Comparison of layout engines (HTML)

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The following tables compare HTML compatibility and support for a number of layout engines. Please see the individual products' articles for further information. This article is not all-inclusive or necessarily up-to-date. Unless otherwise specified in footnotes, comparisons are based on the stable versions without any add-ons, extensions or external programs.

Only HTML 4 and XHTML 1.0 served as text/html (so called "HTML compatible" XHTML) are considered. XHTML 1.0 Strict is necessarily XHTML 1.1 with fewer elements and attributes deprecated. XHTML 2.0 is not considered as it is a redefinition of XHTML, which is not backward compatible. For more XHTML-related comparisons, please refer to comparison of layout engines (XHTML).

Version number, if possible, is provided for feature that is fully supported (based on HTML 4.01). Proprietary extensions are not included.

W3C deprecated tags and attributes and proprietary tags are comparised in comparison of layout engines (Non-standard_HTML).

Contents 1 Explanation of the tables 1.1 Engine nomenclature 1.2 Values 2 Global structure elements 3 Text elements 3.1 Gecko text element notes 4 List elements 5 Table elements 6 Link elements 7 Multimedia elements 7.1 Trident multimedia element notes 8 Frame elements 9 Form elements 9.1 KHTML form elements notes 9.2 Trident form elements notes 10 Presentational elements 11 Stylesheet elements 12 Script elements 13 Language elements 13.1 KHTML language element notes 14 Generic attributes 15 References 16 External links

[edit] Explanation of the tables

[edit] Engine nomenclature

Rather than the names of web browsers, the names of the underlying engines are used. The browsers that use the various engines are listed below.

Layout Engine	Used By
Trident	Internet Explorer 4 to Internet Explorer 8
Tasman	Internet Explorer 5 for Mac
Gecko	All Mozilla software, including Firefox; Galeon; Flock; also Epiphany
WebKit	Safari; iCab 4; Epiphany;
KHTML	Konqueror
Presto	Opera; Nintendo DS Browser; Internet Channel
iCab	iCab 1-3
Prince XML	Prince XML
Amaya	Amaya

[edit] Values

Values indicate the level of support in the most recent version of the layout engine, or (if a version number is given) in the specified version. Version numbers without any other value indicate the version at which the layout engine first fully supported the feature.

Value	Meaning
Yes	Indicates that the layout engine fully supports this property when valid values are used.
No	Indicates that this property is completely ignored.
Partial	Indicates that the property is understood, but that not all values are supported. Supported values are implemented correctly.
Incorrect	Indicates that the property is understood, but that it is not implemented correctly in all cases.
Experimental	Indicates that the property is provided in experimental form under an alternative name, generally with only partial functionality.

[edit] Global structure elements

The global structure of the document.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Basic structure
html	5.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
head	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
body	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Metadata
title	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
meta	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Headings
h1	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
h2	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
h3	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
h4	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
h5	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
h6	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Grouping elements
div	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
span	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Text elements

Elements that represent text.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Phrase
em	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
strong	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
dfn	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
code	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
samp	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
kbd	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
var	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
cite	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
abbr	7.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
acronym	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Quotations
blockquote	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
q	No	Yes	1.8	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Subscripts and superscripts
sub	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
sup	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Lines and paragraphs
p	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
pre	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
br	5.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Marking document changes
ins	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
del	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Gecko text element notes

1. q — Does not support nested quotes prior to 1.8 [1].

[edit] List elements

Elements that represent lists of information.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Unordered and ordered lists
ul	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
ol	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
li	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Definition lists
dl	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
dt	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
dd	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Table elements

Elements that represent tabular information.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Basic table elements
table	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
caption	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
tr	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
th	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
td	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Row groups
thead	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
tfoot	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	?
tbody	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Column groups
colgroup	4.0	?	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
col	4.0	?	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Link elements

Hyperlinks, one of the primary forces driving the success of the World Wide Web.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
a	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
link	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
base	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Multimedia elements

Multimedia features including images, applets, video clips, and other HTML documents.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Images
img	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Generic inclusion
object	Incorrect <8.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
param	6.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Image maps
map	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
area	5.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Trident multimedia element notes

1. object — For images, a frame will be added to the object. Other content types are not supported and the element is incorrectly implemented as an ActiveX wrapper. Nested objects fallback mechanism is not supported prior to version 7. [2] [3]

[edit] Frame elements

Elements to present documents in multiple views, which may be independent windows or subwindows. Frame layout is only available in the frameset profiles. All frames are not available in XHTML 1.1 (use generic object elements instead for inline frames).

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Frame layout
frameset	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
frame	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
noframes	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Inline frames
iframe	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Form elements

The user interface controls for interacting with the web server.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Basic structure
form	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
fieldset	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
legend	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Form controls and labels
input	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
textarea	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
button	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
label	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	3.4.2	7.0	Yes
List boxes (combo boxes)
select	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
optgroup	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
option	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] KHTML form elements notes

1. label — Label is focusable prior to 3.4.2.

[edit] Trident form elements notes

1. button — Button's value attribute is not supported. Button's innerHTML/CDATA is returned instead.

[edit] Presentational elements

Elements that specify presentational information. Although not all elements are deprecated, their use is discouraged in favor of stylesheets. Deprecated elements are not available in the strict profiles and XHTML 1.1.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Font styles
b	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
i	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
big	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
small	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
tt	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Horizontal rules
hr	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Stylesheet elements

The ways to apply stylesheets (CSS) to the document.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Using link element	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
style	5.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Script elements

Elements for embedding client-side script (JavaScript). See also DOM Events for a list of attributes used to attach an event handler to an element.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
script	6.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] Language elements

Elements related to language information.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
bdo	5.0	?	1.0	Yes	Partial	7.0	?

[edit] KHTML language element notes

1. bdo — While alphabetic and alphanumeric words are affected, numeric (numbers only) words are not.

[edit] Generic attributes

Attributes that can be used in any elements.

	Trident	Tasman	Gecko	WebKit	KHTML	Presto	iCab
Element identifiers
id	3.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
class	3.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Inline styles
style	3.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Advisory information
title	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
Language information
lang	4.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes
dir	5.0	Yes	1.0	Yes	Yes	7.0	Yes

[edit] References

• MSDN Library. CSS Enhancements in Internet Explorer 6. Retrieved on May 1, 2005.
• Mozilla Developer Documentation. Mozilla's DOCTYPE sniffing. Retrieved on May 1, 2005.
• Opera Documentation. The Opera 7 and 8 DOCTYPE Switches. Retrieved on May 1, 2005.
• Opera Documentation. Specification support - HTML. Retrieved on May 1, 2005.
• O'Reilly Network. Use the Right Doctype. Retrieved on May 1, 2005.
• Apple Developer Connection. Safari HTML Reference. Retrieved on July 14, 2005.

[edit] External links

• webref.info HTML Reference
• Activating the Right Layout Mode Using the Doctype Declaration
• Doctypes and their respective layout mode
• HTML Support History
• Web browser HTML support
• W3Schools XHTML 1.0 Reference

v • d • e Layout engines List of layout engines Amaya · Boxely · Gecko · GtkHTML · Gzilla · iCab · KHTML · Mariner · NetSurf · Robin · Tasman · Tkhtml · Trident · Presto · Prince · WebKit Comparison of layout engines HTML · XML · XHTML · Graphics · CSS · DOM · HTML 5 · ECMAScript · SVG · Deprecated and proprietary Tags and Atrributes