XHTML+SMIL: A Standard for Multimedia

XHTML+SMIL is a standard for multimedia that combines the strengths of XHTML and SMIL. It was designed to provide a common language for creating and synchronizing multimedia content.

XHTML+SMIL is built on top of XHTML, which is a markup language used for structuring and presenting content. This foundation allows XHTML+SMIL to leverage the strengths of XHTML, including its ability to handle complex layouts and formatting.

SMIL, on the other hand, is a language for describing multimedia presentations. It provides a way to synchronize multiple media streams, such as video and audio, to create engaging and interactive experiences. By combining these two languages, XHTML+SMIL enables developers to create rich, multimedia content that can be delivered over the web.

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XHTML+SMIL is a powerful tool for creating dynamic and engaging presentations. It allows you to set any XHTML element to appear at a given time, last for a specified duration, and repeat, all with a simple syntax.

The SMIL timing extensions provide basic timing and synchronization functionality that's easy to use. This makes it perfect for authors who want to create interactive and immersive experiences.

With the Animation and Transition modules, you can define presentation content that includes motion, style animation, transition effects, and more. This is especially useful for multimedia authoring tools and runtimes.

XHTML+SMIL's event-based interactive timing is also supported, allowing you to create complex timing constructs that respond to user interactions. This level of control is a game-changer for authors who want to create engaging and dynamic content.

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The design rationale behind XHTML+SMIL is rooted in the idea of using existing modules where possible. The Layout Module from SMIL 2.0 is not included because XHTML/CSS already provides layout functionality.

The SMIL 2.0 linking module is not included, as XHTML provides linking functionality. This means you don't need to learn a new way of linking content.

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The Structure Module from SMIL 2.0 is also not included, as the XHTML document is defined to be the host language, providing equivalent elements and semantics. This simplifies the process of creating structured content.

The SMIL 2.0 Metainformation module is not included, as XHTML provides metadata functionality. This reduces the need for redundant metadata.

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XHTML+SMIL is a markup language that combines the best of both worlds, allowing you to create interactive multimedia content that's both accessible and engaging.

XHTML+SMIL is based on the existing XHTML 1.1 and SMIL 2.1 specifications, which means it inherits the strengths of both languages.

XHTML+SMIL uses a single XML-based markup language to integrate multimedia elements, such as video, audio, and images, into a single document.

This integration enables seamless playback of multimedia content across different platforms and devices.

The key to XHTML+SMIL's success lies in its ability to synchronize multimedia elements, allowing developers to create rich, interactive experiences that engage users on multiple levels.

By leveraging the strengths of XHTML and SMIL, developers can create content that's not only visually appealing but also accessible to a wider audience.

The default XML namespace of an XHTML+SMIL document is XHTML. SMIL elements are included through an additional SMIL namespace declaration, which is left to the discretion of the document author.

This means you can choose a unique identifier for the namespace within the document, such as 'smil'. In the module descriptions, you'll find references to the "Common" attribute set and content sets defined in XHTML Modularization.

In practice, this allows for a clear separation of XHTML and SMIL elements in your document, making it easier to manage and maintain.

The default XML namespace of an XHTML+SMIL document is XHTML. SMIL elements are included through an additional SMIL namespace declaration.

You can choose any name for the unique identifier within the document, such as 'smil', which is left to the discretion of the document author.

In XHTML Modularization [XMOD], the Common attribute set and content sets are defined, and these are referenced in the module descriptions below. This section is normative.

File Type Signifiers are an essential part of identifying SMIL files. They can be found in various forms, including filename extensions and Internet Media Types.

The filename extension for SMIL files is smil, which is recommended to use on Windows and Macintosh platforms. This is because the ".smi" extension is used by other formats on these platforms.

SMIL files can also be identified by their filename extensions sml and smi, both of which are recognized by IANA.org.

Internet Media Types for SMIL files include application/smil+xml and text/smil. The latter is an XML-based markup language for multimedia presentations.

The lack of a single initial byte sequence that is always present for SMIL files makes identification more complex. RFC 4536 published in May 2006 provides guidelines for recognizing SMIL files.

