XHTML in PHP Developer Roles

Jobs that require XHTML (Extensible HyperText Markup Language) skills typically involve maintaining or modernizing legacy PHP web applications. As a stricter, XML-based predecessor to HTML5, XHTML was common in an earlier era of web development. Developers in these roles must be comfortable working within its strict syntax rules to ensure code is well-formed and valid.

Maintaining Legacy Systems

A primary responsibility in an XHTML-related role is to manage and update existing codebases built with older PHP versions and templating systems that output XHTML. This can include fixing validation errors, ensuring compatibility across different browsers, and carefully introducing new features without breaking the strict document structure. The goal is often to maintain stability while planning for a potential migration to a modern HTML5 stack.

Generating XML-Compliant Documents

In some cases, PHP is used to generate documents that must adhere to strict XML standards, such as certain data feeds, reports, or invoices. Knowledge of XHTML is valuable here because its syntax rules align with general XML well-formedness. This often involves using PHP's DOM or SimpleXML extensions to programmatically build valid document structures.