HTML5 is the new standard for web development that incorporates elements from HTML and XHTML and is designed to work on all platforms. It is a living standard that is continually being developed. While not yet fully supported in all browsers, polyfills allow older browsers to support new HTML5 features, and it degrades gracefully. Many major websites have already adopted the new HTML5 doctype and elements.

1. Why Embrace “HTML5”?

2. How We Got Here In 1999, a website that included images and an eye-catching design was considered “top of the line” 2004 Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG) was formed WHATWG felt W3c was ignoring the needs of users and browsers makers by focusing on XHTML2 June 2009 W3C abandons work on XHTML2

3. What “HTML5” Is Not Not a reformulation of previous versions of the language XHTML 1.0 was basically HTML 4 with strict XML syntax. Both HTML4 and XHTML 1.0 are still in general use "HTML5" as we know it is steadily gaining headway daily

4. What “Html5” Is “HTML5” includes all valid elements from both HTML 4 and XHTML 1.0 Because of this, it can be said that all websites are currently using “HTML5” Designed with some primary principles in mind to ensure it works on just about every platform Compatible with older browsers Capable of handling errors gracefully

5. What “Html5” Is Redefinitions of existing markup elements, and new elements that allow web designers to be more expressive in the semantics of their markup Any new form elements not understood or supported by older browsers automatically revert to what the browser can support, in most cases, input type=“text”

6. How HTML5 Was Designed The design principles used are summed up on the W3C’s HTML Design Principles page http://www.w3.org/TR/html-design-principles/

7. A Tale of Two Specifications WHATWG Spec http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/ W3C Markup only Spec http://dev.w3.org/html5/markup/ Two specifications? Should I be worried? No. There are only subtle differences between the two.

8. What’s The Difference? The WHATWG spec is a little more informal and experimental The W3c Spec is more formal, and based largely on work done in WHATWG spec what browser manufacturers follow when they implement new functionality The HTML5 spec has recently been renamed by WHATWG to "HTML" (dropping the "5")

9. A New Standard The newly renamed “HTML” specification is now called a "living standard" Meaning that it will be in constant development Will no longer be referred to using the incrementing numbers

10. Why Embrace It? HTML is forward thinking New HTML Form elements can validate themselves (client side) Form Elements not understood, or supported by browsers automatically revert to input type=“text” Developers can add additional validation if this happens Richer more meaningful semantics in markup

11. What About Older Browsers, IE? There are a number of excellent polyfills, or polyfillers out that enhance browser capabilities to allow them to work with these new elements One example, Modernizr-1.7.js, detects what features your browser does/doesn’t support and adds appropriate classes to the corresponding HTML elements that allow designers to easily target them

12. Is It Ready For Primetime? Yes! Some common reasons people give for not using it are: “It’s not a W3C Recommendation” Neither is CSS2 or CSS 2.1 Should we stop using CSS to style our pages and content since it’s not a recommendation? No. We use it anyway. “But it’s not stable” Yes it is. It includes all valid elements from both HTML 4 and XHTML 1.0 Both of these are stable so HTML5 is stable

13. Is It Ready For Primetime? “It’s too young” HTML5 as we know it now, is almost 4 years old It’s components HTML4 (14 yrs old) became a recommendation in December of 1997 XHTML 1.0 (11 yrs old) became a recommendation in January 2000 “It’s not fully supported in all browsers” Again, neither is CSS but we use it HTML5 was designed to degrade gracefully

14. Is It Ready For Primetime? “It’s not supported by IE6.” That’s where the polyfills mentioned earlier come in With a judicious use of polyfills, plus current markup techniques, your webpage will be able to give the user the best experience their browser / device of choice can support.

15. So, Who’s Using “HTML5”? New Doctype only Google USA.gov Yahoo Netflix … and others

16. So, Who’s Using “HTML5”? New Doctype and New Markup MailChimp Slashdot About Apple … and others

17. Isn’t It Time You Embraced HTML?