WHAT IS HTML 5?

            

HTML5 is considered the fifth iteration, or version, of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). All Web designers use it, even if they don’t really realize they are. HTML5 builds on the previous coding standards with the addition of certain improvements.

HTML was originally designed with the purpose of interconnection in mind. Back in the earliest days of the Internet, few formatting options existed, and scrolling through a single document was similar to reading an encyclopedia. Tim Berners-Lee, the recognized father of HTML, designed the language to enable researchers to cut down on the amount of documentation needed. HTML wasn’t about displaying documents with formatting, but rather linking one document to another. The effect reduced a 15-page specification document to 15 one-page documents all linked together, effectively removing the need for scrolling through countless pages of text. 

HTML5 is still founded on the original goal of interconnectivity. However, now that the language has evolved and the capabilities of HTML have extended to include audio and video elements, HTML5 is nothing more than a logical evolution of the older language. The use of HTML5 allows Web designers to pull images, audio, and video directly into a Web page.

HTML5 is a large step forward for the Web design world as it allows for increases in functionality. This is for three specific reasons, all of which revolve around the functionality of individual Web pages.

Web pages no longer need to look or act like Web pages. The availability of Flash allows designers to overcome the limitations of standard HTML, integrating animations and visual effects into a full Web page design. Entire sites can be designed with Flash, allowing for new methods of navigation and page organization.

Web pages no longer need to represent a single individual or business’s content. The permeation of the Internet and multimedia resources effectively created a mishmash of shared content. Websites like YouTube and Vimeo make available Web content for sharing, while also acting as extensions for a company or individual’s content repository. For example, many individuals have YouTube channels that house their personally-created multimedia.