Daily Archives: August 9, 2011
HTML, which stands for Hypertext Mark-up Language, is the dominant mark-up language for web pages. HTML elements are the building blocks of most webpages. Your web browser reads these HTML documents and uses the information to compose web pages. It tells web browsers, for example Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome how to display texts as well as the formatting that controls the look and layout of a website. HTML4 was deemed the official language for web page development in 2000, and nearly a decade later HTML has introduced the newest generation of HTML – HTML5. HTML5 will allow website design programmers to build websites that will act more like downloaded applications.
What Does HTML5 Do That HTML4 Doesn’t?
HTML5 will reduce plug-ins, such as Adobe Flash. Devices that do not support Flash (Safari or the iPhone) will benefit greatly from HTML5, as it will allow more applications to run on more devices. HTML5 also supports offline data storage where users can access websites without being connected to the Internet, and features drag and drop functionality, built-in video, document editing, and geolocation functions. The best part? Users won’t have to install another plugin to listen to a song in a blog or watch a video on YouTube!
How Does HTML5 Change How Websites are Built?
HTML5 requires web designers and developers to build sites in a new way, and has the potential to simplify tools that programmers require. Furthermore, HTML5 will reduce our reliance on media plug-ins (Flash and Silverlight). Website designers and developers have already begun working with HTML5, and it may be implemented across browsers as soon as the end of 2011. Google is using HTML5 for its mobile version of Gmail, which has allowed them to develop an application that works on the Android and iPhone.
Benefits of HTML5
HTML5’s greatest features include media playback and offline storage. When using HTML4, sites normally have to reach Flash or Silverlight in order to show a video or play music, whereas HTML5 will allow users to directly watch or listen to the video on the site through simple HTML tags, for example
When Can I Start Using HTML5?
Safari, Google Chrome, and Firefox 3.6 all support elements of HTML5 already, and many Google products use features from the newest HTML as well. For Safari or Chrome users, you can check out the experimental version of YouTube that uses HTML5’s video features. Sites that are listed as iPad ready use a number of HTML5’s video features, for example The New York Times, CNN and CBS. Interested users may also check out the experiments from Mozilla that show what HTML5 can do, and design roundups show how it is helpful for web designers and typographers.
Are you excited for the future of HTML?
