HTML or HTM?

[Andre7]

Is there any reason why Xara output a website as HTM instead of HTML?
I know it makes no difference, but why Xara chooses the oldest extension, instead the more modern one? Is there a reason behind it, or just Xaras choice and no answer to it?

[gwpriester]

You can override this if you name your home page index.html in the Web Properties > Page. All subsequent pages will be appended with HTML

HTM originated in the earlier days because PCs could only support three letter file extensions. But this is right up there with 16 color monitors.

And yes, there is no reason for supporting the HTM extension that I can see. I am sure Acorn will prove me wrong.

[Acorn]

In the bad old days DOS uesd 8.3 format and Bill gates came along and offered up a sort of UI over DOS and called it Windows.
So early Windows only, sort of handled 3-letter extensions.
Early servers were mainly Unix and they knew better.
The real problem was early FTP clients could only handle 8.3 so Bill's early inroad into long filename and longer extensions still had to revert to 8.3 format - the filename got cut short and ended up with snaggle teeth (tildes). Eventually all was rescued and Bill created aspx and xlsx file extensions.

In all the MS acquisitions, there are still pockets of resistance. Outlook signatures, for a long time, could only handle .htm. There will be others.

Why did Xara go for .htm?
Simply, Xara has been around a long time and 3-letter extensions were the norm.
Xara has a very good track record of backward-compatibility.

Servers are usually configured to handle index.html as the file to seek out if only the domain is entered.
Anyone can alter their server to instead use index.htm.
It is up to you to choose what you want.

Why does Xara not offer either?
Probably a Round Tuit answer beckons: one day, it might add a radio button.
Until then:
The first page must always have an extension of .htm/.html. No visible extension is treated as .htm. If it is you get index.htm.
The filename of the first page need not be index. fred creates fred.htm; fred.html outputs just that.
If you append .html, you get index.html.
All subsequent pages follow what came first but you can add in any extension you like.

I am sufficient old and have endured all the above, more than once, to be able to opine my preference is .htm.

Acorn

[Andre7]

Thank you for the very educational information Acorn. Appreciated

[MB365]

This is scheduled to be changed to HTML by default in an upcoming release of Pro+/Web+.