Is <i> tag deprecated?

[VL Branko]

I am using DW CS6. I have italics set up in my style sheets but I notice that when I click on a word in design view and go to "CSS" I also notice that right above it is "Styles" which also has the option to add italics by using  <i></i> . This option is not available in code view.

And I also notice than in DISQUS you can add tags like <b> and <i> so it seems that these styles are still commonly supported.

So my question is: which is better to use your own CSS style or <i></i> and <b></b>?

[BenPleysier]

It is up to personal preference. I tend to use CSS.

[Nancy OShea]

I use <i> tags for icons, <em> tags for emphasis, <strong> tags bold. 

I can't remember the last time I used <i> for italics or <b> for bold.

[VL Branko]

In places like Disqus <i> will result in Italics and <b> will give you bold.

Anyway I have my own CSS defined for them. After reading that link in Birnou's text it got me thinking (may be too much) about using separate tags for different things just to be able to style differently later if I wanted. For example I use 

.i { font-style: italic;
}

for all Italic work including citations which I have a lot of. But as I was reading that text I realized that I could use the <cite> tag and then style it differently if I want. The same with the <q> tag for inline quotes. It not only gives me smart quotes but I can also style the inline quote any way I want across the document. It can be in a different font, different size or color.

I am now looking at all the standard tags listed on the www.w3schools.com and seeing what could be useful to me. I never gave it much thought before but once I started doing more coding it makes a lot more sense.

I have another question stemming from this but will ask it in a separate text.

[B i r n o u]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/VL+Branko  a écrit

I am now looking at all the standard tags listed on the www.w3schools.com and seeing what could be useful to me. I never gave it much thought before but once I started doing more coding it makes a lot more sense.

you will get a stronger description using those links

• HTML elements reference - HTML: HyperText Markup Language | MDN
• HTML elements - HTML5

[B i r n o u]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/VL+Branko  a écrit

Anyway I have my own CSS defined for them. After reading that link in Birnou's text it got me thinking (may be too much) about using separate tags for different things just to be able to style differently later if I wanted. For example I use 

.i { font-style: italic;
}

don't hesitate to get a BEM / OOCSS notation for developping your own classes to affect differently, and in context, your TAGS... you will get a stronger cross polymorphism on all of them

• https://en.bem.info/methodology/css/
• Home · stubbornella/oocss Wiki · GitHub

[B i r n o u · Accepted solution]

it is important not to confuse the structural aspect of a document with its visual aspect...

there is an old relationship between the I (for Italic) and the B (for Bold) that comes from text editors. They should not be transposed in its strict meaning to our HTML documents. <b> and <i> are structural because they are tags... they are not visual... a <i> is not necessary represented in an italic way, and a <b> tag can be writen in a normal weight.

for example, some editors use the <i> tag to place icons, usually font icons in series of links

and to answer your question <b> and <i> are not deprecated

read this excellent article on this subject - Using b and i tags

[VL Branko]

Thank you. I had actually found the answer on https://www.w3schools.com but didn't know how to delete the question once it went live. However, that article you linked to had some interesting ideas such as having a separate style for document names.

[B i r n o u]

during a limited time from the action menu (bottom left of the message) you should have access to an edit, delete option.

anyway, question and answer can still be helpfull for others folks

[WolfShade]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/B+i+r+n+o+u  wrote

during a limited time from the action menu (bottom left of the message) you should have access to an edit, delete option.

It has been my experience that if a user replies to a post before that limited time, the post cannot be deleted or edited by the user who posted it.

V/r,

^ _ ^

[B i r n o u]

yep you're right

[pziecina]

Whilst there is no problem restyling any element, repurposing an element can have serious negative effects when it comes to assistive devices. A screen reader, (that actually speaks) uses the element type to give vocal 'feedback', (there is a word more correct than feedback, but I'm having a senior moment)  to the listener.

e.g. A use of <i> will be spoken in a slightly different manner than say a <p> element, and the assistive device may even say that the following word is in italics. So if a voice screen reader comes across a <i> element that has been repurposed to mean an 'icon', confusion can arise to those using such devices.

Many of the semantic elements are interpreted this way, especially those that most users tend to ignore.

[B i r n o u]

pziecina  a écrit

e.g. A use of <i> will be spoken in a slightly different manner than say a <p> element, and the assistive device may even say that the following word is in italics. So if a voice screen reader comes across a <i> element that has been repurposed to mean an 'icon', confusion can arise to those using such devices.

instead of going in a very long diatrib... somes links could be helpfull

• read the note of this link https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/text-level-semantics.html#the-em-element
• The i, b, em, & strong elements | HTML5 Doctor 
• html - Should I use <i> tag for icons instead of <span>? - Stack Overflow