W3C

XHTML Vocabulary and Profile

This is a vocabulary collection utilized by XHTML Family modules and document types using XHTML Modularization, including XHTML Role and XHTML + RDFa as defined in rdfa-syntax.

The XHTML specifications are developed by the W3C XHTML 2 Working Group as part of the W3CHTML Activity.

For more information about XML, please refer to the Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 specification.

Version date: 2010-11-09

1. Introduction

XHTML Modularization [XHTMLMOD] permits the development of XHTML modules and XHTML family markup languages. These modules and markup languages may, in turn, define local vocabulary items for use as values of attributes. This document describes the items that are available in the default XHTML vocabulary space: http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#.

1.1 Revision Policy

@@TODO: if we expect RDFa parsers to hardcode this profile, we need a policy regarding how it will be revised - what notice period will be given before terms are added or removed.

2. XHTML Metainformation Vocabulary

The XHTML Metainformation Module defined as part of XHTML+RDFa [XHTMLRDFa] specifies the following vocabulary items.

alternate
alternate designates alternate versions for a resource.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term alternate is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#alternate.
appendix
appendix refers to a resource serving as an appendix in a collection.
This property is a subproperty of dc:hasPart.
The term appendix is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#appendix.
bookmark
bookmark refers to a bookmark — a link to a key entry point within an extended document.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term bookmark is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#bookmark.
cite
cite refers to a resource that defines a citation.
This property is a subproperty of bibo:cites and dc:references.
The term cite is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#cite.
chapter
chapter refers to a resource serving as a chapter in a collection.
This property is a subproperty of dc:hasPart.
The term chapter is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#chapter.
contents
contents refers to a resource serving as a table of contents.
This property is a subproperty of dc:tableOfContents.
The term contents is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#contents.
copyright refers to a copyright statement for the resource.
This property is a subproperty of dc:rights.
The term copyright is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#copyright.
describedby
The term describedby is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/2007/05/powder-s#describedby.
first
first refers the first item in a collection (see also start and top).
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term first is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#first.
glossary
glossary refers to a resource providing a glossary of terms.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term glossary is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#glossary.
help
help refers to a resource offering help.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term help is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#help.
icon
icon refers to a resource that represents an icon.
This property is a subproperty of rdfs:seeAlso.
The term icon is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#icon.
index
index refers to a resource providing an index.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term index is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#index.
itsrules
itsrules indicates that the designated resource is an [ITS] rule set.
This property is a subproperty of meta.
The term itsrules is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#itsrules.
last
last refers to the last resource in a collection of resources.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term last is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#last.
license
license refers to a resource that defines the associated license.
This property is a subproperty of cc:license and dc:license.
The term license is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#license.
meta
meta refers to a resource that provides metadata.
This property is a subproperty of rdfs:seeAlso.
The term meta is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#meta.
next
next refers to the next resource (after the current one) in an ordered collection of resources.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term next is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#next.
p3pv1
p3pv1 refers to a P3P Policy Reference File [P3P].
This property is a subproperty of meta.
The term p3pv1 is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#p3pv1.
prev
prev refers to a previous resource (before the current one) in an ordered collection of resources.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term prev is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#prev.
role
role indicates the purpose of the resource. See the XHTML Role Vocabulary for roles in this vocabulary space, and XHTMLROLE for information on extending the collection of roles.
The term role is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#role.
section
section refers to a resource serving as a section in a collection.
This property is a subproperty of dc:hasPart.
The term section is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#section.
stylesheet
stylesheet refers to a resource serving as a stylesheet for a resource.
This property is a subproperty of meta.
The term stylesheet is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#stylesheet.
subsection
subsection refers to a resource serving as a subsection in a collection.
This property is a subproperty of dc:hasPart.
The term subsection is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#subsection.
start
start refers to the first resource in a collection of resources.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term start is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#start.
top
top is a synonym for start.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term top is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#top.
up
up refers to a resource "above" in a hierarchically structured set.
This property is a subproperty of dc:relation.
The term up is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#up.

3. XHTML Role Vocabulary

3.1 Items from the XHTML Role Module

The values in this section are defined for use in the role attribute as specified in the XHTML Role Attribute Module. Note that the values in Section 2 and Section 3.2 are also available.

banner
contains the prime heading or internal title of a page.
The term banner is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#banner.
complementary
indicates that the section supports but is separable from the main content of resource.
The term complementary is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#complementary.
contentinfo
contains meta information about the content on the page or the page as a whole.
This role is similar to the meta property.
The term contentinfo is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#contentinfo.
definition
indicates the definition of a term or concept.
The term definition is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#definition.
main
acts as the main content of the document.
The term main is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#main.
navigation
indicates a collection of items suitable for navigating the document or related documents.
The term navigation is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#navigation.
note
indicates the content is parenthetic or ancillary to the main content of the resource.
The term note is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#note.
indicates that the section provides a search facility.
The term search is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#search.

