Is HTML Commenting Within Script Tags Still Necessary in Modern Browsing Environments?

The Obsolescence of HTML Comments in Script Tags

In the past, embedding HTML comments within script tags was a common practice to prevent browsers without JavaScript support from rendering the script content as plain text. However, with the prevalence of JavaScript-compatible browsers today, this practice has become largely obsolete.

The reason for this is that modern browsers, including those on mobile devices, are aware of script blocks and can ignore JavaScript code even if they cannot execute it. Therefore, using HTML comments within script tags is no longer necessary for compatibility purposes.

However, there are potential drawbacks to this practice:

• Issues in XHTML Documents: Within XHTML documents, HTML comments within script tags can render the script content unusable.
• Error-Prone Syntax: The usage of "--" is not allowed within HTML comments, which can lead to syntax errors if decrement operations are included in the script.

Matt Kruse, in his article on the JavaScript Toolbox site, further elaborates on why not to use HTML comments in script blocks. According to Kruse, this practice originated in the early days of JavaScript when browsers like Netscape 1.0 lacked support for script tags. Nowadays, with the widespread adoption of JavaScript-capable browsers, hiding script source through HTML comments is unnecessary and can even be detrimental to the code's functionality and readability.

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