How to Tackle HTML5 for Cross Browser Compatibility?

Why HTML5? In past few years there is a sudden increase in the demand of modern hand held computers like smart phones and tablets in the industry. This is because of better user experience that these devices impart to the end users. The demand is still going up in an exponential rate with time. To meet the demand, a large volume of smart phone and tablets are flooded in the market in different shapes, sizes and budget. With such a variation in these devices, it becomes a headache for the web developer to deal with the complexities arise due to their variable size and hardware. Moreover these devices are powered with different types of browsers like Firefox, Chrome and Opera etc. So it becomes even tougher for the web developer to develop a good web application which can be run on different platforms without giving any bad experience to the end user. To achieve the same web developers are relying on HTML5 along with few other technologies to serve better to the users.

HTML5 has a wonderful local storage feature: Besides smart phones and tablets web developer also responsible to enable his application to run on desktop browsers. Since there are a good numbers of browsers in the industry it becomes an annoying task for the web developer to design a common application that can run on different browsers. Fortunately HTML5 has a local storage concept to deal with browser optimisation. It is like a big size cache for the browser that helps the application in eliminating unnecessary interaction with the data base. As a result the efficiency of the application improves and it gives a better user experience. Moreover due to large size cache it enables the browser to display web pages in offline mode due to the storage of web form data in the browser itself. So it eliminates different cache memory related issues of the browsers.

HTML5 is the key for responsive web app: With different browsers, HTML contents behave differently. This is because of configuration difference between the browsers. To tackle this situation, web developer used to write some extra codes in the style sheets so that all the browsers will display in a similar manner. Fortunately HTML5 has some inbuilt libraries that can eliminate this issue to a large extent and it can be eliminated totally with the help of CSS3 along with HTML5.

While dealing with various layouts of a web page, a web developer need to write specific codes to deal with various components of the layout like Header, Footer, Heading, Article Title, Contents and Sidebars etc. For each of these components a web developer must write a different script to achieve a proper layout. But a HTML5 developer doesn’t need those scripts for these types of layouts. This is because of the inbuilt tags which are off course extra tags in HTML5 available for HTML5 developers to deal with such layouts. It has tags like Header, Footer and Title etc which automatically deals with the layout issues. The best part is all these tags are multiple browsers compatible. To add this, HTML5 developer doesn’t need to write any long DOCTYPE as before in case of HTML4. To get maximum benefits of HTML5, you may consider hiring services of a custom HTML5 development company.

We provide HTML5 development services. If you would like to hire HTML5 developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

HTML5 and the Support It Provides While Building Applications

Inception of HTML5: As a tech lover, you can’t ignore the importance of hand held computer devices like smart phones and tablets in recent trend. Everyday there are many happenings in the smart phone market like update, upgrade and introduction of new app in the industry. The number of these smart phone and tablets are increasing in an exponential rate and still the saturation is not yet achieved. There is a tremendous market potential of the same in future as well. Hence to gain the maximum benefit from the demand, the top IT giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple are already in the market with their products for these future devices. This situation triggers the web application developers to develop modern web applications for different smart platforms like Android, IOS and Windows operating systems.

To warm up the situation to a next level, the mobile networks are providing internet connectivity through 2G and 3G networks. This is creating a great platform for the website application developers to create modern web application for different smart phone browsers which are having screen sizes ranging from as small as two inches to ten inches. But this is really a tough task for the web application development farms to provide such futuristic web applications under limited budget and resource. In this transition stage, HTML 5 gets born to serve the purpose. A new technology get tremendous popularity overnight i.e., responsive web design which is nothing but a combination of HTML 5, CSS 3 and Java script. Core of this technology is HTML 5 which is nothing but the advanced version of HTML.

HTML5 for cross browser web application: With HTML 5, we can develop a beautiful and modern web application for different platform that can fit to any screen size and resolution. Moreover, in HTML 5 we don’t need to write a large DOCTYPE for different browsers and versions for the web application. This makes the web application developers life easy with less effort and more gain.

HTML5 with local storage: Now the HTML 5 comes with an inbuilt large size local storage which can perform just like a cache system for any web application development. This large size cache or local storage can be used to store comparatively more data in the local browser. As a web developer, we can easily guess how it is important in our web development process. Well, this improves the performance of the web application to a large extent by preventing the unnecessary database API calls to the server. Moreover many times we can browse a web application in our smart phone without any internet connectivity due to the large local storage in the browser. This really gives a pleasant and virtual experience of being inside a native app.

