Batch Changing Dreamweaver files from XHTML to HTML

Question

Almost all of my Dreamweaver files were created in XHTML
mode. In other
words, when I created a page and was asked whether I wanted
to make it
XHTML compatible, I said YES.
About the time I moved my websites from my PC to my Mac, I
finally
realized that XHTML is a lost cause and changed my doctypes
to HTML. But
I just discovered that even PHP include files that have no
doctype at
all automatically insert <br /> instead of <br>.
So I'm assuming that
there must be some invisible code that says "Format this page
for XHTML!"
So I'm wondering if there's a way to change every file in an
entire site
(or all my sites) from XHTML to HTML.
Thanks.

Answer 1

I use XHTML because it forces good coding practices such as
always closing
tags. The usual reason most people give for not using XHTML
is that IE
chokes when it is served as xml+application instead of text.
XHTML Strict
does not allow target="page.html" but transitional does so I
stick with
transitional.
I won't use XHTML 1.1 because I don't like the modularization
part of the
spec. I like a nice standard spec and don't want to create my
own picking
and choosing which modules to include.
Cheryl D Wise
Adobe Community Expert
http://starttoweb.com
"David Blomstrom" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
news:[email protected]...
> Cheryl D Wise wrote:
>> While I can't help you with your batch convert issue
would you mind
>> sharing why you consider XHTML a "lost cause"?
>>
>
> As I recall, the first one to make me scratch my head
was our own Al
> Sparber. If I remember correctly, he said he still used
HTML because
> XHTML...well, I can't even remember the specific
reason(s) he gave. But
> I've noticed a lot of other pros still using HTML.
>
> I THOUGHT XHTML was supposed to serve as sort of a
bridge between HTML and
> XML, which was supposedly the direction the web was
heading. But I began
> reading more and more articles claiming that there was
little point in
> embracing XHMTL as the web simply wasn't moving in that
direction - or at
> least not very quickly. I'm not sure if this was another
of those things
> that Microsoft was retarding or not; I've read so many
confusing things
> about XHTML.
>
> Still, I stuck with XHTML for years until I recently had
some sort of
> problem. I can't even remember what it was offhand -
something to do with
> the doctype, I think. Or maybe there's something you can
do in HTML but
> not in XHTML.
>
> In the meantime, I asked questions about XHTML on forums
but never got a
> really clear explanation regarding WHY I should use it.
XML is even more
> perpelexing. I understand that it can function similar
to a database, but
> I already have a database software program - MySQL. I
tried to figure out
> some of the cool things I could do with XHTML and XML
but all the
> responses I got from geeks were - well, geeky. They seem
to use them
> because they think they're cool, but no one could offer
any practical
> reasons for embracing them.
>
> So I finally said to H*ll with it and changed all my
doctypes to HTML. Now
> I just have to change all my closing tags from </>
to <>.