Kendo UI, a provider of framework for building JavaScript and HTML5 websites and mobile apps, recently released the results of survey of a little more than 4,000 global app developers. This survey revealed something interesting in the wake of Facebook (News – Alert) going native with its iOS app, among other factors: HTML5 is still alive and well.
This flies in the face of recent naysayers claiming that HTML5 is overhyped and that most developers are taking a "wait and see" approach to the coding language. Indeed, according to the survey results, HTML5 adoption and usage are on the rise for both mobile and desktop applications.
Analysts have been forecasting slow adoption of HTML5, stating that it is still five to 10 years out in terms of broad adoption. However, the survey’s respondents, when asked about their HTML5 development plans, overwhelming stated they are actively developing with the language or are planning to do so by the end of the year, with 94 percent answering this way. About 63 percent said they are using the technology today.
Furthermore, 82 percent of developers say HTML5 is important for their job either immediately, or within the next 12 months, while another 13 percent say it will be important within the next two years.
The major concern for developers going forward is fragmentation in the browser market. Even though standards are improving, and most major browsers are doing their best to keep up with them, developers are facing varying HTML5 support in a browser landscape split across desktop and mobile devices.
The split between W3C (News – Alert) and WHATWG standards was often thought to have been a major consideration with HTML5, but only 27 percent of the survey’s respondents reported much concern, while 35 percent stated experiencing little to no concern, with 38 percent unsure whether the change would impact HTML5 development.
"Despite the very real concern over browser fragmentation, the Kendo UI survey reveals adoption and usage of HTML5 is on the rise, with ease-of-use, flexibility and economies of scale trumping outside influence in determining how development decisions are made across small and large enterprises," said Todd Anglin, vice president of HTML5 Web and Mobile Tools at Telerik.
Recently, the latest release of Kendo UI was released, adding highly interactive HTML5-based financial charts to Kendo UI DataViz (News – Alert) and out-of-the-box accessibility improvements.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey