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 features.
The last major version of the language, HTML5, was released in 2014 and brought many improvements
But what about next? When can we expect to see HTML 6 arrive ? What will be new in this version? This is what we will try to see in this article.
What is HTML6?
This is an ongoing project that aims to extend the capabilities of 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 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 different aspects .
Among these initiatives, we can cite:
- The Web Components project , which provides a way to create custom, reusable HTML elements with their own structure, style, and behavior.
- The Houdini Project , which aims to give developers more control over rendering 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 a way that allows developers to extend the functionality of the web with their own innovations.
These projects are not part of HTML6 strictly speaking, but they are often associated with this idea of evolving the language towards more modularity, flexibility and creativity.
When will HTML6 arrive?
release date , or even a guarantee that there will be a version named that. Indeed, the HTML development process is now based on a so-called “ living ” model, which consists of publishing regular and incremental updates of the language , without waiting for a full version to be completed.
Thus, it is possible that some of the features envisaged for HTML6 will be gradually integrated into current HTML , without changing its name . Web Components project , which are already implemented in certain browsers.
On the other hand, it is possible that some of the functionalities envisaged for HTML6 will never see the light of day , or will be abandoned in favor of other solutions. This is the case, for example, for 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 like polyfills , libraries or frameworks , which allow you HTML6 functionalities
For example, there are projects like HTML6.js , HTML6 Boilerplate or HTML6 Elements , which provide solutions for using HTML6 today.
What new features are expected in HTML6?
Although there is no official specification for HTML6, there are several proposals and experiments that provide insight into new features that could be integrated into the language. Here are some examples of these features, without claiming to be exhaustive or certain:
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 of the element, and the tag
These elements can then be used like any other HTML tag in the document.
Native HTML elements
These are predefined HTML elements that provide advanced functionality without the need for external technologies .
For example, the tag allows you to display a modal dialog box , the tag allows you to show or hide additional content, the tag allows you to display a measured value in a given scale, etc.
These elements 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 change its appearance or behavior .
For example, the contenteditable attribute allows you to make an element editable by the user , the draggable attribute allows you to make an element movable by drag and drop , the spellcheck attribute allows you to activate or deactivate spell checking on an element , etc.
These attributes are already implemented in some browsers, but not yet standardized.
HTML APIs
These are programming interfaces that provide access to browser or system functionalities from HTML or JavaScript code.
For example, the Geolocation API allows you to obtain the user's geographic location , the Web Storage API allows you to store data locally on the browser , the Web Workers API allows you to execute JavaScript code in the background without blocking the rendering of the page , 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 HTML , succeeding HTML5. HTML6 aims to simplify and modernize the HTML language, by 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 HTML , released in 2014. HTML5 already brings many improvements and features compared to previous versions, such as support for media (audio, video, etc.), vector drawing (SVG ), interactive forms, local storage, geolocation, etc.
