.html or .htm?

[sun818]

Any reason why you use one over the other? Personally, I use .htm because it is less typing and saves one byte. ;)

[madcat]

I think it's something about older operating systems not being able to handle filenames with four-letter extensions. I'd like to know as well- would using .htm present compatibility issues on some systems?

[mivox]

On my employer's site I generally use .html for pages I create myself, and .htm for templates and script generated pages, so I can tell which is which at a glance when I'm looking for a specific file.

The site's gotten big enough, and it's been long enough since I first built it, that I've forgotten exactly what a lot of the files are... ;) That little distinction saves me quite a bit of hassle.

[martinibuster]

w3c uses .html on their web site. I tried searching their site to see if .html was the standard, but I couldn't find anything.

Someone once told me it was the regulation way to do it, but I haven't found any documentation to back that up.

[vbull]

I have had problems with htm on some old unix servers, so if you are not sure of your serving environment best use html

[sun818]

When I first started using a web browser (Mosaic on a Mac), I remember the extension was .html - The thought did enter my mind that .htm started appearing when more DOS/Windows-based desktops started using the Internet as well. Does anyone think there is a distinction of extensions used based on your OS?

.html for Mac & Unix

.htm for DOS & Windows?

[WebSempster]

I have tried this experiment:

1. Put an index.htm and index.html file on two web servers
2. Open location http*//www.widget.com/test/

On two different OS and server combinations, in both cases the .html opened.

Potential use: I've started using .html for just my en-GB pages and making new .htm pages for my en-US stuff, with alternate lang link tags. I've already seen one bot jump this gap. Naturally, I shall also Americanise widgetiser.html to widgetizer.htm too ;¬}

On a UNIX box there is always the potential for .HTML / .HTM / .Html / .Htm too ... French / Spanish / Portugese / Italian?

[edited by: korkus2000 at 9:03 pm (utc) on Dec. 5, 2002]
[edit reason] Delinked URL [/edit]

[jtbell]

WebSempster wrote:
>
>I have tried this experiment:
>
>1. Put an index.htm and index.html file on two web servers
>2. Open location http*//www.widget.com/test/
>
>On two different OS and server combinations, in both cases >the .html opened.

This depends on the server configuration. With Apache,
for example, this is set by the DirectoryIndex directive
in the server configuration file. My server has

DirectoryIndex index.html index.html.var index.htm

which is the default that ships with Apache 2.0.x.
It means look first for index.html, then for
index.html.var, then for index.htm. If none of those
exist, and if "Options Indexes" is turned on for that
directory, Apache generates its own directory listing;
otherwise, it sends an error page.

The server administrator can modify this configuration
if s/he likes.

[edited by: korkus2000 at 9:02 pm (utc) on Dec. 5, 2002]
[edit reason] delinked URL [/edit]

[Macguru]

We once covered the case where a site had to be burned on a cross platform CD. For this case, only 8.3 format for filenames can be used, wich, I believe, excludes four letter extensions.

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