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<entry-title> | <entry-title>Introduction to Microformats</entry-title> | ||
__TOC__ | __TOC__ | ||
== | == What are Microformats? == | ||
Microformats | Microformats are a way of adding simple markup to human-readable data items such as events, contact details or locations, on web pages, so that the information in them can be extracted by software and indexed, searched for, saved, cross-referenced or combined. | ||
More technically, they are items of semantic markup, using just standard "plain old semantic (X)HTML" (i.e. "[[POSH]]") with a set of common [[class-names]] and "[[rel]]" values. They are open and available, freely, for anyone to use. | |||
== | == Why Microformats == | ||
Why did we come up with microformats? | |||
In short, microformats are the convergence of a number of trends: | |||
# | # a logical next step in the evolution of web design and information architecture | ||
# | # a way for people and organisations to publish richer information themselves, without having to rely upon centralized services | ||
# an acknowledgement that (outside of speci<span class="notspam">alist</span> areas) "traditional" metadata efforts have either failed or taken so long to garner any adoption, that a new approach was necessary | # an acknowledgement that (outside of speci<span class="notspam">alist</span> areas) "traditional" metadata efforts have either failed or taken so long to garner any adoption, that a new approach was necessary | ||
# a way to use [[(X)HTML]] for data. | # a way to use [[(X)HTML]] for data. | ||
== | == The Appeal to Simplicity == | ||
* Microformats are a simple effort which has appealed to many frustrated with previous complex efforts. One parallel that can be drawn is to REST in the web services world - for more on REST see [[suggested-reading#REST|suggested reading on REST]]. | * Microformats are a simple effort which has appealed to many frustrated with previous complex efforts. One parallel that can be drawn is to REST in the web services world - for more on REST see [[suggested-reading#REST|suggested reading on REST]]. | ||
* See: [http://www.justinleavesley.com/journal/2005/7/28/web-services-and-the-innovators-dilemma.html Web Services and the Innovators Dilemma] by Justin Leavesley | * See: [http://www.justinleavesley.com/journal/2005/7/28/web-services-and-the-innovators-dilemma.html Web Services and the Innovators Dilemma] by Justin Leavesley | ||
== | ==See also== | ||
* A list of [[notable-users|some notable users]]. | * A list of [[notable-users|some notable users]]. | ||
* Recent [[press]] interviews and [[articles]] are also a good introduction. | * Recent [[press]] interviews and [[articles]] are also a good introduction. | ||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
* [[testimonials]] | * [[testimonials]] | ||
== | == external == | ||
* Sitepoint has a nice introductory tutorial: [http://reference.sitepoint.com/html/microformats Microformats - Plugging the Gaps in HTML] | * Sitepoint has a nice introductory tutorial: [http://reference.sitepoint.com/html/microformats Microformats - Plugging the Gaps in HTML] | ||
* Premasagar has written up [http://premasagar.com/microformats/compound/ some nice microformats examples with source]. | * Premasagar has written up [http://premasagar.com/microformats/compound/ some nice microformats examples with source]. | ||
Revision as of 08:07, 9 June 2010
<entry-title>Introduction to Microformats</entry-title>
What are Microformats?
Microformats are a way of adding simple markup to human-readable data items such as events, contact details or locations, on web pages, so that the information in them can be extracted by software and indexed, searched for, saved, cross-referenced or combined.
More technically, they are items of semantic markup, using just standard "plain old semantic (X)HTML" (i.e. "POSH") with a set of common class-names and "rel" values. They are open and available, freely, for anyone to use.
Why Microformats
Why did we come up with microformats?
In short, microformats are the convergence of a number of trends:
- a logical next step in the evolution of web design and information architecture
- a way for people and organisations to publish richer information themselves, without having to rely upon centralized services
- an acknowledgement that (outside of specialist areas) "traditional" metadata efforts have either failed or taken so long to garner any adoption, that a new approach was necessary
- a way to use (X)HTML for data.
The Appeal to Simplicity
- Microformats are a simple effort which has appealed to many frustrated with previous complex efforts. One parallel that can be drawn is to REST in the web services world - for more on REST see suggested reading on REST.
- See: Web Services and the Innovators Dilemma by Justin Leavesley
See also
- A list of some notable users.
- Recent press interviews and articles are also a good introduction.
- See microformat presentations for more background and introductory material on microformats.
- Listen to podcasts about microformats.
- Read the FAQs for general microformat queries.
- More suggested reading
- So you want to implement microformats?
- presentations
- podcasts
- testimonials
external
- Sitepoint has a nice introductory tutorial: Microformats - Plugging the Gaps in HTML
- Premasagar has written up some nice microformats examples with source.