First steps with HTML5

Posted in HTML5 on 1 June 2011 | Comments

I have been wanting to revise and redesign CVW Web Design for a while and also get started with HTML5. So, with some spare time last weekend, I decided to strip down the style sheet for CVW Web Design and rebuild it and my site template using HTML5. I know the site very well so I thought this would be a gentle introduction to HTML5 and start me on the redesign process.

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Getting started with HTML5 and responsive design

Posted in HTML5 CSS3 on 14 April 2011 | Comments

Over the next few weeks, I’m planning to learn about HTML5 by recoding CVW Web Design to the HTML5 specification. I want to start with a website that I know thoroughly before using HTML5 on client sites. At the same time, I want to continue to develop the responsive style sheet methods that I’ve used already on the site. So, before starting the work, I have been reading and collecting useful links; if you are new to HTML5 (like me), there are some great resources available:

• HTML5 Boilerplate was one of the first HTML5/CSS/JavaScript templates. Read this site first if nothing else!
• Mobile Boilerplate is a collection of files that demonstrate best practice for developing an HTML5 and mobile-optimised site. Great for learning and using as your starting point.
• I really like the idea of starting with a mobile-optimised style sheet and Andy Clarke has developed this idea with his 320 and Up kit that works with or without HTML5 Boilerplate. The 320 and Up page is the demo where some new and innovative methods from different sources are used.
• The mobile first approach was proposed by Luke Wroblewski. The article really made me think about how I was doing things. Peter Gasston also describes a similar approach in Using Media Queries in the Real World – another great article!

Right, must get on with that website redevelopment!

Previously: HTML5 links for light reading

Introducing HTML5

Posted in HTML5 Books on 3 August 2010 | Comments

HTML5 is quite a hot topic at the moment and it’s likely that you will be developing websites with this new version of HTML within a few years (if not sooner). HTML5 gives web developers a whole range of new capabilities that will change the way you build websites.

Introducing HTML5 by Bruce Lawson and Remy Sharp is ideal if you are new to HTML5. It’s a practical book and if you want to learn about and develop with HTML5, I don’t think you will be disappointed. So far, I have only read the first few chapters but I’ve already learnt a lot. For example, you can build websites with HTML5 right now, you can have multiple <footer> elements in a web page, and the difference between <article> and <section>.

Even if HTML5 is not on your top priority list and you are happy with the current versions of (X)HTML, I still think you should put aside some time to get acquainted with HTML5. This book will help you do that.

Buy the book: Amazon UK and Amazon USA

Related: Think Vitamin Membership gives you access to a whole video tutorial course about HTML5. There’s also a free introductory video on the basics of HTML5

HTML5 links for light reading

Posted in HTML5 Links on 31 March 2010 | Comments

I have been reading a lot more about HTML5 recently and also considering whether to start using it ‘in anger’. Here are a few useful HTML5 links:

• How to use HTML5 in your client work right now is a useful post that describes which bits of HTML5 you can use (and taking account of IE-compatibility)
• The above link comes from HTML5 Doctor which is a great resources for HTML5. Includes How to get HTML5 working in IE and Firefox 2
• HTML5 Gallery is a showcase of sites that use HTML5; some nice examples featured!
• HTML5 and The Future of the Web is a good introductory article from Smashing Magazine
• WHATWG has a company home page demo in HTML5
• HTML5 Demos has some cool examples of HTML5 use

The more I read about HTML5, the more I want to use it. I plan to build my next personal site with HTML5.