Here are the file type signifiers for SMIL files:

XHTML + SMIL is a powerful combination that allows you to create rich, interactive multimedia presentations for the web. It integrates the functionality of SMIL 2.0 with XHTML, enabling you to synchronize multimedia elements, control timing and synchronization, and add animation and transition effects.

The XHTML+SMIL profile defines a set of XHTML abstract modules that support a subset of the SMIL 2.0 specification, including animation, content control, media objects, timing and synchronization, and transition effects. This profile is designed for Web clients that support XHTML+SMIL markup validating to its implementation DTD.

SMIL elements are included in an XHTML+SMIL document through an additional SMIL namespace declaration, which allows you to include SMIL elements while still using XHTML as the default XML namespace. The name of the unique identifier for the namespace within the document is left to the discretion of the document author.

The profile includes the XHTML modules defined in XHTML Modularization and the following SMIL 2.0 modules: Animation Functionality, BasicAnimation Module, SplineAnimation Module, Timing and Synchronization Functionality, and BasicInlineTiming Module. The syntactic conventions used in this document to describe additions and modifications to element content sets are borrowed from XHTML Modularization.

Here's a summary of the available types and subtypes of transition effects in SMIL 2.0:

Microsoft has implemented a partial implementation of the XHTML+SMIL 2.0 profile in what it calls the HTML+TIME 2.0 behavior. This allows you to use a number of SMIL elements in HTML, such as video, animation, audio, par, seq, excl, img, media, and ref, and introduces new attributes, scriptable properties, events, and objects that implement the notion of a timeline.

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The Animation Module in XHTML+SMIL is a powerful tool for incorporating animation onto a timeline and composing the effects of multiple animations.

The Animation Module defines the animate, set, animateMotion, and animateColor elements, which are used to create animations. These elements have specific attributes, such as attributeName, attributeType, and calcMode, that control how the animation behaves.

Here are the key elements defined by the Animation Module, along with their attributes and content models:

The 2.5-Animation Module provides a framework for incorporating animation onto a timeline and a mechanism for composing the effects of multiple animations. It defines semantics for the animate, set, animateMotion, and animateColor elements.

The Animation Module defines four main elements: animate, set, animateMotion, and animateColor. These elements have specific attributes and content models that determine their behavior. For example, the animate element has attributes such as attributeName, attributeType, and calcMode, which control the animation's behavior.

The Animation Module also defines a set of valid targets for each animation element. For instance, the animate element can target elements such as body, noscript, and font, while the animateMotion element can target elements like address, blockquote, and cite.

Here are the valid targets for each animation element:

The Animation Module provides a powerful framework for creating animations and interactive effects in XHTML documents. By understanding the elements, attributes, and content models defined in this module, developers can create engaging and dynamic user experiences.

The XHTML+SMIL Language profile specifies a range of events that can be used in conjunction with SMIL elements. These events are crucial for creating interactive and dynamic animations.

The SMIL Timing and Synchronization Module defines the beginEvent, which is raised when the timeline starts on an element. This is a fundamental event for animation.

You can also use DOM 2 dynamic events, which include events like pause and resume. These events allow you to control the playback of animations.

A total of 13 events are supported by XHTML+SMIL, including beginEvent, endEvent, and timeerror. Each of these events serves a specific purpose in animation.

Here's a list of the supported events:

The Content Control Module plays a crucial role in XHTML+SMIL, allowing you to select content based on test attributes.

The SMIL2.0 Content Control Module defines a framework for this purpose, adding the switch element to the Flow content set of the XHTML Basic Text module.

The switch element has two attributes: Common and Timing.

The Content Control Module also defines the Test attribute set, which includes seven attributes: systemBitrate, systemCaptions, systemLanguage, systemRequired, systemScreenDepth, systemScreenSize, and systemAudioDesc.

Here's a breakdown of the Test attribute set:

The Content Control Module also adds the Test attributes to the elements in the Flow content set of the XHTML Basic Text Module.

The 2.7-Media Object Module is a framework for declaring media in SMIL2.0. It defines semantics for various elements, including ref, animation, audio, img, iframe, video, text, and textstream.

These elements are added to the content model of the par, seq, and excl elements in the Timing and Synchronization Module. The par, seq, and excl elements are also added to the Inline content set of the Basic Text Module.

