One of the best things about HTML5 is that the DOCTYPE declaration is so easy to remember. It's simply —and it's even case insensitive, so you can write it in lowercase! It's one of those things about HTML5 that you can use right now because all modern browsers (except Netscape 6, and who uses Netscape any more anyway?) render pages with this DOCTYPE in standards mode or almost standards mode.

If you don't use a DOCTYPE declaration on your web pages, why not? This simple bit of HTML does a lot to make your pages look more consistent across different browsers and, if you use the HTML5 DOCTYPE, it's easy to remember and use. And if you really don't want to use the HTML5 DOCTYPE I have a list of DOCTYPE declarations and why you would use each.

Learn More About DOCTYPE Declarations

• Anatomy of a DOCTYPE
• Quirks Mode - Using the DOCTYPE Element
• Definition of the HTML term DOCTYPE
• Why Use DOCTYPE Declarations

The HTML5 DOCTYPE Declaration is an Important Change to Learn originally appeared on About.com Web Design / HTML on Monday, July 4th, 2011 at 02:56:11.

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