Universal HTML Error

[winnjewett]

I have found an HTML error that appears on every single smugmug account. When viewing a Large photo, the following code is written:
<table>
<tr>
<td class="whatever"> whatever's home and links
<tr>
<td>

Both the <td> and <tr> tags are never closed.

-Winn

[Nikolai]

I have found an HTML error that appears on every single smugmug account. When viewing a Large photo, the following code is written:
<table>
<tr>
<td class="whatever"> whatever's home and links
<tr>
<td>

Both the <td> and <tr> tags are never closed.

-Winn
.. obviously does not include mine..:):
Just checked - no errors..
Your account selection? Browser? Cache? OS? UFOs?

Cheers!:1drink

[{JT}]

I need links to examples :)

Also, I would not be too surprised if there were not more on certain pages. I try to fix them as I catch them, but all of the tables will be replaced with DIVs very shortly.

I have found an HTML error that appears on every single smugmug account. When viewing a Large photo, the following code is written:
<table>
<tr>
<td class="whatever"> whatever's home and links
<tr>
<td>

Both the <td> and <tr> tags are never closed.

-Winn

[winnjewett]

I need links to examples :)

Also, I would not be too surprised if there were not more on certain pages. I try to fix them as I catch them, but all of the tables will be replaced with DIVs very shortly.
Here are some examples. I have taken them from some of the biggest names on smugmug. Nikokai, even your smugmug has errors. See below for a note.

http://emphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/20059/1/684246/Large
firefox, line 176; ie, line 176;

http://www.moonriverphotography.com/gallery/104587/1/4395713/Large
firefox, line 93; ie, line 96;

http://allisonpetit.smugmug.com/gallery/55950/1/12463114/Large
firefox, line 96; ie, line 99;

http://nik.smugmug.com/gallery/296185/1/11755043/Large
firefox, line 96; ie, line 95;

.. obviously does not include mine..:):
Just checked - no errors..
Your account selection? Browser? Cache? OS? UFOs?

Cheers!:1drink Nikolai, thank you for your input. It led me to discover what was causing the problem. Most of your galleries have a description. The </td></tr> is contained in this gallery description. So, if a gallery does not have a description, it has an error in it; even your pages.

[{JT}]

I have fixed the problems on the page in particular, but they may show up elsewhere. I love clean and proper code, but so far no complaints on the way the page renders, plus most of this code will be replaced very soon.

[Nikolai]

Nikolai, thank you for your input. It led me to discover what was causing the problem. Most of your galleries have a description. The </td></tr> is contained in this gallery description. So, if a gallery does not have a description, it has an error in it; even your pages.
I still think it's a browser, or something else.
Her'e one of my test galleries: http://nik.smugmug.com/gallery/454594
XP SP2, IE6 - no errors:dunno

HTH

[{JT}]

That is because these errors are not javascript errors, they are simple HTML errors from not closing tags properly :)

The page still renders as it should, so all is well.


I still think it's a browser, or something else.
Her'e one of my test galleries: http://nik.smugmug.com/gallery/454594
XP SP2, IE6 - no errors:dunno

HTH

[Nikolai]

That is because these errors are not javascript errors, they are simple HTML errors from not closing tags properly :)

The page still renders as it should, so all is well.IE rulez!:):

[David_S85]

Here are some examples. I have taken them from some of the biggest names on smugmug. Nikokai, even your smugmug has errors. See below for a note.

http://emphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/20059/1/684246/Large
firefox, line 176; ie, line 176;

http://www.moonriverphotography.com/gallery/104587/1/4395713/Large
firefox, line 93; ie, line 96;

http://allisonpetit.smugmug.com/gallery/55950/1/12463114/Large
firefox, line 96; ie, line 99;

http://nik.smugmug.com/gallery/296185/1/11755043/Large
firefox, line 96; ie, line 95;


These example pages listed above run and display fine for me in IE5.5 with no errors. To be sure, I turned off most everything in the browser and ran it on the highest and most paranoid security settings (though for HTML, that shouldn't matter).

Some browsers might require closing tags and throw errors, but generally speaking, plain HTML rendering doesn't require strict adhereance to some mark up rules. IE probably (guessing) either ignores the absence of some tag closings, or counts the instances balancing the display back out. The more recent (last 4 or 5 years) documentations for HTML will usually mention that closing tags once thought unnecessary are now more than a good idea to implement. Some tags just don't matter; the simple ones like {HR} or {P} and are intended as stand alones of course. Nevertheless, in my own codings, I have been more aware to try to remember to close table rows and data in tables now. But old habits do die hard.

Once HTML is used within SCRIPTS, things get a little more dicey. Same with DHTML. I don't yet use Firefox, so I couldn't check with that.

[devbobo]

IE rulez!:):
http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/eek7.gif http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/uhoh2.gif http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/15524733-Ti.gif

[winnjewett]

These example pages listed above run and display fine for me in IE5.5 with no errors. To be sure, I turned off most everything in the browser and ran it on the highest and most paranoid security settings (though for HTML, that shouldn't matter).

Some browsers might require closing tags and throw errors, but generally speaking, plain HTML rendering doesn't require strict adhereance to some mark up rules. IE probably (guessing) either ignores the absence of some tag closings, or counts the instances balancing the display back out. The more recent (last 4 or 5 years) documentations for HTML will usually mention that closing tags once thought unnecessary are now more than a good idea to implement. Some tags just don't matter; the simple ones like {HR} or {P} and are intended as stand alones of course. Nevertheless, in my own codings, I have been more aware to try to remember to close table rows and data in tables now. But old habits do die hard.

Once HTML is used within SCRIPTS, things get a little more dicey. Same with DHTML. I don't yet use Firefox, so I couldn't check with that.
I agree in theory, and disagree in practice; especially for smugmug. While the pages I referenced above do in fact display properly in both IE and Firefox, it is not only possible, but probable that someone could add some code to the header or footer that will exaggerate html errors that smugmug introduced.

When a website provides its users with a few templates upon which thousands of pages are based, it is the responsibility of the provider (smugmug) to ensure that there are no simple html errors; if only to inspire confidence in its users. In smugmug's case, it is even more critical to ensure proper html from the outset since they let their users tinker with the code themselves.

Smugmug, I challenge you to aspire to zero simple html errors in the future! Are you up to the challenge?

-Winn

[{JT}]

To this date I have read 99% of the cobranding problem emails that have come in to support, and none of them were a result of bad coding on our end. So while I understand that there could be a potential problem, I have never seen one in the "wild."

Again, as I go through each and every page cleaningn up code, I will keep my eye out for problems.