HTML5 and what it means for the mobile industry

HTML5 is hyper-text markup language’s latest version which can be used for building of websites as well as apps. However, it is finding most popularity amongst mobile developers since they are allowed to create a content that is more engaging as well as dynamic. Using the language is way simpler than the previous versions, which leads to a code that is cleaner. The websites created are efficient, more interactive as well as powerful. The features are optimized, specifically keeping mobile interfaces in mind which enables the pages to remain light and remain focused on functionality.

By adopting the HTML5 trend, the mobile industry is and can benefit a lot. There are multiple advantages offered by this programming markup language; by embracing it the mobile industry can only look towards advancement as well as growth. Some of the features as well as advantages that can be reaped are explained here.

Browser environment but app-like experience- By virtue of this language an app-like, rich user experience may be created right there in mobile browser itself; the users do not need to seek out as well as download apps actively through marketplace or stores. This downloading behaviour is mostly exhibited by only brand loyalists. But with mobile web, a much bigger as well as larger audience can be reached easily. Also the look of the interfaces that are built with HTML5, resemble apps; on top of that it recognizes gestures which allow consumers to further manoeuvre the site like an app. Like native apps, local storage is included in the sites which helps site developers store data in browser memory. This helps in reduction of back-end server interactions which leads to a much faster loading of pages.

Cross browser compatibility- Another great advantage offered by this language is its cross-compatibility factor with all major web browsers that include Opera, Safari, Chrome, Internet Explorer as well as Firefox. They may not be able to provide support to all newly introduced HTML elements but at least the doctype can be read by them.

Offline caching- Offline caching is also offered by it which essentially means than certain elements can be loaded by visitors on webpage without having an active net connection. However, in this case they must have accessed the site sometime in the past. Even during disruption in internet connection, the site’s core elements can be loaded by the user.

An experience that is location aware- A hugely important feature that it brings to the browser is location awareness. The mobile site can thus be prompted to recognize the location of the user when it is launched so that the closest stores can be identified as well as delivered to the user. This ultimately provides a great user experience. Furthermore it also enables apps to offer special offers to the user.

Better product images- While building mobile sites with HTML5, high resolution images are easily served. This effectively addresses a huge challenge associated with mobile shopping- the inability of viewing detailed images by the customers. Thus, brands can easily display high quality multiple product images in a format that resembles a gallery.

Clean code- In traditional HTML coding it is very difficult to make basic changes in a website which does not follow good coding conventions. The design of this version allows a clean code that makes it easy for developers to incorporate changes. It also assists in search engine readability by optimizing it. The search engine understands the website’s content easily which results in higher search rankings.

Thus it can be said that the future of mobile industry rests with HTML5. It allows mobile devices to handle interactive tasks that include audio and video playback. It offers the best of the features but with the least of problems. The number of features, tools as well as support helps make the entire process of site and app development easier; not only that, it also provides a better user experience which translates into more popularity for the ultimate product.

You can hire developers from top custom HTML5 development company in India who can help you develop applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide HTML5 development services. If you would like to hire HTML5 developer from our team, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

What Has Bootstrap or HTML5 In Offer For Designers?

Before we start discussing the features of HTML 5 and Bootstrap, let us discuss what actually Bootstrap is, for a better understanding of the readers of this page. While HTML5 is an improved version of HTML, Bootstrap (BS) is an open source CSS or Cascading Style Sheets framework from Twitter that is extensively used for front-end prototyping as well as building various mobile friendly, robust websites that are compatible with a wide range of browsers. It is also used for developing web based interface by employing various mobile responsive designs. It utilizes JavaScript (that includes jQuery), CSS, as well as HTML. It also extends support for CSS3 along with HTML5.

In other words, BS can be defined as a grid based responsive framework that is used to develop responsive, mobile centric projects. Bootstrap framework is extensively used by designers or developers due to its tremendous framework power, user-friendly approach along with the power to build high quality websites as well as applications that are based on HTML or HTML 5, Jscript extensions and CSS.

BS can be attributed the shortest definition to be a CSS3 as well as HTML5 authoring tool that helps in easing out the mechanism of development, thereby saving a lot of time as well as efforts of the developers and producing a wide range of astounding results. The platform comes up with a wide range of highly effective tools, pregnant with some amazing value added features that come in handy for the developers. Let us discuss some of the features that BS or HTML 5 has in offer for the designers or developers.

