XHTML uses the <h> element for headers in combination with the <section> element.

This is an h2, and is the same 'level' as the previous header.

The traditional h1 to h6 headers are also available.

The <p> element has a different content-model to the one in XHTML1, and in particular may include:

• lists
• tables
• quotes

Whitespace is usually collapsed on output, with the exception of the <pre> and <blockcode> (see below) elements and any element with an attribute layout="relevant". Pre elements are by default displayed with a monospace font.

This     is
     a    pre    element

And this is a paragraph with layout = "relevant".

And this     is
     a    pre    element with
    layout =      "  irrelevant   " .

The <hr> element has been renamed <separator> since it needn't be horizontal, nor a rule (even though that is its default presentation):

The traditional elements remain, like the nearly-useless <address>:

There is still a <blockquote> element with an optional cite attribute (which is a URI):

Should I set out on my autocycle? This was the question with which I began. I had a methodical mind and never set out on a mission without a prolonged reflection as to the best way of setting out. It was the first problem to solve, at the outset of each enquiry, and I never moved until I had solved it, to my satisfaction. Sometimes I took my autocycle, sometimes the train, sometimes the motor-coach, just as sometimes too I left on foot, or on my bicycle, silently, in the night. For when you are beset with enemies, as I am, you cannot leave on your autocycle, even in the night, without being noticed, unless you employ it as an ordinary bicycle, which is absurd.

Inline text should cause no surprises. There is strong text with <strong>; emphasis with <em>; and there is still the <span> element which on its own has no visible effect at all. There are abbreviations with the <abbr> element W3C.

cite, code, dfn, kbd, l, q, samp, var

sub, sup: H₂O, E=MC²

The classic <a> element still exists: W3C. However, just as any element may be the target of a link in HTML, in XHTML2 any element may also be the source of a link: any element may carry an href attribute, such as this span: which refers to the W3C home page. You'll see that it has no special styling (unless you hover over it), even though it carries an href, but you can still click on it. It is up to the author to use a different presentation style if it is needed (or use an <a> element).

There are unordered lists:

• One
• Two
• Three

1. One
2. Two
3. Three

One

The first number

Two

A secondary number

The normal class, id, and title attributes are available on all elements as usual.

Above you saw the discussion about the <a> element, and it was pointed out that any element may now take an href attribute. Along with href, there are a number of related attributes:

hreftype

Normally when you click on a link content negotiation will take place between the browser and the server to decide which of any possible alternative documents at the URI should be used. You can use the hreftype attribute to force the content negotiation. For instance if at http://example.com/document there is an XHTML and a PDF version of the document, then hreftype="application/pdf" will only accept a PDF version.

hreflang

hrefmedia

cite

target

access

nextfocus

prevfocus

xml:base

Instead of the <ins> and <del> elements of earlier XHTML, XHTML2 has an attribute edit that can be used on any element. This attribute can have the values inserted, deleted, changed and moved. Any element that has an edit attribute may also have a datetime attribute that indicates when the change was made.

There is still an <img> element. It takes a src attribute to specify the resource. The normal content negotiation takes place (e.g. with <img src="map"/>, there may be both png and jpg versions of the image, and the user agent and the server decide between them which is the best to deliver).

The type attribute can be used to force the content negotiation. For instance <img src="map" type="image/png"/> would force the negotiation to only accept the png version.

The img element should have content. If the image fails to load (for instance because there is nothing at that point, it is not an image, or it isn't of the type specified in the type attribute) then the content is displayed instead. For example: <img src="icons/main">W3C</img>.

Here is an image: W3C

However, the src and type attributes may be put on any element, with the same effect: if the src resource is available, it is used, otherwise the content of the element is used. For instance: <p src="map">To get here from the station, turn left out of the main exit, and follow the train lines to the first bridge, we are the big white building in front of you on the left.</p>

    The window of the bakery proclaimed <em xml:lang="fr">Pain</em>.
    Poor baker!

The media attribute allows you to specify that certain sections of the content are only for use in certain circumstances. For instance, in a set of slides that uses media="presentation" for displaying the slides full-screen, there may be notes added to the slides that are only visible when printing the slides:

<p media="print">These notes are only visible on the printed version</p>

The traditional meta and link elements are part of XHTML2. However the attribute that used to be called name is now called property, and while there is still a content attribute, alternatively, the content may now really be the content of the element:

<meta property="title" content="My Home Page"/>
<meta property="title">My Home Page</meta>

<link rel="index" href="index.html"/>
<link rev="contents" href="main.html"/>

There are two new attributes:

about

Normally the metadata and link information refers to the current document. {{example}} The about attribute lets you give metadata about parts of the document, or even about other documents. {{examples}}

datatype

This allows you to give a datatype for the content in the content attribute or the content of the element:

<span content="2006-10-01" datatype="xsd:date">yesterday</span>

Unlike earlier version, the meta and link elements do not need to only appear in the head element, but may appear anywhere. By default they are not presented.

Furthermore, the attributes of meta and link may be used on any element to similar effect:

example here