HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. HTML is used to structure content for display on a web page and can be used to include images, video, and other multimedia.
HTML 4 is the fourth version of the markup language used to create web pages and websites. HTML5 is the latest version of HTML and includes new features such as audio and video playback, offline storage, and improved performance.
HTML 4 vs. HTML 5
| HTML 4 | HTML 5 |
|---|---|
| HTML 4 does not support audio and video elements. | HTML 5 supports audio and video elements, making it easier to embed multimedia content on web pages. |
| It is not compatible with newer web technologies. | It is designed to be backward compatible with HTML 4, and it is compatible with newer web technologies. |
| HTML 4 requires a strict doctype declaration to ensure that the code is valid. | HTML 5 has a simplified doctype declaration that is less strict, making it easier to write valid code. |
| Its forms require a lot of JavaScript to create custom form fields and validation. | Its forms have new attributes and elements that make it easier to create custom form fields and validation. |
| HTML 4 does not provide a clear separation between content and presentation. | HTML 5 provides clearer markup for content and presentation, making it easier to style web pages with CSS. |
| It does not provide many semantic tags to describe the meaning of content on web pages. | It provides new semantic tags that describe the meaning of content, making it easier for search engines to index and users to understand. |
Overview of HTML 4
HTML 4 is the fourth and final major version of HTML. It was published in late 1999 and went through a number of revisions before finally being abandoned in favor of XHTML in 2006.
HTML 4 introduced a number of new features, including support for tables, images, forms, and multimedia. It also added support for style sheets, which allowed for more sophisticated web design.
The final version of HTML 4 included a number of improvements over earlier versions, such as better support for internationalization and accessibility.
Features and benefits
HTML5 is a revision of the HTML4 standard produced by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It is currently being developed with the major goal of improving the language with support for the latest multimedia while keeping it easily readable by humans and consistently understood by computers and devices such as web browsers, parsers, etc. HTML5 is intended to subsume not only HTML4 but XHTML1 and DOM2HTML as well.
- Improved semantics: With HTML5, tags like, and provide better structure than generic tags. This can make your code more readable and easier to maintain.
- New form controls: HTML5 includes several new input types that can make forms much more user-friendly, such as email addresses, phone numbers, dates, and ranges.
- Audio & video playback: HTML5 provides native support for audio and video playback without requiring third-party plugins like
Overview of HTML 5
HTML 5 is the latest version of the Hypertext Markup Language, the standard programming language for describing the structure and appearance of text on web pages. HTML 5 is a major revision of the HTML standard that incorporates new features like video playback and drag-and-drop functionality and is designed to be more user-friendly than previous versions of HTML.
Features and Benefits
HTML5:
- Adds support for new elements
- Improves upon existing features such as audio and video playback
- Includes new APIs that enable more interactive applications
- Supports audio and video playback
- Provides a standard structure for pages that ensures compatibility across browsers
- enables the use of external style sheets for consistent styling across all pages
Key differences between HTML 4 and HTML 5
HTML 4 has been around since 1997, and HTML 5 was released in 2014. Both are standards for structuring and displaying content on the web. So, which one should you use for your website?
HTML 4 is a tried-and-true standard that has been used by web developers for years. It is well-supported by all web browsers and provides a solid foundation for building websites. However, HTML 4 does have some limitations. For example, it does not support video or audio playback natively, and it lacks some of the features that make modern websites more dynamic and interactive.
HTML 5 addresses many of the limitations of HTML 4 and adds new features that make developing websites simpler and more powerful.
For example, HTML 5 supports video and audio playback natively and introduces new elements that make creating interactive content easier. Additionally, HTML 5 is designed to be more responsive and adaptive to different screen sizes, making it a good choice for developing responsive websites.
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Pros and cons of each version
HTML5 is the latest version of HTML and XHTML. It is still in the process of being finalized by the W3C. Nevertheless, many web developers have already started using it. Some of its features include:
- Improved support for multimedia
- Better semantics
- New elements for better structure
- More powerful APIs
HTML4 is the more strict and well-defined version of HTML. It is based on XML, which makes it more modular and scalable. However, it is not as widely supported as HTML5. Some of its features include:
- More stringent syntax rules
- Modular design
- Scalable
