Is Your SharePoint Ready for HTML5?
HTML5 is getting a lot of buzz on the web these days. We are starting to see quite a few websites popping up, touting that they were made with HTML5 and flashing the HTML5 logo. As this new version of HTML is gaining popularity, we get asked by customers if they can use HTML5 in their next SharePoint projects.
In general, the response is “yes” -- HTML5 can be used in SharePoint projects, but the extent to which it can be leveraged will depend on the actual environment where your SharePoint is installed and used. But before we drive into what can be done in SharePoint, let’s review what HTML5 is and what it isn’t.
What is HTML5?
HTML5 is the next version of the HTML coding language that provides the basic building blocks for websites. Although it was only recently released, the development of HTML5 dates back to 2002. Because HTML5 builds on previous versions of HTML, much of your site’s HTML structure would remain unchanged if a site were to be converted to HTML5. However, HTML5 does provide numerous improvements that simplify development and improve site performance, especially when used together with CSS3 and JavaScript. Some examples of new features in HTML5 include stylistic improvements like rounded corners, drop shadows, table styles and custom fonts, native multimedia support for integrating audio, video, and animation, and native forms validation support, just to name a few.
As you can see, HTML5 can offer considerable benefits for developers and users alike, but can you leverage it in your environment? There are a couple of factors to consider before rolling out HTML5 in your SharePoint:
Does your SharePoint installation support a corporate intranet or an extranet or public-facing site?
What web browsers is the majority of your visitors using?
These two factors are closely related. If your SharePoint drives your corporate intranet then you’ll have much more control over the users’ web browser base. But if SharePoint is your public facing extranet or site, then you have very little control over the users’ browsers.
The Browser Issue
Why are the web browsers an important variable in this equation? Most HTML5’s hottest new features require the latest versions of modern browsers in order to function. For example, one of the most popular new features is the ability to embed multimedia files like audio and video files without the use of a third party plug-ins directly into web pages. However, these features will work only for those visitors who are using the newer web browser like Explorer 9+ to visit and view your site. For visitors with older browsers, those elements on the page simply will not render unless your developers go through the trouble of adding extra fallback code specifically for users without modern browsers.
If your SharePoint installation supports only your intranet and your IT department has all of your employees’ browsers up to date with Internet Explorer 9, then you have much more flexibility to add HTML5 parts to those sites. But if the majority of your organization is still running on older browsers, then the extent to which you can leverage HTML5 elements in your SharePoint is very limited.
If your SharePoint does support your Extranet or public web site, your first step should be to analyze the website visitor statistics to determine what browsers the majority of your visitors use. This information is readily available from your web analytics services or your web server statistics. If the majority of your visitor base is not using the most current versions of browsers, you are going to be limited on HTML5 features you can add to the site.
HTML 5 is the Future
As newer versions of web browsers continue to be released and rolled out to users, developers will be able to incorporate a wider range of HTML5 features into the sites, helping popularize the new standard. Another factor to keep in mind is that the HTML5 standard is still in draft stage, and is not going to reach full recommendation stage until 2016 at the earliest. This means that you will have plenty of time to ease into this new web standard, ensuring that your site can offer the optimal user experience to your visitors, as they gradually upgrade to the newer browsers.
Have more questions about SharePoint and HTML5? Don’t hesitate to ask!
About Erik:
Erik Akers is a UI/UX Consultant at Valorem Consulting