Grey period of traditional browser +HTML5 combination

Since the publication of the HTML4 in 1999, the Web world has grown rapidly and prospered. It was once thought that HTML standards did not need to be upgraded. Some companies dedicated to the development of Web apps have set up separate WHATWG organizations, until 2007, when the consortium took over from WHATWG to start developing HTML5 again.

Throughout the development of HTML5, it is also twists that there is a need for users to promote the needs of technology developers in the promotion, but also a huge commercial interest in the promotion. Over the past few years, HTML5 has subverted the pattern of PC Internet, the micro-trust in the circle of a psycho cat games, opened up the various fantasies of mobile internet, optimize the mobile Internet experience, next, the mobile Internet will produce a new portal, and by the Super APP+HTML5-led web App will subvert the native app mobile Internet world.

Grey period of traditional browser +HTML5 combination

In the HTML5 standard upgrade process, Apple and Google also saw the browser market reshuffle opportunities, they participate in the HTML5 of the specification, while in the browser products. Apple first began to vigorously develop Safari, set up WebKit open source projects, Mac, IOS, Windows multi-platform full force; Google initially sponsored Mozilla to develop Firefox, and later developed its own V8 engine, merging WebKit, and officially launched Chrome in 2008. "ie's private specification +flash is not standard, we are the standard" such slogans in the Next generation browser war. "

With the ie+flash of Chrome and Safari and the decline of the HTML5, the next era, the mobile internet, came to an ending. HTML5 's Cross-platform advantage has been highlighted in the mobile internet era. HTML5 is the only cross-platform language for mainstream platforms such as PCs, Macs, iphones, ipads, Android, and Windows Phone. Both Java and Flash dreamed of this location, but the dream was broken by IOS. At this time people began to study the development of Cross-platform mobile phone applications based on HTML5. Many people at that time that the original application is only a transition, like the same year from C/s structure into B/s structure. and learning C and Java very laborious, since will web development, why not try HTML5.

The consortium set up the Device API Working group at this time, for the HTML5 extended Camera, GPS and other mobile-specific APIs, however, the trouble is that the early iterations of mobile internet too fast, mobile OS in the Non-stop expansion of hardware APIs, gyroscopes, distance sensors, barometers ... Every year the mobile OS has a large version update. HTML5 did not keep up with the fast iterations of the early mobile Internet.

The appearance of PhoneGap opens up a window for developers. Many people expect PhoneGap to continually expand the API to supplement the browser's shortcomings. Adobe saw PhoneGap as if to see the hope of reviving the status of the river, but after the Adobe acquisition of PhoneGap, and found that this thing is not commercially available, and open source so that Adobe can not like Flash to obtain commercial benefits, so the PhoneGap donated to the Ap Ache, renamed Cordova.

For a variety of reasons, Cordova's positioning eventually did not become a browser hardening, but toward a hybrid development. Based on the background of the time, they believed that the native was irreplaceable, and that "the hybrid model of native +html5" is more meaningful. "

Facebook joined the consortium and led the Mobile Web team. Facebook is a mixed Web and has no territory on its mobile OS, and he doesn't like the native application ecosystem that Apple and Google control. The important goal of the Mobile Web team is to make the Web applications developed by HTML5 a native application experience. However, it backfired, and the result was an effort to fail. In the 2012, Facebook gave up HTML5 news and flooded the world's IT media, and HTML5 was instantly relegated to the doghouse.

Before the HTML5 finalized, most of the domestic browser has also supported HTML5, including UC, many mobile browsers have been eager to develop WEB apps to offset the flow of the original app swallowed. Before HTML5, web apps tried to compete with native apps for mobile desktops, but limited to web apps ' inborn flaws------------------------------------------

HTML5 finalized WEBAPP Rapid rise

Why did Facebook give up HTML5? The incident, even to the people with ulterior motives often used to sing down HTML5 and Web apps.

The core reason is that at that time based on HTML5 really do not have a good mobile App. The HTML5 version of rival App,facebook, such as Twitter, does not satisfy users. For example, the push function, to the present HTML5 push and the original push experience gap is still huge, let alone HTML5 application of the page switching white, drop-down refresh/sideslip menu is not fluent and so on. Looking at the original engineers easy to shake, two-dimensional code, voice input, to share the circle of friends and other functions, but also let HTML5 engineers feel that they stand the wrong team.

Even if Facebook does not like to be controlled, it cannot take the risk of being discarded by the user. And Facebook has not mastered the key point-the mobile browser kernel. If the browser doesn't keep up, a bunch of draft standards will not fall.

