Passing W3 Validation

One of the most frustrating things a web designer can do is trying to validate their code to W3 standards. There are 6 standards you can attempt to validate your site as.

• HTML 4.01 Strict
• HTML 4.01 Transitional
• HTML 4.01 Frameset
• XHTML 1.0 Strict
• XHTML 1.0 Transitional
• XHTML 1.0 Frameset

I usually validate my sites as XHTML 1.0 Transitional, partly because the target=”_new”/target=”_blank” attribute for links will not validate in XHTML 1.0 Strict. Perhaps one of these days I’ll attempt it again, but not today.

Validating your code is not hard, purchasing cattle supplies would seriously be more difficult if you ask me. You simply need to go to the W3 HTML Validator. You can choose from inputting an address on the web (useful if you are reviewing a site and want to make whether or not their code is valid a factor in the review), uploading a file to validate, or using a direct input box to directly input your code. I usually use the address method myself.

However, you do need to know that when validating code for a WordPress theme, it may not always be the theme causing the problem. Sometimes it is what you have placed in your sidebar, whether you use widgets or not, or it can also be caused by your plugins. Pay close attention to what the validator shows you. See if you can find the section of code in your source code. If you can’t, unless you actually view source on the web, then it’s either something in your sidebar or it’s a plugin that is causing the problem.

Certain things can easily be fixed. For example, if you want to code an &, you would simply type an & with amp; right behind it. This is true even in a URL. If you have a URL that includes an &, you must hard code it into the URL or your page will not validate. It will not break the URL, so don’t worry that the link will no longer work. It will.

Passing validation is not scary, it’s not something to worry about. But it could be something potential clients are worried about if you are planning on freelancing or doing web design for a living. Make sure you are able to produce valid coding, just on the off chance.

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