Do I `HAVE` to add a space inside an empty DIV tag?

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+1 Q:

Do I `HAVE` to add a space inside an empty DIV tag?

Hello!

I was reading a book about AJAX and the writer said that one should always add a space inside of empty div tags so as to not risk compatibility problems in "some browsers".

So this would be wrong <div></div> and this would be right <div> </div>.

Question: Is he an idiot or does he know something?

Thank you.

+4 A:

He's not an idiot. IE 8 (possibly earlier versions as well?) will subtly mess up your layout if your empty div is really empty; adding a comment seems to be the suggested way of dealing with it, but apparently a space works as well.

Wooble 2010-10-06 22:54:42

+1 I find using a comment weirder than using a space, because a comment isn't supposed to influence *anything* whereas a space character is still text, somehow. Then again, that's the way IE is — always the quirky odd one out.

BoltClock 2010-10-06 23:04:30

Wooble: That doesn't mean he's not an idiot, it just means saying what he said doesn't prove it. :D

Francisc 2010-10-06 23:14:46

Either I haven't used a lot of empty divs so far, or I haven't noticed any such subtle problems. Could you please give an example of when this may mess things up?

deceze 2010-10-06 23:16:45

I think that if you use a div as a spacer (for example) setting its height and width to say 20px (`<div style="width:20px;height:20px;"></div>`) it doesn't always render so in some versions of IE unless you add a space or comment as indicated in the answers here inside the div.

Francisc 2010-10-06 23:28:32

+1 A:

i usually add   instead of the empty space!

Mouhannad 2010-10-06 22:56:29

+1 A:

I would add a comment so that nothing is displayed. This does cause problems in ie8 for some reason!

janice 2010-10-06 23:04:58

Thank you, Janice.

Francisc 2010-10-06 23:15:44

ansaurus

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Do I `HAVE` to add a space inside an empty DIV tag?

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