The Media Object Module extends the semantics and content model of the img and iframe elements defined by XHTML. The integration of the Media module adds new functionality to these elements.

Here's a breakdown of the elements and their attributes:

In general, an element's content model determines how it behaves in terms of presentational behavior. The decision to control presentational behavior in isolation is based on the usefulness of this control in common authoring scenarios.

Timing and Synchronization is a crucial aspect of XHTML+SMIL. It allows you to control the presentation and behavior of elements over time.

The timeContainer attribute is added to elements in the Flow content set of the Basic Text Module, and its default value for the body element is "par". The timeAction attribute defines the behavior controlled by the timing model, and its default value for the body element is "none".

The default time actions for various elements are defined in the table below:

The Animation Module provides a framework for incorporating animation onto a timeline and a mechanism for composing the effects of multiple animations.

The Transition Effects Module is a crucial part of XHTML+SMIL, allowing you to define a taxonomy of transition effects and integrate them into XHTML documents. This module includes the functionality of the InlineTransitions module, which defines the transitionFilter element.

The transitionFilter element has several attributes and a content model that includes one or more XHTML param elements describing extended transition functionality. It can be added to the content model of elements in the Media Object Module and XHTML elements that support rendered content.

Some specific XHTML elements that will support transitionFilter are Media, img, and others. The transitionFilter element may contain one or more XHTML param elements describing extended transition functionality.

Here are some common types and subtypes of transition effects available in XHTML+SMIL:

You can apply transition effects to elements like images, video, and paragraphs, as long as they have a layout.

Extending the XHTML+SMIL Language Profile is a possibility in the future, and it's done by following specific rules.

To extend the language, new elements must have a skip-content attribute if their content needs to be processed by XHTML+SMIL user agents.

This ensures that conformant user agents can handle documents with extensions that obey these rules.

Private extensions, on the other hand, must be introduced by defining a new XML namespace.

Here are the two rules to keep in mind for extending the language profile:

Conformant XHTML+SMIL user agents are prepared to handle documents containing extensions that obey these two rules.

XML enables standardization for accessibility and validation, making it easier for developers to create accessible and well-structured content. This is achieved through the use of online DTDs or schemas, which provide rules for interpretation and ensure that tags are well formed and validated.

Using XML-based mark-up languages, including XHTML, requires strict discipline on content developers, but it's not burdensome. Code validators are available from W3C, allowing developers to validate their content files and stylesheets for correct code.

Validity and well-formedness generally contribute to accessibility, which is essential for creating inclusive content. For more information on accessible use of XML, consult the XML resources from the W3C.

A conforming XHTML+SMIL document must meet specific criteria, including meeting all of the mandatory facilities described in the specification.

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SMIL and XHTML are two technologies that work together to create multimedia presentations for the web. SMIL stands for Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, and it's pronounced "smile". SMIL is an XML language that's recommended for creating multimedia presentations.

SMIL elements are included in an XHTML+SMIL document through an additional SMIL namespace declaration. The name of the unique identifier for the namespace within the document is left to the discretion of the document author.

The default XML namespace of an XHTML+SMIL document is XHTML. SMIL elements are included through an additional SMIL namespace declaration, which is used to integrate SMIL with XHTML.

SMIL provides elements and attributes to control alternative content, including accessible and internationalized content. This is useful for creating multimedia presentations that can be accessed by people with disabilities.

SMIL is supported by popular user agents, including RealPlayer and QuickTime Media Player. To learn more about SMIL's accessibility features, you can visit the W3C's Accessibility Features of SMIL page.

Here are some tools that can help you author accessible SMIL presentations:

There are several challenges to overcome when working with XHTML+SMIL.

One of the main problems is the complexity of the technology.

The simplicity of declarative sound triggers in HTML+TIME 2.0 can be a nice advantage.

This is because the t:audio elements in HTML+TIME 2.0 can be easily tied to events, such as clicks.

This mechanism can be replicated for any SMIL 2 event, like the end of a seq element.

This flexibility is a significant advantage when working with XHTML+SMIL.

It allows developers to create complex animations and multimedia presentations with ease.

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