At the moment I am working on what I think is a very cool project: a book on HTML 5.

There is so much news about HTML 5 that I thought I would use this blog to kind of pull together some of the emerging features. If you are new to HTML 5, then let me give you the nickel tour.

HTML 4 and XHTML were the last official versions of the HTML language (you know, that code you view when you right click in the Web browser and choose "show code"). It has been 12 years since the last upgrade. In that time we have had AJAX (or Ajax) for Web 2.0, Flash and SilverLight for Rich Internet Applications and this thing called the iPhone that have all shaken up the way we use the Web.

HTML 5 is a new standard that is taking the big picture, long term view of what to do with Web development. The language has been cobbled together by different groups including Google, Apple, Adobe and, believe it or not, Microsoft (they just joined the group this summer). A lot of people are taking interest in what you can do with HTML 5. This is a good thing as the previous standards were created in an elite vacuum. With HTML 5 anyone can contribute. Do you have a good idea for how HTML 5 should be developed, then send it in.

The new HTML 5 standard includes the following list of features:

• Cascading Style Sheets 3 - including animation, transformations, and 3D
• SVG - Scalable Vector Graphics
  
• CANVAS - a very cool alternative to Flash/SilverLight
• Location Awareness
• Offline Caching
• Local data store
• Video / Audio tags
• Enhanced API for application development
• OD3 and OpenGL ES 2.0 3D
• ...and lots more

The standard is expanding. The goal is that you will be able to develop solutions on the Web that will look and interact exactly like desktop solutions. In fact, I would bet in 5 years that many of the solutions use will be Web only and you will not even know.

Cool, huh?

What are your thoughts on the new HTML 5 standard?

• The Impact of HTML 5 on Application Infrastructure
• HTML 5 Cheat Sheet (PDF)
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