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HTML: dt tag

March 19, 2023
12 Min Read

HTML: <dt> tag

In this series of learning HTML, we will teach you how to use the HTML dt tag with proper syntax and lots of examples. Let’s start on the HTML dt tag.

Description of HTML dt tag

The HTML dt tag is used to define a term or a name in a description list. The dt tag is typically used together with the dd tag, which is used to define the description or definition of the term.

Here’s an example of how the dt and dd tags can be used together to create a description list:

<dl>
<dt>HTML</dt>
<dd>HyperText Markup Language</dd>
<dt>CSS</dt>
<dd>Cascading Style Sheets</dd>
</dl>

In this example, we have a description list with two terms (HTML and CSS) and their corresponding definitions (HyperText Markup Language and Cascading Style Sheets).

The dt tag is a block-level element, which means it will create a new line before and after the tag. It can contain inline elements, such as links or text formatting tags, as well as other block-level elements.

Some common attributes that can be used with the dt tag include class, id, lang, style, and title, among others.

Syntax of HTML dt tag

The HTML dt tag is used to define a term in a description list in a web page. The syntax of the dt tag is as follows:

<dl>
<dt>Term</dt>
<dd>Definition</dd>
<dt>Term</dt>
<dd>Definition</dd>
...
</dl>

Here, the dl tag encloses a list of terms and their corresponding definitions, which are defined using the dt and dd tags respectively. Each term should be placed within its own dt tag, and its corresponding definition should be placed within its own dd tag.

The dt tag can also have attributes that can be used to modify its behavior and appearance. For example, the class and id attributes can be used to apply CSS styles or to target the dt element with JavaScript.

Example:

<dl>
   <dt>HTML</dt>
   <dd>HyperText Markup Language</dd>
   <dt>CSS</dt>
   <dd>Cascading Style Sheets</dd>
</dl>

This will create a description list with two terms, “HTML” and “CSS”, and their corresponding definitions.

Global Attributes

The <dt> tag is used in HTML to define a term or a name in a description list. It is usually used in conjunction with the <dd> tag, which is used to define the description or definition of the term.

The <dt> tag has the following global attributes:

  1. accesskey: Specifies a keyboard shortcut to activate or focus on the element.
  2. class: Specifies one or more class names for the element, which can be used to apply CSS styles.
  3. contenteditable: Specifies whether the content of the element is editable by the user.
  4. dir: Specifies the direction of the element’s text content (either left-to-right or right-to-left).
  5. hidden: Specifies whether the element should be hidden from the user.
  6. id: Specifies a unique identifier for the element, which can be used to manipulate it using JavaScript or CSS.
  7. lang: Specifies the language of the element’s content.
  8. style: Specifies inline CSS styles for the element.
  9. tabindex: Specifies the order in which the element should be navigated to when the user presses the Tab key.
  10. title: Specifies a title or tooltip for the element, which is displayed when the user hovers over it with the mouse.

Note that not all of these attributes are applicable to the <dt> tag in all situations. For example, the contenteditable attribute may not make sense for a term in a description list, while the hidden attribute may be used to temporarily hide a term from the user.

Event Attributes

The <dt> tag in HTML does not have any specific event attributes. Event attributes are used to specify JavaScript code that should be executed when a particular event occurs, such as when the user clicks on an element or when a form is submitted.

However, like all HTML elements, the <dt> tag can still be used as the target of JavaScript events by using event listeners. Event listeners can be added to the element using JavaScript code or by adding the on attribute to the element with the name of the event and the JavaScript code to execute.

For example, to add a click event listener to a <dt> element with the ID of “myTerm”, the following JavaScript code can be used:

document.getElementById("myTerm").addEventListener("click", function() {
// Code to execute when the element is clicked
});

Alternatively, the following on attribute can be added to the <dt> element directly:

<dt id="myTerm" onlick="myFunction()">My Term</dt>

In this example, the onclick attribute is used to execute the myFunction() function when the element is clicked.

Other Attributes

In HTML, there are two main types of attributes: global attributes and specific attributes. Global attributes can be used on any HTML element, while specific attributes are unique to certain elements.

