HTML5 Tags And What They Mean

Web design has gone through many different guises and scripts in the life of the internet but HTML has been there for pretty much all of it. The latest instalment of the ‘HyperText Markup Language’ is HTML5, a code which aims to reach the highest level of compatibility and the most promising level of simplicity thus far imagined.

Whereas coding has in the past been a chore and something which very few people fully understand, HTML5 is vastly simplified and more functional than previous incarnations. Those familiar with previous versions of HTML will notice the simplicity of the tags: HTML5 tags are generally far shorter and easier to remember than in the past. Let’s take a look at a few tags which are new to HTML5.

The Canvas Tag <canvas>

One of the most encouraging and potentially revolutionary tags in HTML5 is the canvas tag. This tag is a container for graphic elements to a web page. What is new and unique about the canvas tag is the ability it offers to respond to user interaction in real time, or ‘on-the-fly’.

The canvas tag in designed to be used in conduction with other scripts, such as Java. The combination of the canvas tag with other new web technologies such as WebSocket has some pretty mind-blowing implications – for example, the ability to embed a live, massively multiplayer game into a single website. This simply would not have been possible with previous versions of HTML.

The New DocType Tag <!DOCTYPE html>

This tag simply tells the web browser which type of HTML the code is written in. This determines the fashion in which the browser interprets the information within the code and, ultimately, the way that the web site looks and operates. Strictly speaking, the DocType tag is not an HTML tag.

The brilliance of this tag will likely only be apparent to those with code writing experience. It replaces a very hefty piece of code which had precisely the same function. This new tag not only makes code a lot easier to write but it makes it a lot easier to read, too.

Possible Line Break Tag <wbr>

As the screens on which people view the internet vary so much, it can be difficult for web designers to predict how each individual views a web site. Often, vital pieces of websites are moved around to account for the means of viewing. This tag allows coders to specify where a word can be split if this becomes necessary in order for it to fit onto a screen.

With the increase in the number of people using smart phones to surf the web, this tag is now a crucial part of web coding and will transform the world of ecommerce. If you need a ecommerce solution pay a visit to Bluepark’s website for more information.