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The much awaited HTML5, the major revision of HTML, is expected to take over the world wide web by the end of 2010. It is considered to be the major replacer for HTML 4.01, XHTML 1.0. The most notable feature of HTML5 is its big foot over the plug-in-based rich internet application (RIA) technologies such as Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, and Sun Java FX. The reason is that, HTML 5 can do whatever these applications can, in a perfect manner with its powerful set of tags and related attributes. If it is about the origin of HTML5, it’s a different story.
The core developers of HTML, the W3C was found to focus much on XML and XHTML rather than looking forward to real world application needs. The HTML working group felt disturbed over this and they formed a new group called Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG).It focused purely to evolving web and its future .This group is the core team behind HTML5 and maybe that is why HTML5 is not a W3C recommendation yet. The latest news from Adobe Dreamweaver is that the new version Dreamweaver CS5 will be supporting the HTML5 and CSS3 in its full flavours.
Now looking over to HTML5 and conventional HTML, the following are the basic changes as an overview.
1) Simple DOCTYPE
HTML5 requires very simple DOCTYPE: <!DOCTYPE html>.
2) Easy attributes for language
In HTML5 we don’t need to remember xml:lang attributes in the <html> tag. <html lang=”en”> will now make it work.
3) Trailing slashes taken off
Void elements in HTML5 such as the br, img and input elements don’t require a trailing slash.
4) Elements disappeared
These are the following set of element not supported in HTML5:
<acronym>, <applet>, <basefont>, <big>, <center>, <dir>, <font>, <frame>, <frameset>, <noframes>, <s>, <strike>, <tt>, <u> and <xmp>
New tags on deck
HTML5 Introduces, a very distinct set of powerful new tags.
· audio – denoting an audio stream
· source – the video or audio source files
· video – denoting a video stream
· canvas – a place to draw dynamic graphics
· command – denotes a command button that has information sent to the server or script
· datagrid – references dynamic data in a tree form or tabular data form
· datalist – references a list of data in a drop-down list
· details – provides additional details of a page element, like pop-up help text
· output – references the output of a script or calculation
· progress – represents a progress bar in the completion of a process
· dialog – a conversation or people talking
· hgroup – a grouping of header tags that should stay together
· meter – a scalar gauge of measurement
· time – a date or time
Features
High level of user privilege is the most highlighted feature of HTML5.The very new set of tags plays a crucial role for this achievement. . Of all tags <video> takes the videos through web to a new level. HTML 5 video ensures maximum reach by allowing you to encode your video in as many formats as you need, so that your customers don’t need an additional plugin for viewing the video. It also lets you control every aspect of your video, from who can view it, how long it is, what the content is, where it's hosted and how the server performs etc as far we know till now.
Considering the Browser side, Google chrome, upcoming IE9, Apple safari, firefox 4.0 etc are all set up for providing a perfect support for HTML5 pages.
Drawbacks
Some of the drawbacks pointed against HTML5 are based on hosting HTML5 videos to sites like youtube. They are
· Encoding of video in at least three different codecs is needed
· Browsers that don't support HTML 5 will work only with the aid of some set of java scripts
· Bandwidth requirements of hosting videos must be satisfied
Another problem developers have to face is the conversion of XHTML 1 to HTML5, unless we have a well formed and valid XHTML document
HTML Team @ Software Associates