>
<dt>Writers:</dt>
<dd>Stephen King</dd>
<dd>Frank Darabong </dd>
<dt>Cast</dt>
<dd>Tim Robbins</dd>
<dd>Morgan Freeman</dd>
<dd>Bob Gunton</dd>
...
</dl> 

Above we have used multiple values (dd) to the one key (dt). It might be argued that each section of credits (Director, writers, etc) could be in a section of its own, such as:

<article>
<header>
<h1>The Shawshank Redemption</h1>
<time>1994</time> 
</header>
<section>
<h1>Director</h1>
<h2> Frank Darabont</h2>
<p>(bio)</p>
</section>
<section>
<h1>Writers</h1>
<h2>Stephen King</p>
<p>(bio)</p>
<h2> Frank Darabont</h2>
<p>(bio)</p>
</section>
</article>

It really depends on your content, and then how you want your content to be structured.

<p><b>Dr. Egon Spengler</b>: There's something very
 important I forgot to tell you.</p>
<p><b>Dr. Peter Venkman</b>: What?.</p>
<p><b>Dr. Egon Spengler:</b>: Don't cross the streams.</p>
<p><b>Dr. Peter Venkman:</b>: Why?</p>
<p><b>Dr. Egon Spengler:</b>: It would be bad.</p>
<p><b>Dr. Peter Venkman:</b>: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad
 thing. What do you mean, "bad"?</p>
<p><b>Dr. Egon Spengler:</b>: Try to imagine all life as you know
 it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body
 exploding at the speed of light.</p>
<p><b>Dr Ray Stantz::</b>: Total protonic reversal.</p>
<p><b>Dr. Peter Venkman:</b>: Right. That's bad. Okay. All right.
 Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.</p>

The <small> element

In HTML4, the small element was used to reduce the size of text. However, this was and is a presentational issue, so CSS is used for this purpose. Now, in HTML5 the small element is used for displaying small print, such as copyright information, terms and conditions or license/legal information:

<p><small>This site is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/">Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 2.0</a>
 share alike license. Feel free to 
change, reuse modify and extend it.</small></p>

As small is inline content, you can embed it within another element if necessary, such as strong, which would give importance to this small print:

<p><strong><small>This content belongs to me! Don’t steal it, otherwise 
there will be serious, serious trouble.</small></strong></p>

The <b> and <strong> elements

In HTML 4, the b element was for bold, but that has changed. Now it is purely presentational; it should be used to style a section of text which doesn't convey any importance.

You will often see the first paragraph of an blog entry is styled differently, often in bold text.

<h2>Dark energy and flat Universe exposed by simple method</h2>
 <p><b class="lead">Researchers have developed a simple technique
 that adds evidence to the theory that the Universe is flat.</b></p>
<p>Moreover, the method - developed by revisiting a 30-year-old
 idea - confirms that "dark energy" makes up nearly three-quarters of the 
Universe.</p>

We wouldn’t use a strong element because we don’t want to add importance to the first paragraph; we are just styling it differently. However, you could also use some CSS (p:first-of-type, or h2+p) to style this instead of using b. In Listing 2.11, b is used to add color styles to some of the text.

Listing 2.11  

<style>
b.red {color: red;}
b.green {color: green;}
b.blue {color: blue;}
</style>
<h1>My favourite colours</h1>
<ol reversed>
<li><b class="red">Red</b></li>
<li><b class="green">Green</b></li>
<li><b class="blue">Blue</b></li>
</ol>

The strong element is used to show a text with strong importance, so we now normally use this to generate the bold effect, and you can nest strong to increase the importance of the content.

<p><strong>Do not eat my cookies</strong> and <strong><strong>do not drink 
my milk</strong></strong></p>

The <i> and <em> elements

The i element was, in HTML 4, for styling text in italics. Now though it represents text that is in an alternative voice or mood. The HTML5 Specification gives some examples of its use, which include: a dream, a technical term, a thought, or a ship name,

<p>I’m having fish tonight <i>(and then I think I’ll have cookies,
 I haven’t had cookies for ages)</i>.</p>

In contrast, the em element represents emphasis which changes the meaning of a sentence. Depending on what word, or words are to be emphasized:

<p>I thought I was meeting friends at 8pm but my wife says it’s <em>9pm</em></p>

Moving the em would cause the sentence to change its meaning

<p><em>I</em> thought I was meeting friends at 8pm but my <em>wife</em> says it’s 9pm</p>

The <abbr> element

The abbr element isn’t new in HTML5, and it hasn’t been redefined. So why bother mentioning it? Well, abbr has been merged with acronym. Now, the abbr element represents an abbreviation or an acronym. You can use the title attribute to expand the abbreviation, which normally means a tooltip for the user.

<p><abbr title="HyperText Markup Language">HTML</abbr>
 is the best thing since sliced web</p>

An abbreviation is different to an acronym – NATO is an acronym, whilst BBC is an abbreviation. In HTML 4, both tags were available, but due to confusion by content authors over which to use, acronym has been scrapped, so now use abbr for both.

The <hr> element

The hr element was used to create a horizontal line in a document. Its definition has been tweaked slightly so it now represents a break, after a paragraph, such as a scene change in a book. Usually this will be styled to display a line, or a fancy graphic between sections. It is not used very often these days as CSS can be used to add space/a graphic/a line/decoration at the bottom or top of necessary sections, such as a p, div, article or section.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020