HTML5 fulfils the graphics need that too in less resource: The modern web developers can rely on HTML 5 for different attractive and interactive graphical interface of the web pages for the modern devices which run on limited resources like low band width and low hardware specifications. A web application developer can create light weight graphics like images, running graphics, playing video and audio using HTML 5 media player etc without the need of any third party software like ActiveX and Flash. The best part is it can be well viewable in small screens of smart phones.

HTML5 for modern game development: With HTML 5 web application development process a well developer can create modern light weight games for different platforms like Android and IOS for its users. HTML 5 can also be treated as weapon for the Android and IOS developers to create modern web app, native app and hybrid apps.

Future of HTML5: Undoubtedly there is a tremendous potential within HTML 5 which can definitely rule the future IT industry through its efficient but intangible features. To get maximum benefits of HTML5, you may consider hiring services of a custom HTML5 development company.

We provide HTML5 UI design and prototyping services. If you would like to hire HTML5 developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

Is HTML5 the Best Choice for Responsive Website Design?

The huge popularity of smartphones, tablets and phablets has made the web landscape complex. It has become essential for each business to create responsive websites to keep the visitors engaged by delivering solid web experience. Along with being highly responsive, the website also needs to be compatible with both conventional and mobile devices.

So website designers use a variety of tools to make the website accessible on different types of devices. Many web programmers, nowadays, use HTML5 to make the websites and web applications work on multiple devices. HTML5 has further made it easier for developers to create rich and responsive internet applications without putting any extra time and effort.

Why HTML5 is the Best Choice for Responsive Website Development?

Easy to Integrate a Variety of Content: To keep the visitors engaged, a website must be designed by integrating a wide variety of content. HTML5 enables website designers to integrate different types of content by using syntactical features like <audio>, <video> and <canvas>. Likewise, the semantic value of a document can also be enhance by using tags like <article>, <section>, <nav>, and header. As the graphic and multimedia content can be integrated with the website without using any third party plug-ins, the website can be accessed by users on any device.

Elegant Forms: Most websites interact with visitors through forms. HTML5 makes it easier for website designers to enhance the user interface by using fancier forms. Further, the user input can be validated through HTML. The native form validations make the website accessible on browsers without relying on JavaScript. Also, the programmers have option to capture different types of user inputs for search and form.

Cross Browser Compatibility: The performance of a responsive website is also affected by its compatibility with widely used web browsers. At present, HTML5 is supported by some of the hugely popular web browsers including Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer 9. The developers also have option to define doctype to make the tags recognizable for old browsers. However, the older versions of certain web browsers still do not recognize new HTML tags. But the web developers can simply add JavaScript shiv to make the website compatible with older browsers. The enhanced compatibility makes websites more responsive and interactive across browsers.

Efficient Option to Place Cookies: Most responsive websites use cookies to track unique user data. But the cookie data are added to the HTTP request headers. It also results in increased response time. HTML5 allows users to reduce cookie size through two storage options, i.e., sessionStorage and localStorage. Despite not being a permanent database, these storage options can be used effectively to store structured data temporarily. Thus, the website will become more responsive due to the efficient use of cookies.

Geolocation API: To become highly responsive, a website must figure out the current location of the user. The location of a user can be determined based on his wireless internet connection, IP address or the cell phone tower his mobile device is talking to. Some web browsers are even designed with dedicated GPS hardware to capture the location of the user through satellites. The web developers can use HTML5 geolocation APIs to make the HTML5-compatible browser-based application capture the current location of the users. So it becomes easier for the website to keep the user engaged by delivering the most relevant content.

Improve User Experience through Native APIs: Each responsive website needs to enable users to interact with the content, while responding to them effectively. HTML5 makes it easier for developers to build more interactive and responsive websites by using several native APIs. For instance, they can use the drawing HTML tag <canvas> to make the website more responsive. Likewise, they can further use native APIs like timed media playback, offline storage database, document editing, browser history management, and drag and drop.

However, it is also important for the web programmers to keep in mind the shortcomings of HTML5. They also need to explore ways to enhance the responsiveness of websites by addressing these features. The developer can still rely on HTML5 to optimize the accessibility and performance of websites without writing complex code. To get maximum benefits of HTML5, you may consider hiring services of a HTML5 development company.

We provide HTML5 QA and testing services. If you would like to hire HTML5 developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

What Should Be Avoided When Creating Videos in HTML5?

