HTML 5 and Flash: Are they competing for the space on web?
HTML 5 and Flash are fighting for the same place on the Web and graphic community. Have you started believing on this statement? Are they really battling against each other? Or, is it just a rumour? What the e-world next to you is saying on this?
Make it clear:
If you ask my opinion, neither HTML 5 nor flash are fighting on the web for position. Both of them are well established and have their own place and importance. Effectively HTML 5 can’t replace flash. Now, you may say, if there is no battle within the duo, what is the point of discussing it. The idea is to lure the reader’s attention and eradicate the confusion. The discussion here is unbiased and based on observations.
HTML 5 and Flash has their own specialities and usability. It is better if we discuss them separately.
Let us understand – why has HTML 5 drawn so much attention from webmasters and designers?
HTML 5 is the next revision of HTML 4, i.e. a feather added to web standard. In fact, HTML is the core mark up language of World Wide Web, which is gaining rich functionality and browsing standard through CSS3 and HTML5.
The result is number of useful features and enhanced user’s experience on the web.
These are as follows:
- New functionalities: These are Geo-location API (for identifying user’s location), Canvas Element (enhanced drawing functions), Audio-video support, offline data storage, easy document declaration (<!doctype html>). This has been a great improvisation over HTML standards.
- Semantic replacements: for common uses of generic block
- The new HTML is no longer dependent on SGML though both are mark up languages.
- HTML5 denotes scripting (APIs) such as— document editing, timed media playback, web messaging, offline web application etc.
- HTML 5 browsers is flexible in handling syntax errors.
On the other hand, flash is a single-browser plug in. This allows even non-technical people to design graphics and create simple user interaction with almost no skill required. With Flash, people have started building full and completely interactive websites in no time.
It has also proved its worth in:
Corporate platform: Websites made with Flash renders excellent capabilities, such as – PHP integration, database interaction, XML sourcing, extensible plug-ins, external ActionScript 3 as well l as export-import functionality. In reality, Flash is a booming rich media that will regain it’s popularity among web designers.
Mobile platforms: Other than graphic and animation capabilities Flash has been an exception tool for mobile content development. With Action Script 3 powerful functionalities are no more the stuff to explore for developers.
Well, only two areas where both HTML 5 and CSS3 seem competing against each other are:
Peer-to- peer connections: HTML5 is specifically designed to manage communications between users with peer-to-peer connection. Flash do have own peer-to-peer technology in place.
Creating e-commerce stores: Macromedia has allowed flash to be more controllable by programming. Now it is possible to build e-commerce site with flash technology. Since HTML 5 is already being famous for building interactive sites and web applications, it can be positioned as a direct competitor.
Forecasts may work: However, flash is most likely to get attention for its multimedia and gaming features and there will be no issues with SEO part of it. With Mobile browsing popularity HTML 5, CSS3, or complicated Java Scripts will also earn much credits in mobile space.
To conclude, one must not consider upgraded HTML versions rival to flash. They are just made to offer you more interactive life on web.
About the author:
Sanat Singha is an enthusiast writer who loves to talk on latest mark up languages and their advanced features. He thinks Web designers have great things to do now. If you are looking for a good web designer Chicago who can guide more on this, please visit BIT Studios and avail their Chicago web design services.
well done!
I totally agree with you!!
Good to know web is growing, and getting richer… but I never saw flash and html5 as a competition…
Both rule! =)»
Good read – it defiantly caught my attention.
HTML5 is being used more and more every day for things I didn’t realize possible with just HTML5/JS, so I look forward to what the future brings and what Flash next brings to the table :D
Very well made article.
The HTML5 vs Flash stuff has no real merit. The only flash that HTML5/CSS3/jQuery truly put out of use are the hacks that flash was used for just to make up for HTML’s inabilities (sifr, simple transitions, etc.) and those were never what flash was meant to do or normally did, that was just temporary HTML patches. Now that HTML finally does what it should have done in the first place those hacks aren’t needed any more. That’s the only stuff flash won’t do any more because of HTML5.
For everything else, they work together and add to each other. I find myself using jQuery to facilitate dynamic progressive replacement of html tags with flash animations. And I find myself using CSS3 shadows on backup text that was behind a flash piece that has shadows on the text, etc. They work together and internet development is better with both of them around, and would lose something with either of them gone.
In my opinion the emergence of the iPad and mobile (let’s say 10% of surfers, but growing and very trendy!) is balanced by the lack of HTML5 compatibility with IE 9 (let’s say 30% of surfers). It’s a transition period. In response to this, we’re working on a solution in which both can be offered. We convert Flash (ver. 9 and 10 with AS3) to HTML5.