Javascript syntax <script /> VS <script></script> - the weirdest thing

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Why don’t self-closing script tags work?

I'm writing an ASP.net page, which have some Javascript code in JS file for client-side authentication.

While using this code prevented from my server-side code from working:

<script src="../../JavaScript/BaseJS.js" type="text/javascript" defer="defer" />

This code somehow worked:

<script src="../../JavaScript/BaseJS.js" type="text/javascript" defer="defer"></script>

this is part of the standard, script tags cannot be self closed. — DevelopingChris
– DevelopingChris, Commented Feb 27, 2009 at 2:00

Community · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-20 09:12:55Z

14

The HTML4.01 manual section defining the SCRIPT element, states:

18.2.1 The SCRIPT element

...

Start tag: required, End tag: required

edited Jun 20, 2020 at 9:12

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answered Feb 22, 2009 at 11:59

gimel

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Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:31:55Z

1

Am I right in saying you're testing with IE? This is a known bug. (I'm sure there are lots of other pages referring to it too.)

EDIT: In fact, there's another Stack Overflow question about this too.

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:31

CommunityBot

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answered Feb 22, 2009 at 11:48

Jon Skeet

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dreamlax · Accepted Answer · 2009-02-22 11:47:28Z

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<script> can only self-close in XHTML, not HTML.

answered Feb 22, 2009 at 11:47

dreamlax

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5 Comments

Rex M Over a year ago

Script tag cannot self-close even in XHTML. It is valid XML but browsers choke on it.

dreamlax Over a year ago

Get your facts straight. XHTML is XML, therefore a self-closing SCRIPT element is valid XML. It passes XHTML validation therefore it is valid XHTML. Just because some browsers choke on it, doesn't mean I am incorrect.

dreamlax Over a year ago

Any proper browser that can handle valid XHTML will accept a self-closed SCRIPT element.

Ms2ger Over a year ago

Any browser that implements real XHTML, that is, when sent with the MIME type application/xhtml+xml (e.g., Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome) does support self-closing script elements. However, no browser implements any self-closing element in HTML, i.e., when sent as text/html, and they shouldn't.

dreamlax Over a year ago

IE6 (or IE7, or maybe both) don't support XHTML even when the right MIME type is used. I think it always parses it as HTML, where there's no such thing as a self-closing element as you say.

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