When we talk about BS design features, they can be categorized into four segments – scaffolding, components, base CSS, plugins for JavaScript. The scaffoldings or the global styles are based on responsive 12-column grids, components, layouts. On the other hand, the components are made up of fundamental styles for certain common user interface features. Again, the JavaScript plugins follow the components though they mainly use JavaScript. The base CSS is comprised of various styles of basic HTML elements, though it primarily includes a series of icons that are known as Glyphicons.

One of the most interesting options that is available to the developers while using Bootstrap is the ability to roll automatically and download the results. The “Customize Page” features provide the option of choosing components, jQuery along with plugins, besides specifying the variables. Developers also have the option of downloading the results in the form of a zip file that contains the standard directories of Bootstrap – css, js, img and so on with all the necessary files in each of them.

Another option that BS has to offer the developers is the option of purchasing or downloading a wide variety of website designs that are created by the third parties. Let us discuss some other features that Bootstrap has to offer.

Jetstrap
It is an extremely effective web based tool that the developers or designers use for interface building of twitter bootstrap. It also helps in getting the websites up and running without much of a fuss and work.

Get kickstrap
It is another feature that combines BS with a wide range of top-tier web based technologies. The feature comes up with a number of highly advanced properties by the virtue of which it is capable of running authenticated and database-driven web based applications without any native backend. Kickstrap maintains a strong liaison with JSPM.io and this bondage extends a sound and robust front-end package dependency manager that is built on Require.js.

Bootply
Bootply is a comprehensive HTML, CSS as well as Jscript bootstrap editor as well as building that is highly useful for the developers or designers.

Bootstrap Magic
This is another magic framework, which the developers can use for creating their own themes for twitter bootstrap.

You can hire developers from top custom HTML5 development company in India who can help you develop applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide HTML5 web development services. If you would like to hire HTML5 developers from our team, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

HTML5 - Why should FileMaker Developers Care?

As cross-platform relational database software, FileMaker is being used widely by organizations to track a variety of data. The database tool is used for customer relationship management (CRM), inventory management, report generation and invoice generation. The latest version of FileMaker also comes with a set of new features, along with enhanced web deployment options.

It also supports HTML5, the technology being used by developers across the world to build rich web applications rapidly. As HTML5 is the combination of HTML, JavaScript and CSS, the technology is effective in optimizing the look and feel of web applications across web browsers. So the FileMaker developers must know HTML5 to deliver custom made solutions without putting any extra time and effort.

FileMaker 13 Features that Require Developers to Know HTML5

WebDirect
The FileMaker 13 comes with a marquee feature called WebDirect. The web-sharing technology enables developer to share the database through any web browser that supports HTML5. The FileMaker database can be further shared across HTML5-compatible browsers without requiring specialized web development skills. While accessing the databases online, users have to use an interface that resembles the interface included in the desktop app version of FileMaker.

So the changes made to the FileMaker database through the web reflect in the databases in real time. The users can further view and access the most updated information regardless their choice of client. The features will further make the updated information accessible to the users of non-FileMaker databases.

Browser-Based Admin Console
The most recent version of FileMaker also allows users to manage their FileMaker Server through a web browser-based admin console. The browser-based admin console runs seamlessly on HTML5-compliant browsers without requiring support for Java programming language. The feature makes database server administration clean, efficient and responsive.

Further, the FileMaker database can be administered without using any additional third-party software. With more and more organizations working with distributed teams, the feature makes it easier for the authorized users to administer the centralized database regardless of their geographical location. The updates will further reflect immediately in the databases in real time.

Web Viewer
Normally, HTML5 is used by developers to optimize the look and feel of a web page while being accessed on a web browser. But a FileMaker developer has option to generate HTML5 from within the calculation engine. The HTML5 generated within the calculation engine can also be included as part of the layouts and used as a fully integrated application. The developer can use the FileMaker Web Viewer as a tool to generate HTML5 that can be read by web browsers.

While using Web Viewer, the FileMaker developers are required to pass a calculation string as input to generate a properly formatted URL or a browser-readable page of text. Similar to other calculations, Web Viewer can be used to deliver a web experience that users can access and interact with as part of the FileMaker layouts. At the same time, the HTML5 on FileMaker Go can be generated with localized techniques.

So the output can be accessed by users on their iPhones and iPads without any internet connectivity. The programmers can avail the option to optimize the look, feel and performance of their FileMaker solutions. A developer can further integrate the feature seamlessly into the FileMaker application without having any programming skills. He can simply use his existing scripting and calculation skills to get the code from online sources.

