Microformat 20
Uses of microformats
Using microformats within HTML code provides additional formatting and semantic data that applications can use.
For example, applications such as web crawlers can collect data about on-line resources, or desktop applications
such as e-mail clients or scheduling software can compile details. The use of microformats can also facilitate "mash
ups" such as exporting all of the geographical locations on a web page into (for example) Google Maps to visualize
them spatially.
Several browser extensions, such as Operator for Firefox and Oomph for Internet Explorer, provide the ability to
detect microformats within an HTML document. When hCard or hCalendar are involved, such browser extensions
allow to export them into formats compatible with contact management and calendar utilities, such as Microsoft
Outlook. When dealing with geographical coordinates, they allow to send the location to maps applications such as
Google Maps. Yahoo! Query Language can be used to extract microformats from web pages.[17] On 12 May 2009,
Google announced that they would be parsing the hCard, hReview and hProduct microformats, and using them to
populate search result pages[18]. They have since extended this to use hCalendar for events[19] and hRecipe for
cookery recipes[19]. Similarly, microformats are also consumed by Bing[20] and Yahoo![21]. Together, these are the
world's top three search engines.[22]
Microsoft expressed a desire to incorporate Microformats into upcoming projects;[23] as have other software
companies.
Alex Faaborg summarizes the arguments for putting the responsibility for microformat user interfaces in the web
browser rather than making more complicated HTML:[24]- • Only the web browser knows what applications are accessible to the user and what the user's preferences are
- • It lowers the barrier to entry for web site developers if they only need to do the markup and not handle
"appearance" or "action" issues - • Retains backwards compatibility with web browsers that don't support microformats
- • The web browser presents a single point of entry from the web to the user's computer, which simplifies security
issues
Evaluation of microformats
Various commentators have offered review and discussion on the design principles and practical aspects of
microformats. Additionally, microformats have been compared to other approaches that seek to serve the same or
similar purpose.[25] From time to time, there is criticism of a single, or all, microformats.[25] Documented efforts to
advocate both the spread and use of microformats are known to exist as well.[26][27] Opera Software CTO and CSS
creator Håkon Wium Lie said in 2005 "We will also see a bunch of microformats being developed, and that’s how
the semantic web will be built, I believe."[28] However, as of August 2008, Toby Inkster, author of the "Swignition"
(formerly "Cognition") microformat parsing service pointed out that no new microformat specifications had been
published for over three years.[29]