xiPreface
In 2010, HTML5 became the buzzword on the web developer scene. Large com-
panies, such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, began to use the new technology.
The popularity of the catchword HTML5 grew, not least of all because of the
heated debate between Apple and Adobe over whether this would mean the end
of Flash.
In this book, we give you extensive insight into the new possibilities of HTML5.
In addition to the classic specification components, such as video, audio, canvas,
intelligent forms, offline applications, and microdata (to name but a few), this
overview also includes topics in the immediate context of HTML5—for example,
geolocation, web storage, WebSockets, and web workers.
Numerous compact, clear, and practical examples illustrate the new elements
and techniques in HTML5. There is something here for everyone, whether you
decide you want to construct a web log, program your own video and audio play-
er, use the browser as a graphics program, work with geographical data, test to
the limit the capacity of your browser, or prefer to live out your playful nature by
trying a quiz with drag and drop or playing Battleships! with WebSockets. We also
give you plenty of tips and tricks regarding JavaScript and the DOM.
It is to be expected that sooner or later all browsers, in order to remain com-
petitive in the future, will accommodate HTML5. We therefore decided not to
include workarounds and compatibility libraries in most cases. In this book you
will find pure HTML5, supported in our examples by at least one browser, but in
most cases supported already by several manufacturers. For an up-to-date and
complete reference of the new HTML elements, we refer you to the Internet. You
will find the relevant links in the appropriate text passages of this book.
How to Read This Book
How you decide to explore this book is entirely up to you. The individual chap-
ters do not necessarily have to be read consecutively and are designed to be eas-
ily understandable, even if you have not yet read the other chapters. So, you can
read the book in the traditional way, from front to back; alternatively, you can
read it from back to front or in any order, letting your curiosity guide you.