I recently responded to an email from someone (fairly new to web design) about where to start in regards to what versions of XHTML and/or CSS should they learn. As you know, there’s HTML, then there’s XHTML, then there’s HTML4 and there’s HTML5, not to mention CSS1, CSS2 and CSS3. Heck, I don’t blame people for being confused. I’ve been in the game now for nearly 15 years and I’m confused at this stuff.

But here’s the thing, none of this stuff really matters. Because at the end of the day, I’ve never had a client of mine question me on what version of HTML I used to code their site, or I’ve never had a client or employer of mine question me on whether I used the latest techniques and version for CSS3. No one cares about this other than Web Design nerds and the people who write books on CSS and HTML.

My philosophy has always been to just keep it simple. If you learn basic HTML and basic CSS, then you’re 95.9% there. You would pretty much know everything you need to know to be successful at building websites (or coding them at least). And when time comes to learning XHTML, HTML4, HTML5, CSS1, CSS2 or CSS3, you’d be in a good position to learn the latest techniques very quickly.

In conclusion, don’t get confused with all the latest versions for HTML and CSS, just learn the basics and you’ll be fine. Knowing the basics is good enough. And one of the best resources for you to learn from is HTML Dog.

Happy coding!

~ Mike