i (HTML element)
| Depr. | Empty | Version |
|---|---|---|
| No | No | HTML 2 |
| IE5.5+ | FF1+ | Saf1.3+ | Op9.2+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full | Full | Full | Full |
Example
The correct usage of the
i element is shown below, where it’s used to show that
the text in a logo uses italics:
<p>The logo for the Left-Leaning organization uses italic text on
the word leaning, as shown here: "left-<i>leaning</i>"</p>
- Type
- inline element
- Contains
- inline elements only
- Contained by
- block-level elements, inline elements
Description
The i (short
for italic) element styles the text it contains in italics, but offers no
semantic meaning about the contained text.
While the
i element isn’t deprecated—even in XHTML 1.1—its use is
declining as, in many cases, it’s more appropriate to use either an
emphasis (em) or strong emphasis (strong) element instead. However, there are instances where
a suitable HTML alternative isn’t available, and i must
be used.
Use This For …
This element should be applied to text that needs to be stylistically offset from the normal prose, but in a way that doesn’t confer any extra importance on that text. Such applications include:
- the name of a boat
- a technical term
- an idiomatic phrase from another language
- a thought
The i element should, therefore, be used only
as a last resort when no other element is more appropriate. For the
examples above, it’s preferable to use an i element
rather than a span to which an italic style is applied
via CSS.
Compatibility
| IE | 5.5 | Full |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | Full | |
| 7.0 | Full | |
| Firefox | 1.0 | Full |
| 1.5 | Full | |
| 2.0 | Full | |
| Safari | 1.3 | Full |
| 2.0 | Full | |
| 3.0 | Full | |
| Opera | 9.2 | Full |
| 9.5 | Full |
It causes no compatibility issues, and has excellent support across all tested browsers.
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