HTML 4.0 Block-Level Elements

Most HTML 4.0 elements permitted within the BODY are classified as either block-level elements or inline elements. Block-level elements typically contain inline elements and other block-level elements. When rendered visually, block-level elements usually begin on a new line.

The following are defined as block-level elements in HTML 4.0:

• ADDRESS - Address
• BLOCKQUOTE - Block quotation
• CENTER - Centered block
• DIR - Directory list
• DIV - Generic block-level container
• DL - Definition list
• FIELDSET - Form control group
• FORM - Interactive form
• H1 - Level-one heading
• H2 - Level-two heading
• H3 - Level-three heading
• H4 - Level-four heading
• H5 - Level-five heading
• H6 - Level-six heading
• HR - Horizontal rule
• ISINDEX - Input prompt
• MENU - Menu list
• NOFRAMES - Frames alternate content
• NOSCRIPT - Alternate script content
• OL - Ordered list
• P - Paragraph
• PRE - Preformatted text
• TABLE - Table
• UL - Unordered list

The following elements may also be considered block-level elements since they may contain block-level elements:

• DD - Definition description
• DT - Definition term
• FRAMESET - Frameset
• LI - List item
• TBODY - Table body
• TD - Table data cell
• TFOOT - Table foot
• TH - Table header cell
• THEAD - Table head
• TR - Table row

The following elements may be used as either block-level elements or inline elements. If used as inline elements (e.g., within another inline element or a P), these elements should not contain any block-level elements.

• APPLET - Java applet
• BUTTON - Button
• DEL - Deleted text
• IFRAME - Inline frame
• INS - Inserted text
• MAP - Image map
• OBJECT - Object
• SCRIPT - Client-side script

Copyright © 1998 by Liam Quinn. This material may be distributed only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Open Publication License, v1.0 or later (the latest version is presently available at http://www.opencontent.org/openpub/).