Which is the best XHTML validator ?
 

hii..

I wanted to know which free service/software should I use to check my code if its valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional. I tried the following free services:-

1. http://validator.w3.org/
2. http://www.validome.org
3. The HTML validator addon for Firefox

BUT I notice all three result in something different. For the same page, one is giving me few errors, one few warnings and one validates correctly.

So, which one should I trust more or should I make my code pass all 3 ?

Thank You

The first one offer source for the other two... so it's easy to calculate...

btw, w3c.org is the only reference for the whole web protocols...

thank you for replying.

but if the ultimate source is the first one i.e. http://validator.w3.org/ then why the other two produce difference results.

W3C use ONLY the compliances on actual technologies... the others may provide result for newer codes changes (W3C do not compliant for CSS3 as example... yet!)

ah fine ! So, does this mean that the other two keeping w3c as BASE, may also provide result for newer code changes ?

Should I rely on other two then ? coz for one of my page, they both pass correctly but not w3.org ?

they use W3C as base, yes... and most of the time, they will make compliant a site that have tags that are less compliant on W3C because W3C refuse all alternative tags, the ones from Mozilla or Microsoft...

also, it depend if you try to check the site with strict or conditional... ;)

You should rely on the w3.org validator as the official one, for reasons stated. It's from the same organisation that actually is responsible for web standards as a whole, and as such is more accurate.