As a safer, more flexible web solution, HTML5 has all but supplanted Flash, Silverlight, XHTML, and other platforms. What exactly is HTML5 and how did it grow to be the most widely used web development tool? Today, we’ll examine the most used markup language on the web and how it has altered how web designers make websites and include a variety of contemporary capabilities into them.
HTML5: What is it and How Does it Work?
Here, we’ll learn about HTML5, its benefits, and how it differs from web development platforms like Flash and Silverlight, which it has already supplanted or is likely to do in the future. Without further ado, let’s explore why HTML5 is preferred by most web developers, who maintains it, and why the World Wide Web Consortium supports it (W3C).
What is HTML5?
The World Wide Web’s creator, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, created HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, in 1989. HTML5 is the most recent version of HTML for use by the general public. It is used to structure and present content on the web and is maintained by a coalition of the major browser companies, including Apple, Google, Mozilla, and Microsoft. It is recommended by the WWW Consortium (W3C). Together, they make up the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG), which, following W3C’s ceding of sovereignty last year, now has complete control over the HTML and DOM (Document Object Model) standards.
The dynamic, snapshot-based HTML Living Standard from the WHATWG has taken the place of the earlier static standard promoted by the W3C as authoritative. The W3C definition of the cite>element allows for a wider range of uses than the WHATWG definition, and the two organisations have frequently disagreed regarding its allowable content. This was a major point of conflict between the two organisations. They have, however, been collaborating over the past few years to create a single HTML5 standard for the internet.
How Does HTML5 Work?
All three fundamental elements of web design—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—are included in HTML5. While CSS is used for styling and to specify how elements on a webpage will be presented, HTML is used to construct text on a web page. JavaScript is in charge of user interaction and action on a webpage. With the help of these components, web designers can build responsive websites that automatically rearrange all parts to fit any screen size, resolution, or aspect ratio, including those of desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.
What Technologies Has it Replaced?
Initially made available to the general public in 2008, HTML5 saw a significant change in October 2014. In addition to HTML4 (first standardised in 1997), XHTML 1, and DOM Level 2 HTML were also expected to be replaced. However, the W3C, which was creating XHTML 2.0 as a rival platform, stopped working on it and suggested HTML5 as the future of online development due to its flexibility and ease of development.
The main change in HTML4 for users is the removal of the requirement for plugins like Adobe Flash or Microsoft Silverlight to play videos on various websites. When you tried to play videos online ten years ago, you were frequently requested to update Silverlight or Flash. When was the last time you noticed one like this? How recently have you had to update Java on your computer? You probably haven’t seen any of these messages in the past five years.
If you continue to get these alerts, you should cease visiting such websites because they are either fraudulent sites operated by con artists attempting to infect your computer with malware or they are outdated, outdated websites that represent a security concern. In the modern web, which is based on HTML5, less than 0.017% of sites used Java, 2.5% of sites used Adobe Flash, and less than 0.035% of sites used Silverlight.
What Are the Advantages of HTML5?
The popularity of HTML5 as a web development platform can be attributed to a number of factors. In addition to being simpler to code in than other markup languages, it also comes with built-in rich multimedia features that guarantee no additional software or browser plugins are necessary to construct a whole website from scratch. The technology enables the creation of a wide range of browser-based applications, animations, and other multimedia elements by web designers.
HTML5’s widespread adoption is largely due to its non-proprietary nature, which means there are no licencing fees associated with using it. Additionally, it is a platform-neutral technology that can render websites on a variety of devices, including Windows PCs, Linux computers, MacBooks, Android, iPhones, smart TVs, and more. All you need to access the delights on the web is a compatible user agent, which can be any of the widely used current browsers.
Furthermore, HTML5 is the greatest choice for the mobile-first era of today since it allows developers to incorporate cutting-edge capabilities like GPS, camera, and accelerometer in their web apps. Additionally, it has made it simpler to incorporate chat platforms, drag-and-drop tools, discussion forums, and a variety of other aspects into websites.
The ability for developers to simply migrate applications to smartphones is another major benefit of HTML5. Every browser now comes pre-loaded with native support for the standard, and it has mostly superseded antiquated technologies like Flash and Silverlight to enhance security and provide a seamless surfing experience.
What Are the Disadvantages of HTML5?
Despite becoming almost universal, HTML5 has its own set of issues that both programmers and end users struggle with. The lack of a common HTML5 video format is foremost among them, but there are additional problems that continue to plague what is otherwise the most dependable, secure, and feature-rich web development platform. The following are some drawbacks of HTML5:
1. No Standard Video Support for all Browsers
The ambiguity around HTML5’s support for various browsers’ video formats is one of its biggest problems. Even though HTML5 support was added to all modern browsers years ago, not all HTML5 video formats are supported by all browsers. Because this depends on both the user agent and the platform, there is frequently uncertainty regarding which browsers support which video formats (Windows, Android, Linux, etc).
With all browsers supporting it across all platforms, H.264 has emerged as the de facto industry standard among the major codecs. All browsers on all platforms, with the exception of Safari on iOS, support VP8/WebM, and all but Safari require manual installation of Ogg Theora. Although WAV (PCM) and MP3 (MPEG) are supported by all the main browsers, there is a similar problem with audio.
2. HTML5 Living Standard is Always Evolving
Additionally, the Living Standard makes HTML a moving target for web developers, who frequently have to speculate about whether or not new capabilities will be supported. While some see the constant upgrades as a benefit, unanticipated changes in the standard can make website elements ineffective until the administrator releases a remedy. Even though this doesn’t frequently occur with modern sites, it’s nevertheless a concern that puts web designers on edge.
3. Gaming with JavaScript
Gaming support is another significant barrier because JavaScript, the sole scripting language allowed by HTML5, provides a less-than-ideal framework for an engaging gaming experience. JavaScript has issues with custom name spaces, member access, interfaces, and inheritance, which forces developers to hunt for workarounds. Despite this, HTML5 continues to be the preferred choice for game creators over Flash due to its smooth cross-platform compatibility with all user-agents.
HTML5 Browser Support
All current browsers, including Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera, support at least some aspects of HTML5 across all platforms, as was already mentioned. Their adherence to the standard does not, however, show itself in exactly the same way. Generally speaking, Firefox and Chrome both support the most of HTML5 capabilities, with Firefox supporting the most of them.
An incomplete list of browsers that support HTML5 is provided below.
- Microsoft Edge
- Mozilla Firefox
- Google Chrome
- Apple Safari
- Opera
- Opera Mobile
- Android Browser
- Chromium
- Konqueror
- GNOME Web
For a thorough breakdown of what is supported by which version of which browser on what platform, visit CanIuse.com.
HTML5: The Present and Future of Web Development
HTML5 enhances how the web functions, making it simpler for developers to create fantastic websites and for consumers to enjoy those creations regardless of their preferred device or browser. With its constantly evolving standards encompassing new features and functionalities, it is currently the largest and most widely used web-development platform and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.
