HTML 5, the future of the Web

HTML 5 will officially become a web page format after the current version 4.0. The standard is implemented to define W3C. Since 2004, the independent WHATWG working group has worked to define a standard web page format to replace both HTML 4 and XHTML while maintaining compatibility. Its success prompted W3C to abandon the XHTML 2 format, on which it could hardly get unanimity, as well as proposals for standards in forms. In fact, the HTML 5 format goes much further than this, as we will see...

History

The last HTML 4 specification was published in 1999, after which W3C turned to XHTML.
But XHTML 2 causes a violation, in addition to being incompatible with previous standards, it is reproached for its purely documentary orientation, while the web is becoming 2.0 and needs more applications and uses a variety of media.
Out of this opposition, an independent working group was born in 2004 with the support of Apple, Mozilla and Opera, WHATWG, which works to determine the successor to HTML.
On March 3, 2007, W3C announced that it was resuming work on HTML to give it a successor.
The new W3C specification was received by the same author as WHATWG, Ian Hixon.

Representation

The new format is no longer just a document format, but support for common web applications such as a forum, etc., and wants to facilitate interaction.
It has two formats in one: HTML and XHTML 5, the first with one doctrine, the second with only at the beginning of the line <? xml version =»»?>.
It includes DOM Level 2.
The syntax is such that a page can be split as an XML document if it is intended to do so, but it retains incompatible HTML features, such as content-free tags that end with ">" rather than "/>, "which are recognized by browsers but not XML parsers.

Applications

HTML 5 is interested in web applications. In addition, the definition was called Web Application 1.0 before the name change to better introduce itself as the successor to HTML 4.
Some applications such as forums, wikis, online shopping, search, email, instant messaging, chat, online document editing, shared sites, and 2.0 websites are becoming common and require a more tailored document format.
HTML 5 features include graphics and images, which will allow you to make animated pages, multiplayer online games.

Differences between HTML 4 and HTML 5

Even if the format is defined, some components are purchased. It would be useful to be aware of them, as some practices should already be adopted, such as removing frames.

HTML 5 is compatible with HTML 4 and XHTML, although some tags are outdated. It can take two forms: classic with HTML tags, the other in XML. It contains new forms, includes various media, and provides drawing and image support. The new format will include another current specification, Web Forms 2.0.

New elements

Canvases

This is a canvas on which you can draw, which means adding new graphic elements to the interface. Rather, it draws from Java syntax and functions.
You can place multiple channels on a single web page.
On canvas, you can carry out magnifying transformations, rotation, translational movement...
There are various shapes: rectangles, Bezier curves, an arc, with fill elements and stroke thickness. And the edge clipping functions are canary.

Audio and video

Use a video tag to insert a video into your document. It is accompanied by the src attribute to denote the file, as well as attributes such as start, stop, autoplay, etc., which determine the behavior of the video .
A sound tag is equivalent to sound files.

Section

Using section tags, you can divide (or divide) a document into semantic parts. They are used to create a plan, a table of contents. Sections can be chapters. They differ from div tags, which play the role of presentation.
We complete the section with our heads and a football player.

Changed items

a, href optional

Removing href allows a attributes to be used for dynamic communication with onclick, but without specifying a URL (a URL can be defined in a script).

script, asynchronous attribute

The script runs by default immediately after loading and will run at the end of the HTML page parsing when the defer editor is added. But if an asynchronous modifier is present, then it is executed asynchronously, therefore, regardless of the page display and depending on the availability of resources, as well as Ajax.

Deleted items

Frames disappear. Therefore, frame, frameset, noframe tags are no longer part of the format.

A detailed list of changes is provided in the specification wiki in W3C Differences with HTML 4.

HTML 5 successor to HTML 4

HTML 5 will replace the current HTML language 4, which is standard for W3C. Its definition is supported by major players on the Web, Google, Apple, Mozilla and Opera .
Also, the author of the HTML 5 definition was a Google employee. Google has declared its Google Gears tool to run standalone web apps obsolete as they are replaced by equivalent HTML 5 features.
Google's desire to remove the operating system and generalize the use of online applications at a local post puts its interest in HTML 5.
Microsoft, which wanted to promote Silverlight as a standard with company-specific technologies such as XAML, evolved into HTML 5, widely implemented in IE9.

HTML 5 vs Silverlight

Silverlight is based on the .NET platform and cannot be considered a universal environment. Whether HTML 5 can match Silverlight remains to be seen.

In fact, Canvas's HTML 5 capabilities are similar to those of Silverlight. Vector shapes are drawn there and images are placed in both cases. This opens up opportunities for complex interfaces, animations and games.
HTML 5 video and audio tags also have the Silverlight equivalent and both environments work with Ajax.
HTML 5 and Silverlight offer a mode of operation for standalone applications. But we have a choice of programming language with the second, while the first knows only JavaScript .
In conclusion, both environments stand out and differ in programming style and detail.

Implementation by browsers

:

HTML 5 is partially implemented by all browsers. The Google Chrome Frame plugin made older versions of the Microsoft browser like Chrome work with HTML 5.

For live testing in the browser:

• List of HTML form objects 5.
• List of HTML 5 attributes.

Conclusion

The lack of XHTML 2 and its limitations opened up the HTML 5 path, which is not only an improvement on HTML 4 and XHTML 1, but also an answer and alternative to the Silverlight environment. In HTML 5, we see an alternative to Flash, for example, this applies to Apple.

In W3C, standardization of new HTML has begun. It will probably take a long time before it becomes repeated, but most of its features are already implemented by browsers, including Internet Explorer since version 9 .

Further information

• HTML 5 W3C specifications. W3C resumes work on HTML based on the WHATWG document. Same author.
• Canvas. The graphic tag is now implemented in all browsers. Textbook and examples.