What is Html5
HTML5 is the latest version of Hypertext Markup Language, the code that describes web pages. It's actually three kinds of code: HTML, which provides the structure; Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which take care of presentation; and JavaScript, which makes things happen.
What's so great about HTML5?
HTML5 has been designed to deliver almost everything you'd want to do online without requiring additional software such as browser plugins. It does everything from animation to apps, music to movies, and can also be used to build incredibly complicated applications that run in your browser.
There's more. HTML5 isn't proprietary, so you don't need to pay royalties to use it. It's also cross-platform, which means it doesn't care whether you're using a tablet or a smartphone, a netbook, notebook or ultrabook or a Smart TV: if your browser supports HTML5, it should work flawlessly. Inevitably, it's a bit more complicated than that. More about that in a moment.
What does HTML5 do?
We'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're not connected to the net; to tell websites where you are physically located; to handle high definition video; and to deliver extraordinary graphics.
When will HTML5 be finished?
HTML5 is an evolving standard, so it's a bit misleading to talk about when it'll be finished. What's important is that HTML's features - such as the aforementioned geolocation, web apps, video and graphics can be used now, provided your browser supports them.
Do I need an HTML5 browser?
You've probably got one already. All of the big name browsers - Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera, Mobile Safari and Android's browser - support HTML5, but they don't all support the same things.
Firefox generally supports the widest selection of HTML5 features, with Chrome and Safari following shortly afterwards, but as we said HTML5 is an evolving standard and the latest versions of each browser more than cover the basics. If you'd like more detailed information on browser support, the excellent http://www.srinivasinfo.com provides a detailed breakdown of what supports what
WhatâEUR(TM)s the problem with HTML5 video?
The HTML5 standard supports video, but unfortunately nobody could agree on which format(s) to support âEUR" and that means that different browsers support different HTML5 video formats. There are three main ones: Ogg Theora, which is supported by every browser bar Internet Explorer (Safari support requires a manual installation); H.264, which is supported by everyone but Firefox; and VP8/WebM, which is supported by everything (although Safari and IE require manual installations). In January, Google announced that it would eventually remove H.264 support from Chrome. If youâEUR(TM)re thinking âEURoeblimey, that sounds like a right mess,âEUR
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