Creating videos using HTML5 is a common practice nowadays. However, in making those videos, developers end up committing certain mistakes that interfere with the quality of the product. Hence, it is important that developers are well aware of the mistakes that they need to avoid while creating videos with HTML5. Hence, let us discuss a few of those errors here in this article.

Firstly, the developers need to keep in mind the fact that the attention time is too short. Hence, it is important that they consider the total length of the video and squeeze the presentation accordingly, when offering or promoting a product or service to the end audience. It is best if the total length of the presentation is limited to 1 to 3 minutes. In case of longer versions, it is important that a brief history about the product, service or the manufacturer or provider is presented as that adds some interesting tinge to the entire video.

When it comes to dealing with graphic projects, the planning has to be immaculate. Lack or absence of proper planning can very well be disastrous. Without a proper roadmap, it is impossible to determine the proper objective, and this will lead to wastage of time as well as resources. Now when it comes to proper planning, one of the best methods is coming up with a strong storyboard while the other option that can be availed is the use of a mind map or a flow chart that will guide in the development of the video frame by frame, step by step. It will also help organize the entire process in a seamless way.

Another fault is generalizing the size of the video by following the typical, ‘one size fits all’ concept. This concept might be applicable in case of preparing presentations that are designed for desktop, but will surely be a disaster in case of the ones that are prepared for tablets and mobiles. One thing that needs to be taken into account is the fact that the scale of the video will have to be in synch with the formats of the devices it is played on. It should be seen that the downloading time is not slow, as this will surely discourage the users and the cost needs to be determined from a rational and realistic point of view as well.

Not placing the CSS link at the page top is another extremely common error. Presence of this link ensures that the browser is able to take care of a request, followed by loading the JavaScript as well as other resources. Also, it should also be guaranteed that the CSS file contains everything that is needed for loading that particular page.

It is also a blunder to use too many photos or images on a single page. Instead, whenever it is possible, it is wiser to use JPEG for the images and use various image editing packages (Photoshop, GIMP, Paintshop, and so on) that are available.

The video concept needs to be absolutely straightforward. It should revolve around a particular concept that only helps in the promotion of the product or service. It should also be seen that the concept does not make the target audience confused.

Not availing the privilege of software that utilizes the HTML5 standards is another mistake that needs to be taken care of. One such software is the Corel Video Studio Pro X6, which can be linked with a chapter or a certain cue point in particular period that takes the developer to an external website on an overlaid track. A significant specialty of this program is that it outputs an HTML page with all the coding that is needed to play back the video. To get maximum benefits of HTML5, you may consider hiring services of a Custom HTML5 development company.

We provide HTML5 web development services. If you would like to hire HTML5 developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

What has Bootstrap or HTML5 in Offer for Designers?

A constant increase is noted in the number of web developers who use HTML5 Mobile UI frameworks to quickly develop web apps that deliver richer user experience. Based on the nature and requirements of the project, the developers have option to choose from a wide range of HTML5 Mobile UI frameworks including Twitter Bootstraps 3, App Framework, Sencha Touch, jQuery Mobile, TopCat and Kendo UI. Each of these frameworks comes with loads of features and libraries to enable developers to build HTML5-powered web apps without investing extra time and efforts.

Why Web Designers Rely on Bootstraps and Other HTML5 Frameworks?

Avail Readymade Pieces of Code: Bootstrap enables developers to use readymade pieces of code through the libraries. The libraries can be used to pump life into a website without writing additional code. The programmers can simply chose the relevant libraries and fit them into the structure to save time. Further, they can use styling and designing features of the framework to reap the benefits of CSS style sheets.

Option to Customize the Framework: The HTML5 frameworks are further highly customizable. A programmer can evaluate the features of Bootstrap in detail, and decide the capabilities relevant for his project. So the framework can be tailored according to the specific needs of the development project. However, this option makes many programmers feel that they can easily ditch some features of Bootstrap.

JavaScript Libraries: Bootstraps allow developers to use JavaScript libraries to enhance the overall performance of the web application. The developers also have option to use JavaScript for both structuring and styling. As JavaScript is an integral part of every web development project, the access to JavaScript library makes it easier for developers to make the app deliver richer user experience. They can use the library to accomplish several tasks to manipulate button, tooltips, modal windows alerts and scrollspy without writing any additional script.

Easy and Fast Integration: Bootstrap can also be used by developers to optimize the look and feel of websites that are already live. For instance, the overall look and style of a table can be altered simply by selecting and copying the required styles to the CSS file. Further, Bootstrap will immediately generate its own style that can be directly linked to the specific CSS file in use. The simple and fast integration makes it easier for developers to optimize both new and existing sites without putting any extra effort.

