HTML is the basic language of the web, used to structure and display the content of web pages. Since its creation in 1991, HTML has undergone several evolutions, with the addition of new tags, new attributes, and new functionalities.
The latest major version of the language, HTML5, was released in 2014 and brought many improvements
But what about what comes next? When can we expect to see HTML 6 arrive ? What will be new in this version? That's what we'll try to find out in this article.
What is HTML6?
This is an ongoing project that aims to extend the capabilities of the current HTML5 and meet the emerging needs of the web.
HTML6 is not yet an official standard , but rather a set of proposals and experiments that are being tested and discussed by the web community . There is also no single specification for HTML6, but rather several initiatives that aim to enrich the language in various ways .
Among these initiatives, we can mention:
- The Web Components project , which offers a way to create custom and reusable HTML elements, with their own structure, style, and behavior.
- The Houdini project aims to give developers more control over the rendering of HTML and CSS elements by exposing the internal APIs of the browser's rendering engine.
- The Extensible Web Manifesto project , which advocates the idea that web standards should be designed in such a way as to allow developers to extend the functionality of the web with their own innovations.
These projects are not part of HTML6 per se, but they are often associated with the idea of evolving the language towards more modularity, flexibility and creativity.
When will HTML6 arrive?
release date , nor even a guarantee that there will be a version named as such. Indeed, the HTML development process is now based on a so-called " living " model, which consists of publishing regular and incremental updates to the language , without waiting for a complete version to be finished.
Therefore, it is possible that some of the features envisioned for HTML6 will be gradually integrated into current HTML without changing its name . This is already the case for some of the proposals from the Web Components , which are already implemented in certain browsers.
On the other hand, it is possible that some of the features envisioned for HTML6 will never see the light of day , or will be abandoned in favor of other solutions. This is the case, for example, with the proposal to introduce a new XML syntax for HTML, which was rejected by the web community .
In the meantime, it is possible to test and experiment with HTML6 using tools such as polyfills , libraries or frameworks , which allow you to emulate the functionalities of HTML6 in current browsers.
For example, there are projects like HTML6.js , HTML6 Boilerplate or HTML6 Elements , which offer solutions for using HTML6 today.
What new features are expected in HTML6?
Although there is no official specification for HTML6, several proposals and experiments offer a glimpse into the new features that could be integrated into the language. Here are a few examples of these features, without claiming to be exhaustive or definitive:
Custom HTML elements
They allow you to create your own HTML tags with their own structure , style, and behavior . These elements can be defined using the tag , which contains the and CSS code for the element, and the tag , qui contient le code JavaScript de l’élément.
These elements can then be used like any other HTML tag in the document.
Native HTML elements
These are predefined HTML elements that offer advanced functionality without the need to resort to external technologies .
For example, the tag allows you to display a modal dialog box , the tag
These features are already implemented in some browsers , but not yet standardized.
Global HTML attributes
These are attributes that can be applied to any HTML element to modify its appearance or behavior .
For example, the contenteditable attribute allows an element to be edited by the user , the draggable attribute allows an element to be moved by drag and drop , the spellcheck attribute allows spell checking to be enabled or disabled on an element , etc.
These attributes are already implemented in some browsers, but not yet standardized.
HTML APIs
These are programming interfaces that allow access to browser or system functionalities from HTML or JavaScript code.
For example, the Geolocation API allows obtaining the user's geographic location , the Web Storage API allows storing data locally on the browser , the Web Workers API allows running JavaScript code in the background without blocking page rendering , etc.
These APIs are already implemented in some browsers, but not yet standardized.
HTML modules
These are independent HTML files that can be imported into another HTML document using the tag These modules can contain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code, and can be used to reuse content or to separate different parts of a web application .
These modules are still being tested and are not yet implemented in browsers .
What is the difference between HTML6 and HTML5?
HTML6 is the next version of the HTML language , succeeding HTML5. HTML6 aims to simplify and modernize the HTML language, offering a more concise and expressive syntax, better integration with other web technologies, greater modularity and extensibility, and better compatibility with different browsers and devices.
HTML5 is the current version of the HTML language , released in 2014. HTML5 already brings many improvements and features compared to previous versions, such as media support (audio, video, etc.), vector drawing (SVG), interactive forms, local storage, geolocation, etc.
