When Steve Jobs refused to allow Flash on iOS devices, he claimed that HTML5 could do everything Flash did. He wasn’t entirely honest – the distortion of reality was strong that day – but in the end Apple won and Adobe didn’t introduce flash on iOS devices; HTML5 is the technology that is transforming the web.
And what exactly is it and what does it want from us? We receive more explanations today from DroidWebDesign.
What is HTML5
HTML5 is the latest version of Hypertext Markup Language, the code that describes web pages. In fact, there are three types of code: HTML, which provides the structure; Cascade style sheets (CSS), which deals with presentation; and JavaScript, which makes things happen.
What’s great about HTML5
HTML5 has been designed to provide almost everything you want to do online without the need for additional programs, such as browser plugins. It does everything from animation to applications, music to movies, and can also be used to build incredibly complicated applications running in your browser.
HTML5 is not a property, so you do not have to pay royalties to use it. It’s also cross-platform, which means you don’t care if you use a tablet or smartphone, a netbook, a laptop or an ultrabook or a Smart TV: if your browser supports HTML5, it should work fine . Inevitably, it’s a little more complicated than that.
What does HTML5 do
I’ve come a long way since HTML could barely handle a simple page layout. HTML5 can be used to write web applications that still work when you are not connected to the network; to tell the website where you are physically; to manage high definition video; and to provide great graphics.
When will HTML5 be finished
HTML5 is an evolving standard, so it’s a little tricky to talk about when it’s finished. What is important is that HTML features – such as the geolocation mentioned above, web, video and graphics applications – can now be used, provided the browser accepts them.
Do I need an HTML5 browser
You probably already have one. All big name browsers – Internet Explorer, Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera, Mobile Safari and the Android browser – support HTML5, but they don’t all support the same things.
Firefox generally accepts the widest selection of HTML5 features, followed by Chrome and Safari, but as I said, HTML5 is an evolving standard, and the latest versions of each browser only cover the basics.
There are three main elements to the video: Ogg Theora, which is supported by every Internet Explorer browser bar (Safari support requires manual installation); H.264, which is supported by all but Firefox; and VP8 / WebM, which is fully supported (although Safari and IE require manual installation).