The modern developers are required to integrate FileMaker and HTML5 to leverage the power of the cross-platform relational database software. When a developer has experience in HTML5 development, he can integrate the technology smoothly to easily applications that complements the varying needs of modern enterprises.

You can hire developers from top custom filemaker development company in India who can help you for your requirements within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide filemaker development services. If you would like to discuss with our filemaker developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

HTML5 Apps Versus Native Mobile Apps: Unveiling Popular Myths

With the rapid proliferation of the mobile web technology, there is much discussion over the most suitable application that would deliver consumers access to any form of content irrespective of place or time. HTML5 became increasingly popular in 2012 and spread across the internet, defining all latest practices for navigation, layout and content structure of web pages. Yet there are concerns about the architecture of HTML5 which sparks a debate regarding the use of native mobile applications versus those applications which are developed for the mobile web.

As consumers get hooked to their Smartphones for browsing the web, playing games, downloading applications, and streaming movies, apps developers need to spend considerable time on determining how to render more functional and richer experiences across the numerous device platforms available. An inappropriate choice may result in unnecessary expense or may invite user dissatisfaction due to dull performance and poor quality.

In comparison to the previous versions, HTML5 makes it more convenient to develop feature-rich web-oriented applications that facilitate remote updating with new functionality without requiring repeated installation or download. In short HTML5 bridges the functionality gap between mobile apps and websites.

On the other hand, a native app can be directly installed within the Smartphone and can operate without internet connection. However, while an HTML5 app can operate on many platforms, a native app is platform specific and hence is more expensive.

A host of companies have already started taking advantage of the HTML5 hype. For instance, Burberry gained considerable popularity when it turned to HTML5 for launching one mobile application. Again, HTML5 is being increasingly used for mobile applications by newspaper organizations like Financial Times and Guardian. But native apps are not far behind in terms of making headlines with an average download of 40 applications per Smartphones within a year.

HTML5 however, has its own shortcomings and limitations. To begin with, the implementation procedure is different for different browsers and mobile platforms. This type of fragmentation in technology creates a hindrance for software developers wishing to understand which part of HTML5 can be utilized. Moreover, HTML5 apps can suffer from reduced speed and often work erroneously in the event of an intermittent data connection.

Other limitations of HTML5 as compared to native apps pertain to the lack of Digital Rights Management, required for handling numerous multimedia services and the non-availability of support for background processing. Moreover, HTML5 does not provide any kind of notifications or secure storage outside of the applications. Because of these shortcomings, some renowned companies have cut down on their use of HTML5.

The big myth revolving around the mobile web market is that native apps and HTML5 are the only two options. Some of the above-mentioned limitations may be dealt with by adopting a hybrid application approach, wherein considerable parts of the application are composed in web technology, but incorporating native code features within an HTML5 wrapper. This enables developers to add components of reusable HTML5 to operate over the native code so that the choicest features of each platform can be leveraged. Interestingly industry experts foresee the use of mobile web-based or hybrid apps in 80% of HTML5 mobile app development projects, by 2015.

Apart from gaining an in-depth knowledge about the potential of HTML5 and other related web technologies, companies can opt for the following:

• Watch out for any “one size fits all” promise: There are various types of mobile apps and there are rapid changes in user expectations. Hence there is least possibility of the existence of a single development method or tool that is suitable for all cases.
  
• Take care of back-end design and device software: While designing user-experience for business services, check whether you are dealing with mobile friendly services. The crucial road to making a business mobile through a website or apps normally starts with building web-oriented interfaces for portraying existing services.
  
• Optimize the mobile web presence: As consumers are increasingly turning to mobile devices for accessing websites, the user-experience factor cannot be ignored. Keeping separate desktop and mobile web presence becomes unmanageable after some point of time. So it is advisable to look forward to responsive design opportunities to ensure effective user interfaces.
  
• Make use of standard technologies to suffice your needs: It is good to go for a continual reassessment of the status of technologies associated with HTML5 to leverage this opportunity, as the ecosystem is rapidly evolving.

Hybrid apps are very significant because they offer opportunity to build an efficient mobile strategy on the basis of factors like necessary device functionality, programmer’s skills, and the significance of interoperability and security. While the debate over whether to go for HTML5 apps, native apps or hybrid application goes on, for the time being the best approach is to leverage what is available, to keep up with the pace of the rapidly moving mobile world.

We provide HTML5 development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert HTML5 developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.