Should You Specify \'Type\' in the HTML Script Tag?

HTML Script Tag: To Specify Script Type or Not?

When using the HTML script tag, you may encounter three options for specifying the type of script: specifying "type", specifying "language", or omitting both attributes altogether. While all three approaches have been used historically, the proper usage depends on the HTML version and browser support.

Specifying "Type"

The "type" attribute explicitly defines the type of script to be interpreted by the browser. In the past, "text/javascript" was the only valid value, but HTML5 standardized it as the default. Therefore, specifying "type" is redundant and unnecessary in most cases.

Specifying "Language"

The "language" attribute was deprecated in HTML 4.01 and should not be used. It serves no purpose since all browsers recognize "text/javascript" as the default script type.

Omitting Both "Type" and "Language"

Omitting both "type" and "language" is valid in HTML5. Browsers automatically assume "text/javascript" as the script type. However, in XHTML 1.0 or HTML 4.01, omitting "type" is considered invalid.

Recommendation

To ensure compatibility with all HTML versions and browsers, it is recommended to use the "type" attribute with the value "text/javascript" for inline scripts. For scripts loaded externally via the "src" attribute, specifying "type" is not necessary, as the browser will infer it from the file extension (.js).

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