What is the purpose of the Document Type Declaration?

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The purpose of the Document Type Declaration (often referred to as doctype) is to specify the version of a markup language being used for a document. In the context of web development, primarily HTML, the doctype declaration informs the web browser about the type of document it is processing, which influences how the browser renders the content. By declaring a doctype at the beginning of an HTML document, developers ensure that the browser interprets the page correctly, following the standards set for that specific version of HTML.

The doctype for HTML5, for example, is simply <!DOCTYPE html>, which indicates that the document adheres to the HTML5 standard. This is crucial for enabling features and behaviors consistent with modern web development practices.

The other choices, while relevant to certain aspects of document handling, do not accurately describe the primary function of the Document Type Declaration. For instance, the document format or encoding is not determined by the doctype; instead, encoding is typically managed through meta tags within the document. Similarly, declarations regarding the use or version of CSS are separate from the purpose of the doctype, as CSS specifications are handled independently from the markup language declaration.

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