On the other hand, a website is based on the very features of HTML. As a building would collapse without a good foundation, a website without strong HTML tags cannot be built. However, nowadays with content management systems (CMS) like WordPress making a huge impact on the web development process, not many users are interested in learning the tedious process of applying HTML tags manually. Moreover, the older versions of HTML do not allow including video or audio elements in them. Due to this, more and more professionals are learning how to use Flash on their website.
On a positive note, things are changing now. Flash has got a stiff competitor in the form of HTML 5. Website development is fast happening with this new version of HTML released in 2008. HTML 5 is a groundbreaking upgrade released by World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C). Rich internet application plug-ins, like Flash, may soon face challenge due to this technology. HTML 5 uses a new tag called Canvas, for 2D drawing and is being promoted by heavyweights like Apple, Google, and Mozilla. Internet Explorers still hasn’t backed Canvas.
As of now, according to the latest trends tracked on the Internet, Flash is used more commonly, embedded into web pages via HTML’s Object tag. Offshore development centers that hold the larger chuck of web development projects are still relying on Flash for animation as there are many unaddressed issues with HTML 5. Some of them are:
Browser compatibility: Most of the users still prefer using Internet Explorer for browsing the Internet. As already mentioned, Microsoft hasn’t allowed Canvas into its browser. Flash on the other hand in an add-on plug-in and can be conveniently used.
Users prefer CMS like WordPress for developing their website. HTML 5 requires additional knowledge.
Those who are outsourcing their website development to companies abroad still prefer custom development of their website. Since HTML 5 hasn’t become very popular yet, not many are keen to experiment with it as of now.
It can be thus said that though HTML 5 has huge potential, Flash rules the market at present. Not many have yet experimented with the latest version of the markup language. However, if the heavyweights in the industry start using HTML 5, Flash will have to upgrade itself and compete with its own match. Let the battle begin!!