HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
much-improved user experience. JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) has become the de
facto data interchange format for web applications, with most server-side languages and
frameworks now supporting it natively. In addition, a range of powerful JavaScript frame-
works and libraries has risen to provide an abstraction of JavaScript that allows developers
to worry less about the cross-browser inconsistencies that plagued earlier web develop-
ment, concentrating their efforts more on crafting highly functional applications.
Warning
Each and every chapter in this topic shows you to how to build powerful applications using
HTML5 and JavaScript. But this isn't a book for JavaScript beginners. At the least, you
should be familiar with JavaScript syntax and the basics like variable declarations, condi-
tional statements, functions, closures, callbacks, and scopes as well as other concepts like
AJAX, JSON, and interacting with the DOM. If you have experience using JavaScript lib-
raries such as jQuery, you should be able to follow along. To learn more about JavaScript
or if you're feeling rusty, check out
Ajax in Action
(Manning, 2005) by David Crane and
Eric Pascarello with Darren James and
Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja
(Manning, 2012) by
John Resig and Bear Bibeault.
In previous versions of the HTML (and XHTML) specification, the only coverage of
JavaScript was a minor section on use of the
<script>
element and some of the
attributes that could be added to HTML elements to provide event-handling functionality.
In HTML5, JavaScript is treated as a first-class citizen, with each section of the specifica-
tion detailing what DOM API methods and properties are available for any given element.
In addition, HTML5 defines advanced APIs that allow you to develop applications that use
audio and video, work offline, store data locally on the client, and do much more. We'll
cover these APIs briefly later in this chapter and in greater detail throughout the topic.
HTML5 vs. HTML Living Standard vs. HTML5 for web developers
The HTML5 specification has a long history. Without getting caught up in the details, the
end result is that the specification has two versions, both with the same editor: Ian Hickson
of Google. The HTML5 specification is published by the W3C, whereas the HTML Living
Standard specification is published by WHATWG (Web Hypertext Application Technology
Working Group). To make things even more confusing, WHATWG also published a docu-
