Difference between HTML4 and HTML5
HTML (Hypertext mark up language) is used for presenting data on World Wide Web. It is a mark up language used to create structured documents on the internet. Various versions of this standard have been launched and HTML5 is under construction to become its latest version. Some important features will be included in this new standard and some obsolete ones will be eradicated. It will no longer require third party plug-ins such as flash player by adobe to play videos. In-built tags are included for such functionalities. It is being developed by web hypertext application technology working group (WHATWG), the developers of original HTML and W3C HTML WG.
Mark Up
Some deprecated tags in HTML4 have been removed. These include <font> or <centre>. These functionalities are expected to be achieved using Cascaded Style Sheets (CSS). HTML5 is developed keeping in mind the usage of modern websites. Tags like <nav> website navigation block and <footer > for bottom lines in web page have been added. It is backward compatible that is can be parsed by older compilers developed for HTML4. These would however simply ignore the new tags. It is exciting to note that now you will be able to include audio and video files along with images in your webpage by using HTML tags as simple as <video> or <audio>.
Error Handling
HTML4 lacks rules for parsing and hence it is difficult to pinpoint the errors in HTML pages built by developers. Hence HTML5 will have strict parsing and lexing rules to handle any errors in the HTML code. This will save a lot of time that was wasted in debugging a webpage in case while a webpage is being developed or updated. You don’t have to worry if you are using an older browser as it will simply ignore new HTML5 tags or constructs.
Multimedia Features
With HTML4 you can include images in your page using <img> tag. One can adjust image size, position, z-index (depth in case of stack of images is to be displayed). In order to make user able to play some audio or video file through your HTML4 page he/she is required to have some third party software such as Adobe flash player. This is not the case with HTML5. Now these multimedia features will be provided inbuilt in the new HTML specification. This will be done using simple <audio> and <video> tags.
Summary
HTML is mark up language used to create structured documents on the internet. HTML4 or 5 are nothing but two versions of this standard, HTML5 being the latest.
HTML4
- Was developed by World Wide Web consortium and WHATWG (web hypertext application technology working group)
- Lacks rules for parsing and hence it is difficult to handle errors.
- Contains some deprecated tags such as <font> and <centre> that are removed in next version.
- No multimedia support without third party software.
HTML5
- Is being developed by web hypertext application technology working group (WHATWG) and W3C HTML WG.
- New tags like <nav> website navigation block and <footer > for bottom lines in web page have been added.
- Strict parsing and lexing rules are introduced to handle any errors.
- It includes multimedia elements (<audio> and <video>)
