The term Web Standards refers to the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) specifications and guidelines. It means the full support the W3C recommendations for XHTML, CSS, and the DOM/ECMA Script (among others like XML, SVG, and MathML). Complying with web standards is using these technologies according to W3C specifications.
Most assistive and adaptive technologies are based on W3C standards. Error-free, well-formed, standards-compliant HTML is the foundation of an accessible Web site. Standards compliance is an essential ingredient for a higher level of accessibility, portability platform independence, conversion to XML, reusablity and forward compatibility. In itself following web standards, does not guarantee that a page is semantically meaningful, structurally sound, or accessible.
Standard and valid (X)HTML and CSS is the base to start from. Semantically rich, well structured, accessible documents that validate are the goal. Following standards, especially in terms of creating structured, valid markup and removing presentational elements and attributes makes a document inherently more accessible. The future of the web as laid out by the World Wide Web Consortium is based on two underlying concepts.
Website
A website is a related group of web pages published on the World Wide Web.
While Structure
In programming, a while structure continues to loop while an expression is true. It evaluates a Boolean expression. If the expression is false, the code inside the braces is skipped over. If true, the code within the braces is executed. When the close brace } is reached, the test condition is reevaluated, and if it evaluates to true, the code in the loop is re-executed. This continues until the condition is met. Note that the condition is only tested at the beginning of each iteration, so even if the truth of the condition changes during the middle of the code block, the code will be executed to the end.
White Space
White space, also known as negative space, is the open space between visual elements on a web page. The term describes the unused areas. White space gives the eye rest. Cluttered designs hinder clarity and tire the eye. Judicial placement of white space can emphasis page elements and help to direct the eye. You shouldn't use HTML to create whitespace. Use cascading style sheets for this purpose.
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
A specification that allows users to access information via wireless handheld devices. These devices usually have small screens.
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
An international consortium of companies and organizations involved with the Internet and the World Wide Web, responsible for maintaining web technology standards, such as HTML and CSS. It was "created in October 1994, to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability."
