hCard facts for kids

hCard, also known as HTML vCard, is a special way to share contact information on websites. Think of it like a digital business card that computers can easily understand. It helps websites publish details about people, companies, organizations, and even places.

This format uses standard web languages like XHTML and XML. It also works with Atom and RSS feeds. When a website uses hCard, it makes it simple for other programs or devices to grab and use the contact info. For example, a web browser or an address book app could automatically add someone's details to your contacts.

What is hCard and How Does it Work?

hCard is a type of microformat. Microformats are small pieces of code that add meaning to regular web pages. They use existing HTML tags to describe specific kinds of information. For hCard, these tags help define things like a person's name, address, phone number, and email.

Imagine you visit a website for a local pizza place. If their contact information is marked with hCard, your phone might automatically offer to save their number. This is because the hCard tells your phone, "Hey, this is a phone number!"

Why is hCard Useful?

hCard makes information on the internet more organized and useful. Instead of just seeing text on a page, computers can understand what that text means. This helps in several ways:

• Easy Contact Saving: You can quickly add someone's details to your address book.
• Better Search Results: Search engines can understand contact info better. This helps them show more relevant results when you search for a business.
• Automated Tasks: Other apps can use the data. For example, a map app could find an address directly from a website.

How Does hCard Relate to vCard?

The "vCard" part of hCard comes from a very common standard for electronic business cards. A vCard is a file that contains contact information. You might have received one as an email attachment. hCard takes the ideas from vCard and applies them directly to web pages. This means you don't need a separate file; the information is right there in the web page's code.

How to Use hCard on a Website

Web developers use specific HTML classes to mark up contact information. For example, a main section for a person's details might have the class "vcard". Inside that, their name might be in an element with the class "fn" (formatted name). Their address could be in an element with the class "adr".

Here are some common parts of an hCard:

• Name: The full name of the person or organization.
• Address: Street, city, state, and zip code.
• Phone Number: Different types like home, work, or mobile.
• Email: An email address.
• URL: A link to their website.

By using these standard classes, web pages become more "smart" about the data they present.

Benefits of Using hCard

Using hCard helps make the web a more connected place. It allows different websites and applications to share and understand information easily. This is part of a bigger idea called the "semantic web," where data has meaning, not just presentation.

For example, if a band lists their tour dates with hCard, a calendar app could automatically add those dates to your schedule. This saves you time and makes it easier to keep track of things you care about.