W3470

W3470 is a designation used in the context of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to identify a specific version of the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) specification. HTML is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. The W3C, an international community that develops open standards to ensure the long-term growth of the Web, publishes these specifications to guide web developers and ensure interoperability across different browsers and devices.

The W3470 specification, also known as HTML 4.01, was published in December 1999. It is a significant milestone in the evolution of HTML, as it introduced several new features and improvements over its predecessors. These include support for style sheets, improved accessibility features, and the ability to create more complex and interactive web pages. HTML 4.01 is divided into two main versions: Strict, which excludes presentational elements and attributes, and Transitional, which allows the use of presentational elements for backward compatibility.

HTML 4.01 was succeeded by HTML5, which was published in October 2014. HTML5 introduced many new elements and attributes, as well as support for multimedia, graphics, and APIs, making it a more powerful and versatile language for web development. Despite the introduction of HTML5, HTML 4.01 remains relevant for legacy web pages and applications, and its principles continue to influence modern web development practices.