Much has changed in Web Development but HTML has remained unchanged for a long time, the last major update HTML 4 having been brought in 1999. However, W3C is now coming up with HTML 5 specification with new features to meet demands. The W3C Working Draft of HTML 5 can be found here HTML5 introduces many new concepts to the core language of the World Wide Web, a complete list of differences between HTML5 and HTML4 by W3C can be found here.
However, the new features in HTML5 that deserve our attention are the new elements and attributes which reflect the usage of popular websites. To begin with, the new tag has been simplified. It now requires only 1 doctype, it is case-insensitive and it does not require an end tag. In HTML4 tag could be a hyperlink or an anchor depending upon if tag has been used or not but in HTML5 tag will always be taken as a link.
For instance, since the embedding of video and audio files has been so widespread, HTML5 introduces the tags and to make including media files easier.
HTML pages are often found to lack proper structure since all blocks of content are usually included with or it is often difficult to make out which part of the page a particular block belongs to unless you step through the code. The new structural elements are all set to make these easy since they are similar to older tags but also have semantic meanings attached to them. Hence, an tag would have all the functionality of but additionally it will also convey the meaning that the block contains a list of links.
Following elements are the new ones for maintaining the structure of the HTML pages:
– The page header shown on the page (this is different from the head element)
HTML 5 New Elements And Attributes
-A section (A section of a chapter of a text or of a book.)
Elements
– A distinct article e.g. a blog post.
HTML5 introduces many new concepts to the core language of the World Wide Web
– A set of links to other pages. (Links you normally put on your sidebar).
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– The page footer. {Where you typically add copyright notices, email addresses)
Copyright ©Mindfire Solutions
– This tag can be used to provide additional information which are related to that main content but are not part of it.
– The element can be helpful for grouping and representing block-level images and texts.
– This element can be used to represent a conversation between different people. The element indicates the speaker and indicates the speech itself.
CAESAR What say'st thou to me now? speak once again. Soothsayer Beware the ides of March.
The above HTML code would print the following.
CAESAR
What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.
Soothsayer
Beware the ides of March.
– This tag can be used to define sounds and audio streams.
– The tag defines video and movie streams .
HTML 5 is also set to introduce a few inline elements with emphasis on semantics.
– This element can be used to define date, time or both. But if the attribute is not defined , it would be necessary to define a datetime attribute.
I posted this on 6:00 P.M. on March 24th .
– The meter element represents a numeric range, its attributes can be used to set specify the amount in the range. These attributes include –
.min Default value=0 .max Default value= 1 .low Define a value that should be considered low. .high Define a value that should be considered high. .optimum Define what value should be considered best. .value Define measurement's current value.
– This inline element represents the status of the current task. Used with Javascript this element can be used as a progress bar. There are 2 main attributes, max which defines the value of completion and value which represents the current value.
HTML5 also introduces some interactive elements like –
- This element represents specific information that cannot go with the main body of content. There is no clear specification on how the element should be rendered, depending on browsers, one might display it as a footnote while another may show it as tool tip. The "
Open " attribute determines if the element should be visible by default or not, but in either case and at any point of time the user can show/hide the element by clicking on the icon.
- The HTMLDataGridElement can be used to display data in a tabular structure but unlike tables HTMLDataGridElement allows users to interact with data.
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The deprecated Menu element has been brought back in HTML5 as a collection of command elements, each of which have a corresponding action. Commands can also be changed to toolbars or popup menu by setting their “type” attributes to “toolbar” or “popup.”
– is an important HTML 5 element that allows you to draw graphics with the help of Javascript. It was first introduced by Apple for Mac PSX Dashboard but it has since been adopted by WhatWG group and is now supported by Firefox and other Gecko 1.8 based browsers.
This element can be used to draw graphs, photos and even animations with the help of scripting languages. A complete discussion on the Canvas element is beyond the scope of this composition, so let me conclude by citing an example and link to resource with more information on element.
Note: The canvas element is not supported by Internet Explorer
These are some of the popular elements, tags and attributes revised or introduced by HTML5, for a comprehensive list of tags and general information on HTML5, please click here .
Reference: http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/ http://www.codeproject.com/KB/HTML/HTML5-intro.aspx http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML_5
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Canvas_tutorial