HTML is the language for creating websites and HTML5 is the fifth iteration of the language. It is also the name for a range of technologies that enable modern web browsing features. It’s a specification published by the web standards body (W3C) describing what features are available and how to use them. HTML5 is different from proprietary web software such as Adobe Flash in that the specification is the result of contributions from many organisations, and can be implemented by anyone without having to pay for royalties or licensing fees. You do, however, pay for the development tools provided by the companies.
HTML5 allows browsers to play multimedia content without the use of Flash or a similar plug-in. There is also a technology called Canvas, which allows developers to create rich interactive experiences without the constraints that came with previous versions of HTML. For example, a 3D animated video can now be played – something that used to require the use of Flash or Silverlight.
The goal is a website that just works, without the need for particular browsers or plug-ins to enable certain functionality. To this end, having a standardised way of implementing common features means that the web is open and accessible to all, regardless of competency.
CSS
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and is a style sheet language used to instruct the browser how to render the HTML code. For example, the plain text on a web page is included in the HTML code and CSS defines how it will appear. CSS can set many properties including the size, colour and spacing around the text, as well as the placement of images and other design-related items.
JavaScript
This is the most common client-side language used to create rich, dynamic web properties. Because it is an open-source language, many developers have added functionality that can be more quickly implemented. For example, there are over 1 000 different gallery systems created by JavaScript developers for JavaScript developers.
Flash
Adobe Flash is a language for creating rich, interactive experiences. It supports video, and is often used to create game-like web experiences. Although widely supported by desktop browsers, it has limited (and lessening) support on mobile devices, and is not usable on Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPad. It has a history of being problematic for SEO, although there are ways to work around much of this.