Facebook or PHONEGAP is not going to be able to get a piece of the mobile Internet at the beginning, but sticking to it will often happen.

Finally, at the end of October 2014, the HTML5 was formally finalized by the consortium. This time, not late, the hardware performance is stronger, the mobile OS iteration speed drops. HTML5 's final version heralds a new era of sailing.

For mobile devices, the increase in hardware performance has wiped out the lack of HTML, while complementing streaming media and gaming capabilities. Industry support from the latest Android5.0 start, WebView can be real-time updates through the Google play Store, and the Chrome upgrade is consistent, users can not brush the machine to enjoy the latest browser engine; After the release of IOS 8, Apple was able to cancel the three equations. Order calls Nitro restrictions, now any browser or application called IOS UIWebView can use Nitro acceleration.

Google launched Android 4.4 at the end of 2013, and the built-in WebView is no longer a crappy Android WebKit browser, but a Chromium that has dramatically improved performance. Starting with the latest Android 5.0, WebView can be updated in real time through the Google play Store, in line with the Chrome upgrade, and users will not be able to enjoy the latest browser engine without brushing; and looking at Apple, 2012 IPhone 5 After cloth, HTML5 's performance on IOS has been satisfactory, and Safari's exclusive JavaScript acceleration engine Nitro is no longer so important, but after the release of iOS 8, Apple has also been very good at canceling the restrictions on the call to the three-party program, now any browser or application calls IO S UIWebView can use Nitro acceleration, so in front of the use of JS to do large operations is also possible.

The attitude of the two big handset operating systems and the browser giants has changed, making the development of HTML5 on the phone no longer limited, and this change is irreversible can only continue to move forward, this change is bound to have far-reaching impact.

The advent of the new Internet portal Super App+web APP

First from the hardware side, with the release of Apple IPhone6, hardware performance has been improved, the HTML5 performance disadvantage has been wiped out. Apple and Google's strategies are also changing, with Google's Android 4.4 built-in WebView in late 2013 no longer Android Webkit, but chromium. The HTML5 performance of the 2012 IPhone5 is already satisfying, and Safari's exclusive Javascript acceleration engine Nitro is no longer that important. And after the release of iOS8.0, Apple also canceled the restrictions on Third-party program calls to Nitro, now any browser or application call IOS UIWebView can use Nitro acceleration. Two big mobile giants intentionally or unintentionally change, let HTML5 say mobile phone platform above development no longer limited.

And for developers, why developers do not want to develop WP version, often because the workload is too large, in addition to version adaptation, resolution adjustment, etc., once a new version of the launch, in the native APP developers have to wait up to two weeks to accept the audit. It's also cumbersome to maintain content, which is why some media are beginning to give up on native apps to encourage readers to use Web apps. In addition, cross-platform in the multi-screen era for developers a very painful experience, people are looking forward to the Java in a compilation of the ideal running everywhere. HTML5 is currently playing the role of a developer savior.

That's why these two years have spawned a lot of HTML5 open source technology frameworks that are very popular with users. Yun Yu is a only two-year small company, they mainly based on HTML5 PC site embedded a line of JS code to achieve the mobile adaptation of the PC website, and its 2014 launched the first open source HTML5 cross-screen front-end framework amaze UI launched in only 3 months received nearly 100,000 To help a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises successfully set up their own web App, the world's largest social programming and code hosting website--github, access to nearly 2000 of users of the star mark, become China's most popular HTML5 open source framework. All this means a shift in the direction of the mobile Internet that HTML5 brings.

How many apps do you have on your phone?

The most likely answer is that I use "micro-mail, QQ, or other browsers" and so called Super App.

For more native apps, first to enter the app Store, each download to enter the password, and Android has to go through a series of authorization, installation and so on, app download installation of the user cost to a certain extent, the use of the app is a barrier. But in the Web App all this is not a problem, it greatly reduces the user's use cost, the user eye sees a point of interest, after clicking, should begin to meet the user demand immediately. For example, streaming media can be seen immediately, page tour can immediately play.

And HTML5 is also very easy to use, super app (such as micro-trust circle), search engine, application market, browser, everywhere is based on the HTML5 Web APP's traffic portal. But the original app's traffic entrance only has the application market.

At present, we can see that the major browsers at home and abroad are promoting the Web App, the effect has slowly appeared. However, it is foreseeable that native apps will dominate in a short period of time, but based on the limitations and thresholds of the native app itself, future mobile internet trends may be implemented in HTML5.