Why is the "type" Attribute in Redundant?</strong></p> <p>Despite the assumption that web servers handle MIME type assignment, the <script> tag often includes a "type" attribute. It would seem redundant considering the server's role in managing this information.</p> <p><strong>Douglas Crockford's Explanation:</strong></p> <p>According to Douglas Crockford, this attribute is optional as browsers default to JavaScript as their programming language. In XHTML, it is required but unnecessary, while in HTML, omitting it is preferred since the browser can infer its purpose.</p> <p>Furthermore, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) opted for a MIME type-based "type" attribute rather than the "language" attribute. However, the lack of standardization resulted in inconsistent MIME types such as "text/javascript" or "application/ecmascript."</p> <p><strong>Practical Considerations:</strong></p> <p>As a note, trials conducted across browsers such as Chrome and IE8 revealed that setting a valid MIME type within the "type" attribute generally works as expected. However, using an invalid type can cause inconsistencies in script execution.</p> <p>In conclusion, while the "type" attribute in <script> may appear redundant, its purpose is to explicitly define the MIME type of the script. Although browsers may infer this information from the server settings, employing a valid MIME type ensures consistency across different browsers and scenarios.</p>