XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language) is a stricter, XML-based version of HTML that combines HTML's presentation capabilities with XML's rigorous syntax rules. It requires well-formed XML documents with properly nested and closed tags, enforces lowercase element names, and mandates that all elements be explicitly closed, making it more structured and compatible with XML parsing technologies.
Offers superior XML compatibility, enables stricter markup validation, supports better accessibility, provides enhanced cross-platform rendering, and allows seamless integration with other XML technologies and web standards.
More complex syntax compared to HTML, requires more precise coding, has lower browser flexibility, can be less forgiving of minor markup errors, and has been largely superseded by HTML5 in modern web development practices.
XHTML is widely used in web development, mobile web applications, digital publishing, and content management systems. It's particularly valuable for creating cross-platform web content, generating semantic web documents, and ensuring compatibility with XML-based tools and browsers that require strict markup standards.