If you’ve been paying attention to HTML5, chances are you’ve heard of HTML5 apps. This is one of the really jaw-dropping things about HTML5. Past versions of HTML were just frameworks for websites to be developed on. Actual programming and app development had to be done in Java, JavaScript, CGI/Perl, Flash or another web programming language.
Today’s HTML5 promises to change all that. It aims to be a one-size-fits-all programming language for the web. In other words, HTML5 aims to give other programming languages a run for their money.
==> Why Develop in HTML5?
The biggest reason to develop in HTML5 is because of mass distribution.
If you develop an app on a platform like iOS or Android, it becomes very difficult to distribute. You have to either redevelop the app from scratch for use on another operating system, or you forgo a lot of the best features of the phone.
As for other web programming languages, there are big flaws with all of them:
* Flash is not supported on iOS devices. They have huge files and take a long time to load.
* Java is a notoriously slow programming language that takes a lot of system resources to run.
* JavaScript is fast, but weak. It’s difficult to build versatile apps on a JavaScript platform.
* Ruby on Rails is perhaps one of the best programming languages for web apps, but is poor for fast-reflex design like gaming.
HTML5’s aim is to create a programming language that’s cross-platform right from the get go. You can use it on a PC, a Mac, an iOS device or an Android device. It’s fast to run, yet versatile and powerful. File sizes are small and it all runs in your browser.
==> Downsides to HTML5 Apps
The downside to HTML5 apps is that it really isn’t ready yet.
Not all browsers support HTML5 yet. Before HTML5 can truly be effective, it needs to have near universal adoption. More importantly, many important features, such as detecting location, can’t be done in HTML5 yet. Designing an industrial-grade app for HTML5 simply isn’t feasible.
Furthermore, there’s still no easy way to charge for an application inside of HTML5, like there is on the various app stores. This alone makes it difficult for HTML5 to compete with apps from a financial perspective.
The bottom line for the savvy business owner is this: HTML5 apps are going to be a force to be reckoned with. As far as programming languages go, HTML5 has all the elements it needs to be powerful – in time. It’s not quite there yet, but it’s definitely something to pay attention to in the coming years.