The <dt> tag in HTML does not have any specific attributes that are unique to it. However, it can still use any global attribute in HTML, such as:

  1. role: Specifies the role of the element in the accessibility tree, which can help assistive technologies to understand the content and functionality of the element.
  2. data-*: Allows custom data to be added to the element, which can be used by JavaScript and CSS.
  3. aria-*: Allows additional accessibility information to be added to the element, such as the element’s label or description.

For example, the role attribute can be used to specify the role of the <dt> element as a heading for a section:

<dt role="heading" aria-level="3">Section 1</dt>

In this example, the role attribute is set to “heading” to indicate that the <dt> element is acting as a heading for a section, while the aria-level attribute is set to “3” to indicate that it is a level 3 heading.

Similarly, the data-* attribute can be used to add custom data to the element, such as:

<dt data-section-id="1">Section 1</dt>

In this example, the data-section-id attribute is used to store a custom ID for the section, which can be used by JavaScript or CSS to manipulate the element.

Notes on HTML: dt tag

Here are some important notes on using the <dt> tag in HTML:

  1. The <dt> tag should always be used in conjunction with the <dl> and <dd> tags to create a description list. The <dl> tag defines the description list, the <dt> tag defines the term or name being described, and the <dd> tag defines the description or definition of the term.
  2. The <dt> tag should only be used for terms or names that are being defined or described. It should not be used for headings or other types of content.
  3. The content of the <dt> tag should be short and descriptive. It should provide a clear and concise definition or description of the term being defined.
  4. The use of semantic HTML elements like the <dt> tag can improve the accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) of a website. Using these elements can help assistive technologies to understand the content and structure of the page, and can help search engines to better understand the content of the page.
  5. The <dt> tag can be styled using CSS to change its appearance, such as its font size, color, and alignment. However, it is important to use CSS to enhance the content and structure of the page, rather than to create purely decorative effects.
  6. The <dt> tag does not have any specific event attributes, but can still be used as the target of JavaScript events by using event listeners.
  7. The <dt> tag can use any global attribute in HTML, such as class, id, style, and title. Specific attributes that are unique to the <dt> tag do not exist.

 

Browser Compatibility

The HTML dt tag has essential support with the following browsers:

  1. Chrome
  2. Internet Explorer (IE)
  3. Opera
  4. Safari (WebKit)
  5. Firefox (Gecko)
  6. Android
  7. Firefox Mobile (Gecko)
  8. Edge Mobile
  9. Opera Mobile
  10. Safari Mobile

Examples of HTML dt tag

We will discuss the HTML dt tag below, with some examples of how to use the dt tag in HTML5, HTML 4.01 Transitional, XHTML 1.0 Strict, XHTML 1.0 Transitional, and XHTML 1.1.

  1. HTML5
  2. HTML4
  3. XHTML

 

 

 

HTML5 Document

Here’s an example of using the <dt> tag in an HTML5 document to create a description list:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Example using the dt tag</title>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example using the dt tag</h1>
<dl>
<dt>Term 1</dt>
<dd>Description 1</dd>
<dt>Term 2</dt>
<dd>Description 2</dd>
<dt>Term 3</dt>
<dd>Description 3</dd>
</dl>
</body>
</html>

In this example, we have created a simple HTML5 document that contains a description list using the <dt> and <dd> tags. The <dl> tag is used to define the description list, and each term or name is defined using a <dt> tag. The description or definition of each term is then provided using a <dd> tag.

When this HTML5 document is rendered in a web browser, it will display the three terms and their corresponding descriptions in a nicely formatted list. The use of semantic HTML elements like the <dt> tag can improve the accessibility and SEO of the page, making it easier for assistive technologies and search engines to understand the content and structure of the page.

