Good progress on v7.0... Will HTML Tidy make it in?

[Bob]

I saw it mentioned in the W3C's HTML Tidy mailing list last September that a new check icon for the HTML Tidy project might be helpful, so I made one. It is very similar to those for XHTML, CSS and HTML 4.01.

You can take a look at it from this link to a site still under construction:

http://www.melodyoflife.com/

I just sent an email to Dave Raggett and Terry Teague (W3C's HTML Tidy gods) offering this 88x31 icon (seeking approval). If this new check icon is approved by the W3C, there could be LOTS of developers suddenly looking for an editor/validator that incorporates it with other features.

There's also a new freely available extension for Firefox and Mozilla which is called HTML Validator (based on Tidy). It does seem to work quite well.

Here's the home page for this extension with lots more information on it:

http://users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/

I have version 0.31 installed in Firefox now and there's a new 0.41 update available, but I have not been able to update to that for unknown reasons.

While this could satisfy desire to test all of my pages with Tidy, it would sure be wonderful if this capability could be incorporated into CSE Pro.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that this wish list item for v7.0 makes it in!

[Albert Wiersch]

Hi Bob,

I haven't looked at HTML Tidy yet, but I will definitely look at it in a future v7.0 BETA (probably after BETA 1). I am working on a lot of other things that I want to get done first, then I plan to look at Tidy and see how it could be integrated with CSE.

[Bob]

Are you about ready to look at HTML Tidy NOW?

Keeping my fingers and toes crossed...

Thanks!

[Albert Wiersch]

Are you about ready to look at HTML Tidy NOW?

Getting closer all the time! Believe me, it is on my mind to do. Do you have any specific suggestion as to how you'd like to see HTML Tidy implemented/integrated with CSE HTML Validator?

[Bob]

I'd like to see the feedback you get when you view a page's source code in Firefox when the HTML Tidy extension has been added to that browser.

If you haven't seen that yet, go get that extension & add it to Firefox now!

It's VERY similar to how you can see a CSE report viewing source in MSIE.

http://tidy.sourceforge.net

By adding it to CSE, you will also be able to get a link off the above page, which has a Google Page Rank of 8/10. That will boost your site's ranking for sure! I really feel adding a way for HTML Tidy to make changes &/or convert HTML to XHTML will be THE feature to make v7.0 a MUST upgrade!

If you can implement just the first part (getting its feedback) that would satisfy me for now. Adding it in full is what will bring you registrations!

GOOD LUCK! I know you'll see its potential once you look into it more...

Thanks for your interest in adding it. I know you'll be proud when it is in!

[Albert Wiersch]

Hi Bob,

Thanks. I will definitely get that extension and try it out. I do want to include the auto-fix and XHTML conversion tools so I'll be looking at those and if they work well in CSE, then hopefully they will make it to v7.00.

[build]

Are you about ready to look at HTML Tidy NOW?

Getting closer all the time! Believe me, it is on my mind to do. Do you have any specific suggestion as to how you'd like to see HTML Tidy implemented/integrated with CSE HTML Validator?

Hi Albert

Yes I would like Html Tidy in as well.

Having looked at it I think it would be a very good thing.

I see that Fire Fox and top Style all have it in now

Regards

John

[Albert Wiersch]

HTML Tidy integration is here in BETA 5!

You can integrate HTML Tidy messages into the validation results, as well as use the new HTML Tidy Tool. Please try it out and let me know what you think.

I have noticed that HTML Tidy has some issues but seems to work well on other documents.

[MikeGale]

The tidy integration is clean and compact.

Not that I'm a big fan of tidy. When you use it with all the config parameters you soon discover it's incapable of doing some things. In my (brief) tests it introduced a warning, changed a content-type and inserted a horrible meta - generator tag! For me it's a use once tool. After it's fixed horrible markup I don't let it near the markup again.

It does seems to be the most available way to fix up markup. (I've done other things, but they involved coding my own using some open source code.)

(Last time I looked at the developer forum it seemed there was no intent to re-architect the guts of it.)

Help for saving new configurations is, I guess, in the works, it might usefully contain.

Comments with all command line options in tidyprofiles.xml seems a good idea, with maybe a few commented out samples.
A write up in the help.
Maybe a tool to save / create / edit configrations on the tidy dialogs.

[Albert Wiersch]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your comments. I agree that HTML Tidy can do some weird/wrong things. I often think I can do it better myself (if only I had the time!). I'll have to see if there is an option to keep it from inserting the meta generator tag. If there is, then that would be an easy issues to address.

I'll work on improving the documentation and potentially adding some examples in tidyprofiles.xml. If you have any suggestions for the examples (if you created your own profile in tidyprofiles.xml), then please let me know. The tool idea is good and I'll add it to my to-do list for a possible future addition.

[MikeGale]

Hi Albert,

Time is the critical thing (for fixing markup).

If you're going to XHTML there is a fair amount of code out there (I've only had a look at some .NET and Java material, but I'm sure there's more than that). Even with that it can take time to implement exactly what you need. If you're generating HTML that can be a different, more difficult ball game.

My view. I've done this sort of thing under duress and would be happy not to do it again.