HTML5, the newest series of updates and improvements to the website coding language, is not expected to be complete until 2022. With a release date more than a decade away, it might seem a bit far fetched to call this “news” already. However, there are a number of HTML5 changes and practices that are already being recognized across all browsers. Other proposed changes will not be in effect for quite some time, but even the prospect of these advances is exciting.
One of the features of HTML5 that is already available and supported by all browsers are simplified tags. Starting at the very beginning of an HTML page with the <!DOCTYPE> tag, HTML5 eliminates the need of long descriptive text here and instead is complete as <!DOCTYPE html>. This shortens the tag considerably and is much easier to remember than previous links and text. Also eliminated are the “type” descriptors for the <style> and <script> tags. Previously css and javascript needed to be clarified whereas now they are inherent in the two tags, respectively. Next is the <meta> tag, which is now complete as <meta charset=”UTF-8″>, instead of the previously required <meta http-equiv=”Content-Type” content=”text/html; charset=UTF-8″ />. Each of these shortcuts are simple time savers that lead to cleaner and clearer code.
As HTML5 is developed, it is important to note that it is not made to replace HTML 4.01. Instead, HTML5 will build upon the functions of HTML 4.01 by expanding and improving the code. With this said, the majority of HTML 4.01 code will still work after the implementation of HTML5. Some new tags will be introduced, including the <header>, <nav> and <footer> tags- all elements that are found in almost every web page. These defined tags help with search engine ranking by allowing for more uniform descriptions of page structure.
Other new tags with innovative functions are the <audio>, <video> and <canvas> tags. The audio and video tags have created a lot of buzz, especially in the Apple world, due to their potential to replace the need for Flash and other plugins to incorporate sound and video content into a page. The canvas tag defines graphics and “allows for dynamic, scriptable rendering of 2D shapes and bitmap images.”
What makes all of these improvements even more user-friendly is the expected browser support for HTML5. Internet Explorer does not currently support many of the available HTML5 elements, but plans for IE9 include full HTML5 and CSS support. Opera has been a leader in HTML5 support so far, with other browsers adding support gradually. Hopefully support will continue to grow to allow HTML5 to become an effective and usable tool for designers.
For a more detailed and technical rundown of HTML5, view the W3C page about it here.