 

HTML 4.01 Transitional Document

Here’s an example of using the <dt> tag in an HTML 4.01 Transitional document to create a description list:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>Example using the dt tag</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example using the dt tag</h1>
<dl>
<dt>Term 1</dt>
<dd>Description 1</dd>
<dt>Term 2</dt>
<dd>Description 2</dd>
<dt>Term 3</dt>
<dd>Description 3</dd>
</dl>
</body>
</html>

In this example, we have created a simple HTML 4.01 Transitional document that contains a description list using the <dt> and <dd> tags. The <dl> tag is used to define the description list, and each term or name is defined using a <dt> tag. The description or definition of each term is then provided using a <dd> tag.

When this HTML 4.01 Transitional document is rendered in a web browser, it will display the three terms and their corresponding descriptions in a nicely formatted list. Although HTML 4.01 Transitional does not support some of the newer HTML5 features like semantic elements, the use of the <dt> tag can still improve the accessibility and SEO of the page by providing a clear and structured way to define terms and their descriptions.

 

 

XHTML 1.0 Transitional Document

here’s an example of using the <dt> tag in an XHTML 1.0 Transitional document to create a description list:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title>Example using the dt tag</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example using the dt tag</h1>
<dl>
<dt>Term 1</dt>
<dd>Description 1</dd>
<dt>Term 2</dt>
<dd>Description 2</dd>
<dt>Term 3</dt>
<dd>Description 3</dd>
</dl>
</body>
</html>

In this example, we have created a simple XHTML 1.0 Transitional document that contains a description list using the <dt> and <dd> tags. The <dl> tag is used to define the description list, and each term or name is defined using a <dt> tag. The description or definition of each term is then provided using a <dd> tag.

When this XHTML 1.0 Transitional document is rendered in a web browser, it will display the three terms and their corresponding descriptions in a nicely formatted list. Using XHTML 1.0 Transitional, which is an XML-based version of HTML, provides several benefits, such as improved parsing and error handling, and can also improve the accessibility and SEO of the page by providing a clear and structured way to define terms and their descriptions using the <dt> tag.

XHTML 1.0 Strict Document

here’s an example of using the <dt> tag in an XHTML 1.0 Strict document to create a description list:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title>Example using the dt tag</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example using the dt tag</h1>
<dl>
<dt>Term 1</dt>
<dd>Description 1</dd>
<dt>Term 2</dt>
<dd>Description 2</dd>
<dt>Term 3</dt>
<dd>Description 3</dd>
</dl>
</body>
</html>

In this example, we have created a simple XHTML 1.0 Strict document that contains a description list using the <dt> and <dd> tags. The <dl> tag is used to define the description list, and each term or name is defined using a <dt> tag. The description or definition of each term is then provided using a <dd> tag.

When this XHTML 1.0 Strict document is rendered in a web browser, it will display the three terms and their corresponding descriptions in a nicely formatted list. Using XHTML 1.0 Strict, which is a stricter version of XHTML 1.0, provides additional benefits such as improved standardization, consistency, and compatibility across different devices and platforms. Using the <dt> tag can also improve the accessibility and SEO of the page by providing a clear and structured way to define terms and their descriptions.

XHTML 1.1 Document

here’s an example of using the <dt> tag in an XHTML 1.1 document to create a description list:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title>Example using the dt tag</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="application/xhtml+xml; charset=UTF-8" />
</head>
<body>
<h1>Example using the dt tag</h1>
<dl>
<dt>Term 1</dt>
<dd>Description 1</dd>
<dt>Term 2</dt>
<dd>Description 2</dd>
<dt>Term 3</dt>
<dd>Description 3</dd>
</dl>
</body>
</html>

In this example, we have created a simple XHTML 1.1 document that contains a description list using the <dt> and <dd> tags. The <dl> tag is used to define the description list, and each term or name is defined using a <dt> tag. The description or definition of each term is then provided using a <dd> tag.

When this XHTML 1.1 document is rendered in a web browser, it will display the three terms and their corresponding descriptions in a nicely formatted list. Using XHTML 1.1 provides several benefits, such as improved support for internationalization, greater device independence, and better support for accessibility and semantic markup. Additionally, using the <dt> tag provides a clear and structured way to define terms and their descriptions, which can improve the accessibility and SEO of the page.

 

 

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