HTML6 – is it happening or is it a myth?

It transformed accessibility for distance learning courses and modules, with eLearning made easier and more digestible on any device. Similarly, the world of iGaming was made more immersive, with the ability to play the latest slot and table games at any screen resolution. The responsive nature of iGaming sites has ensured a new, futureproof channel for iGaming brands to exploit. The sheer volume of casino brands listed at oddschecker, complete with their welcome promotions, demonstrates how much HTML5 has benefitted the sector. However, all the recent talk has surrounded the prospect of an upgraded HTML6 language entering the ether. 

Below, we'll explore what HTML6 will entail and whether it will exist in the same guise as its predecessor.

Picture 1 of HTML6 – is it happening or is it a myth?

Hypertext markup language (HTML) has seen its fifth iteration change the game for mobile users. 

The impact of HTML5 since its release in 2014

First and foremost, we need to look at the general impact of HTML5 on the digital landscape. 

When HTML5 arrived on the scene in 2014, we were already in the midst of the smartphone revolution. Smartphones were designed to make it easier for people to access and engage with the internet on the move. However, the resource-hungry nature of web browsers pre-HTML5 made it very hard for mobile devices to keep pace.

Users typically had to install multiple plugins for their mobile web browsers to enable multimedia to function. Adobe Flash was the biggest culprit, with its plugins often grinding devices to a halt as it sought to power in-browser multimedia like casual games, and video and audio streams.

The advent of HTML5 meant that this was no longer the case. HTML5, combined with JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) made it possible for developers to design and build web applications that could adapt to an individual's device and screen. 

An application could become fully responsive and tweak its layout based on a user's screen size. The end result? A fully optimised experience that displays everything correctly.

This has redefined all kinds of digital industries, not just the eLearning and iGaming sectors we touched upon earlier in this article. Brands can now be confident that their consumers are getting the best possible experience of their web applications, whichever medium they use.

Will we see a formal 'launch' of HTML6?

According to the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG), who are essentially the gatekeepers of HTML, we won't see a formal unveiling of HTML6 in the same way we did with HTML5.

Instead, WHATWG believes the future of HTML6 and beyond should be based on a 'living document' approach to web language. What do they mean by a living document? They believe HTML6 should be a fluid iteration. One that doesn't become a huge update overnight and is instead ushered in over bitesize stages.

As a living document, WHATWG will be able to tweak the specifications of HTML6 whenever it sees fit. This flexibility is something that many developers have craved for the digital space, with WHATWG capable of listening to the wider world and making adaptations to suit the needs of the masses – rather than the masses evolving the way they do things to fit in.

The types of features we can expect from HTML6

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Although there has been no formal indication of when HTML6 features will be eased into the digital ecosystem, there has been plenty of talk about what the next iteration of HTML will bring. Below, we've listed some of the features most speculated by tech analysts across the globe.

1. Native modals

Native modals are on the lips of most developers when it comes to HTML6 iterations. A new (dialog) element is being ushered into HTML, creating a native version of modal windows that we've previously relied on JavaScript to power. These have been used on all kinds of web applications in recent years. However, native modals will make small interactions and forms quicker and easier to engage with.

1. Browser-based image resizing

Many web development experts are anticipating a major update to the way images are sized on-screen. There is a feeling that HTML6 will empower browsers to resize and optimise on-page imagery to deliver the best possible viewing experience per device or screen size. 

At present, (IMG) and (SRC) tags are unable to tackle the issue of images being too large or small for a screen, but a new tag could give browsers the option to select from multiple image sizes for an optimal UX.

1. Enhancements to user authentication

Admittedly HTML5 was a seismic enhancement in user security compared with Flash plugins that were easily manipulated and compromised by cyber-criminals. However, there is always room for improvement. 

HTML6 is expected to make it possible to house keys off-site, while embedded keys are expected to usurp cookies as a more efficient way of providing digital signatures.

1. Bespoke menus

Many responsive websites now make it possible for users to interact directly with their user interfaces. It could be something as basic as creating and adding to an on-screen list. The use of smarter menu language would enable interactive elements to be engaged with and ordered in the best possible way. 

Although the (ul) tag has proven popular for menus and lists in recent years, it wasn't intended to handle and sort next-generation interactive elements.

1. JavaScript-free single-page web apps

According to FutureClaw Magazine's editor-in-chief, Bobby Mozumder, HTML6 could enable websites and brands to develop and operate single-page web applications without the need for JavaScript to load and power it. 

Mozumder believes HTML6 could give browsers the ability to load page data internally into a 'new data structure', which sees DOM elements replaced with 'whatever data that was loaded as needed'. The result would be faster loading times and optimal cross-platform responsivity.

What we can be sure of is that HTML6 – whatever its guise – will help to improve the efficiency and security of web browsing. All of which puts greater power in the hands of the consumer.

Lesley Montoya

Update 16 April 2022