3.2 Items from the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Vocabulary

alert
A message with important, and usually time-sensitive, information. Also see alertdialog and status.
The term alert is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#alert.
alertdialog
A type of dialog that contains an alert message, where initial focus goes to the dialog or an element within it. Also see alert and dialog.
The term alertdialog is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#alertdialog.
application
A region declared as a web application, as opposed to a web document.
The term application is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#application.
article
A section of a page consisting of an independent part of a document, page, or site.
The term article is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#article.
button
An input that allows for user-triggered actions when clicked or pressed.
The term button is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#button.
checkbox
An checkable input that has three possible values: true, false, or mixed.
The term checkbox is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#checkbox.
columnheader
A cell containing header information for a column.
The term columnheader is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#columnheader.
combobox
A presentation of a select; usually similar to a textbox where users can type ahead to select an option, or type to enter arbitrary text as a new item in the list.
The term combobox is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#combobox.
dialog
A dialog is an application window that is designed to interrupt the current processing of an application in order to prompt the user to enter information or require a response. Also see alertdialog.
The term dialog is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#dialog.
directory
A list of references to members of a group, such as a static table of contents.
The term directory is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#directory.
document
A region containing related information that is declared as document content, as opposed to a web application.
The term document is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#document.
grid
A grid contains cells of tabular data arranged in rows and columns, like a table.
The term grid is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#grid.
gridcell
A cell in a grid or treegrid.
The term gridcell is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#gridcell.
group
A set of user interface objects which would not be included in a page summary or table of contents by an assistive technology.
The term group is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#group.
heading
A heading for a section of the page.
The term heading is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#heading.
img
A container for a collection of elements that form an image.
The term img is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#img.
An interactive reference to an internal or external resource.
The term link is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#link.
list
A group of non-interactive list items.
The term list is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#list.
listbox
A widget that allows the user to select one or more items from a list of choices.
The term listbox is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#listbox.
listitem
A single item in a list, listbox, or directory.
The term listitem is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#listitem.
log
A type of live region where new information is added in meaningful order and old information may disappear. Also see marquee.
The term log is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#log.
marquee
A type of live region where non-essential information changes frequently. Also see log.
The term marquee is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#marquee.
math
An element that represents a mathematical expression.
The term math is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#math.
menu
A type of widget that offers a list of choices to the user.
The term menu is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#menu.
menubar
A presentation of menu that usually remains visible and is usually presented horizontally.
The term menubar is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#menubar.
menuitem
An option in a group of choices contained by a menu or menubar.
The term menuitem is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#menuitem.
menuitemcheckbox
A checkable menuitem that has three possible values: true, false, or mixed.
The term menuitemcheckbox is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#menuitemcheckbox.
menuitemradio
A checkable menuitem in a group of menuitemradio roles, only one of which can be checked at a time.
The term menuitemradio is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#menuitemradio.
option
A selectable item in a select list.
The term option is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#option.
presentation
An element whose role is presentational and does not need to be mapped to the accessibility API.
The term presentation is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#presentation.
progressbar
An element that displays the progress status for tasks that take a long time.
The term progressbar is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#progressbar.
radio
A checkable input in a group of radio roles, only one of which can be checked at a time.
The term radio is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#radio.
radiogroup
A group of radio buttons.
The term radiogroup is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#radiogroup.
region
A large perceivable section of a web page or document, that the author feels should be included in a summary of page features.
The term region is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#region.
row
A row of cells in a grid.
The term row is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#row.
rowheader
A cell containing header information for a row in a grid.
The term rowheader is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#rowheader.
separator
A divider that separates and distinguishes sections of content or groups of menuitems.
The term separator is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#separator.
slider
A user input where the user selects a value from within a given range.
The term slider is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#slider.
spinbutton
A form of range that expects a user to select from amongst discrete choices.
The term spinbutton is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#spinbutton.
status
A container whose content is advisory information for the user but is not important enough to justify an alert. Also see alert.
The term status is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#status.
tab
A header for a tabpanel.
The term tab is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#tab.
tablist
A list of tab elements, which are references to tabpanel elements.
The term tablist is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#tablist.
tabpanel
A container for the resources associated with a tab.
The term tabpanel is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#tabpanel.
textbox
Input that allows free-form text as their value.
The term textbox is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#textbox.
timer
A numerical counter which indicates an amount of elapsed time from a start point, or the time remaining until an end point.
The term timer is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#timer.
toolbar
A collection of commonly used function buttons represented in compact visual form.
The term toolbar is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#toolbar.
tooltip
A contextual popup that displays a description for an element in a mouse hover or keyboard focused state. Supplement to the normal tooltip processing of the user agent.
The term tooltip is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#tooltip.
tree
A type of list that may contain sub-level nested groups that can be collapsed and expanded.
The term tree is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#tree.
treegrid
A grid whose rows can be expanded and collapsed in the same manner as for a tree.
The term treegrid is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#treegrid.
treeitem
An option item of a tree. This is an element within a tree that may be expanded or collapsed if it contains a sub-level group of treeitems.
The term treeitem is mapped to the identifier http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab#treeitem.

Appendix A - References

[ITS]
"The Internationalization Tag Set (ITS) Version 1.0", W3C Recommendation, C. Lieske, F. Sasaki, 3 April 2007.
Available at: http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/REC-its-20070403/
[P3P]
"The Platform for Privacy Preferences 1.0 (P3P1.0) Specification", W3C Recommendation, L. Cranor et al., 16 April 2002.
Available at: http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/REC-P3P-20020416/
[XHTMLMOD]
XHTML Modularization 1.1, W3C Recommendation, Shane McCarron, et al., 8 October 2008
http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-xhtml-modularization-20081008
[XHTMLRDFa]
"RDFa in XHTML: Syntax and Processing", W3C Recommendation, B. Adida, et al., 14 October 2008.
http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-rdfa-syntax-20081014.
[XHTMLROLE]
"XHTML Role Attribute Module", W3C Working Draft, M. Birbeck, et. al. 7 April 2008. http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-xhtml-role-20080407.
Steven Pemberton, W3C HTML Activity Lead
Toby Inkster, RDFa Working Group
Last edited: 2010-11-09