Difference Between HTML 4 and HTML 5

Today we take a few steps back and take a look at some of the differences between HTML 4 and HTML5. This is intended to be a useful overview, not an exhaustive reference, but remember that things are still and always changing. We can’t deny the fact that HTML4 is the most successful markup language in the history of Internet ever. HTML5 builds on that revolutionary success. To start coding with HTML5, you don’t need to change the way you used to code in HTML4. With HTML5 you have new semantic elements, direct support for audio, video and a cool new canvas feature.

1. HTML5 Is a Work in Progress

As cool as it is to see what HTML5 can do for you, it hasn’t been standardized like HTML4. You don’t have to worry about updating pages built using HTML4. It’s more than ten years old and it’s a set standard.

If you jump into HTML5 with both feet, you’re going to be making updates. Elements and attributes are added and modified several times a year. Of course, this is dependent how much you depend on rich elements, but it’s certainly a risk you must take into consideration when using a fluid language.

Build with HTML4, play with HTML5

2. Simplified Syntax

The simpler doctype declaration is just one of the many novelties in HTML5. Now you need to write only: and this is it. The syntax of HTML5 is compatible with HTML4 and XHTML1, but not with SGML.

4. The and Elements

For good or bad, HTML5 has acknowledged the new web anatomy. With HTML5, and are specifically marked for such. Because of this, it is unnecessary to identify these two elements with a tag.

5. New and Elements
Again, HTML5 has adopted the popular web standard. and allows you to mark specific areas of your layout as such, and should have a positive effect on on your SEO in the end.

6. New and Elements

can be used for your main menu, but it can also be used for toolbars and context menus. The element is another way to arrange text and images.

7.New Forms

The new and elements are looking good. If you do much with forms, you may want to take a look at what these have to offer. 

Some Other Features

1. HTML4 was developed by World Wide Web consortium and WHATWG (web hypertext application technology working group) and HTML5 is being developed by web hypertext application technology working group (WHATWG) and W3C HTML WG. 
2. HTML5 brings in new elements to structure the web pages as compared to HTML4 which uses common structures such as: – header, columns etc. These new elements are: header, nav, section, article, aside, and footer.
3. Now, each of these elements serves a unique purpose:- 

• Header denotes the inclusion of heading, sub headings etc. which is more specific. 
• Nav signifies both the website navigation as well as the navigation of the table of contents. 
• Section element corresponds to a broad category of a web page. 
• Article element symbolizes a particular section of web page such as: blog, news, testimonials etc. 
• Aside element is used to include the content that may relate to a specific section of a document or a web page. 
• Footer element is used to indicate important information like copyright data, the author’s name, links to other pages etc.

1. HTML5 brings a whole new dimension to web world. It can embed video on web-pages without using any special software like Flash. 
2. Not only videos, HTML5 is said to be capable of playing video games on the browser itself. 
3. HTML5 is considered to be flexible to handle inaccurate syntax. HTML5 specifies the rules related to the parsing and lexing as compared to HTML4. This means that even if there is an incorrect syntax, similar result is produced by various complaint browsers. 
4. Furthermore, HTML5 denotes to scripting of API (application programming interfaces) including new APIs like:- 

• Drag and drop
• Database storage offline
• Editing of the document
• Canvas 2D APIs, etc.