Complements Futuristic Technologies: While creating a website, developers always use futuristic technologies. Bootstraps enable programmers to create websites and web application using elements that will remain current over a longer period of time. Also, Both CSS3 and HTML5 will remain an integral part of website and web application development in the longer run. So programmers can use the HTML5 Mobile UI framework to create websites that complement both current and upcoming trends in web development.

Enhance the Website’s Compatibility: Other frameworks like HTML5 Boilerplate allow designers to rapidly build robust and adaptable web applications. Along with increasing the application’s cross-browser compatibility, the framework further optimizes it for mobile devices. As CSS contains the required reset CSS, it becomes easier for programmers to optimize the websites without relying on external reset CSS. Boilerplate further enables developers to access CSS, JavaScript, image and documentation to accomplish complex tasks without writing any code.

However, the web developers must be familiar with HTML, CSS and JavaScript to use the HTML5 Mobile UI frameworks easily. They also have options to combine different HTML5 Mobile UI frameworks. Also, they can evaluate the pros and cons of several widely used frameworks to avail all the tools required for keeping the foundation of the new web development project. To get maximum benefits of HTML5, you may consider hiring services of a custom HTML5 development company.

We provide HTML5 web development services. If you would like to hire HTML5 programmers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

Is HTML5 the Reason Behind Growth in Mobile App Development Demand?

As the fifth revision of the HTML standard, HTML5 was originally designed to optimize the language by using the latest multimedia content, while keeping the code easily readable by both humans and computing devices. But according to several reports, HTML5 has been growing consistently in the world of mobile application development. Its multi-platform functionality and cost effective nature encourages many enterprises to use HTML5 to build applications by complementing the most recent trends in mobile development. There are also a number of features that make HTML5 contribute towards the growing demand for mobile app development.

5 Reasons Why the Future of Mobile App Development Lies in HTML5

1) Robust Features

While conceptualizing mobile apps, enterprises look for a single technology that offers several features. HTML5 enables developers to build robust mobile applications within a stipulated timeframe, while not diverting from the main center of attraction. There are also several open source tools that can be used by programmers to effectuate HTML5 development without increasing the project overheads. These tools further make it easier for enterprises to migrate from their existing cross-linking user interfaces and web applications. The performance of the existing apps can also be optimized by including new features.

2) Easy Deployment

While developing native mobile apps, developers can use a variety of extensive scripts and code. But the apps need to be deployed in a specific way according to the requirements and guidelines of individual mobile application stores. On the other hand, the HTML5 mobile apps can be deployed in a much faster and smoother way. As the fractional parts to be installed during deployment can be deployed smoothly using JavaScript tools, the mobile application can be launched without any hassle. The smooth hosting makes it convenient for enterprises to make their apps popular by getting them included in hugely popular mobile app stores.

3) Less Maintenance

Along with developing mobile applications rapidly, it is also important for businesses to maintain and upgrade the apps regularly. So often businesses explore technologies that enable to reduce maintenance and upgrade the apps in a hassle-free way. As HTML5 is an open source technology, a business can maintain its apps without any hassle. Further, it can hire experienced programmers to upgrade the mobile apps within a shorter time span. The updated version of the app can be launched without resubmitting to the app stores.

4) HTML5 Mobile UI Frameworks

The developers also have option to use HTML5 Mobile User Interface Frameworks to optimize the look, feel and performance of their mobile apps without putting any extra time and effort. Normally, these libraries are written using JavaScript and CSS, and included in a single or multiple files. Some of these frameworks are also designed to work seamlessly on multiple platforms. The programmers can use Intel’s App Framework or Sencha Touch to build cross platform mobile applications within the stipulated timeframe.

5) Availability of Programmers

The availability developers always affect all types of software and mobile app development projects. So the popularity of a technology can also be attributed to the availability of skilled manpower. As a hugely popular tool for creating mobile apps, HTML5 is used by many programmers. That is why; an enterprise will not find it difficult to hire experienced HTML5 developers. Despite being skilled and experienced, HTML5 programmers can be hired at lesser remuneration that Android and iOS developers. Many enterprises even opt for HTML5 to control overall development cost.

While developing mobile apps with HTML5, developers have option to use the languages and frameworks they are familiar with. There are also several ways to curtail both development time and cost by customizing the mobile application development experience. To get maximum benefits of HTML5, you may consider hiring services of a Custom HTML5 development company.

We provide HTML5 development services. If you would like to talk to one of our expert HTML5 developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.