HTML5 Responsive Websites and Applications

To say the Web is continually expanding is a bit of an understatement. With countless new, prolific websites making their mark each day, the scope of HTML is constantly being challenged. Publishers inevitably began to feel the limitations of HTML4, as it’s been around for almost two decades. This led to the search for new and innovative techniques to improve language and overall performance and capability. It was time to push the boundaries even further.

HTML5 does just that: it allows developers increased flexibility, more impressive interactive websites/applications, and comes with a plethora of new features. Not to mention it reaches every major modern browser and does not discriminate against devices.

In October 2014, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released the complete fifth revision of the HTML standard. Work initially began on HTML5 in 2004 and was a joint effort between the W3C HTML WG and the WHATWG. Other key players involved in the effort include the four major browser vendors–Apple, Mozilla, Opera and Microsoft–and many other organizations and individuals.

HTML5 – The Future is Here

When new technology arrives, not everyone immediately jumps up and down for joy and hops on the bandwagon. But there is no ignoring all the hype associated with HTML5. And even if you’re a bit hesitant to leave the old technology on the shelf, there’s no denying the importance of staying informed and up-to-date on the latest technology and what it’s capable of.

Technology is just going to keep moving forward, and you don’t want to get left behind. Yes, we know, it comes with the territory that just when you’re used to the current technology, it runs ahead at light speed. But the bright side is that with new technology comes improvement. HTML5 focuses on improvement of language, while supporting the most recent multimedia and allowing for cross-platform capabilities with a key focus on mobile applications. Many of the new features have been tailored specifically to meet the diverse needs of smart phones and tablets. It’s about time we found a markup language that accommodates all our devices and browsers. This focus on streamlining technology can make coding and development a whole lot easier.

HTML5 is here to stay, and businesses can certainly use all the impressive new features to their benefit to reach more platforms, devices and ultimately, customers.

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What are the benefits of HTML5 Responsive Websites?

With new technology comes new perks, or else what would be the point of upgrading? HTML5 doesn’t let down in this department. It is chock full of exciting new features, code slimming techniques and many other features that equal substantial benefits. Some important new features to note include: semantic, controls, graphic and multimedia.

Extending the API

Let’s take a look at one clear benefit built right into HTML5: it introduces many APIs for more complex web apps, opening the doors for future possibilities. Important new APIs include Geolocation, Drag and Drop, Local Storage, Offline Web Applications/Application Cache, Text Tracks, Media, Web Workers, and SSE. With Drag and Drop, the user can move elements. By adding event handlers on the designated drop zone, the browser knows exactly where to drop the element. The real power is when you think outside the box, or the browser. With this API, users can also drag an image from their desktop into the browser, or create an icon that gets loaded with content when dragged from the browser to a new application target.

One thing that sets HTML5 apart is its specification in APIs that can be paired with JavaScript. This might be the first incidence of a front-end technology fully acknowledging another, with the exception of jQuery. Though we have connected different technologies with classes and IDs in the past, this is a step toward more complete and seamless integration.

Offline Data Storage

HTML5 doesn’t skimp when it comes to offline capability. Google Gears allowed for offline data storage while Flash pioneered the power of application cache. But with HTML5, these features can be used directly in the language and can be expanded with the help of JavaScript. Now you’ll have the same capability with HTML5, except right in your browser. A manifest file communicates with the user’s browser in order to save a copy of files for future offline use. Then a user can still view the application even when they’re offline, and the browser knows to use local copies. This means users can browse through their old data, such as finishing an email or a web game, even when they’re off the grid.

Finally, the desktop and the Web are being united. Imagine all the possibilities for the future of web apps! In short, the W3C took the best features from many different technologies, including HTML4, XHTML1, and DOM Level 2 HTML, and defined a single, powerful markup language.

HTML5 Opportunities

For businesses that develop online content and web apps, HTML5 and CSS3 together make the possibilities endless. Take advantage of these tools in your web development in order to enhance your visitor’s web experience, improve your SEO and marketing strategy, reduce cross-platform web development, and reach a much larger audience while keeping your costs down.

As the website trend drifts away from the desktop and increasingly moves toward mobile and tablet devices, HTML5 will play a fundamental role in helping you provide a consistent user experience across all platforms and devices. Get in touch with us at 1-866-997-9321 to see how we can help you make the most of the latest technologies.

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