Death by HTML 5, timeline

Death by HTML5

It’s the Silverlight versus HTML5 and what should you do about which to learn.  I am hedging my bets on Silverlight since it is easier to develop with than Flex, and I work for Microsoft.  In this economy it is nice to have work, and you might be between jobs, if you are things will improve and I want to be there for you, but since I am just crappy blogger, there isn’t much I can do is there?  Ok, there is a little bit, one of the things I can do is not give bad advice. 

HTML 5 is often overly reported as:

• Here is a well written and must read link:
  • How Will HTML 5 Affect Websites, Development?
  • Comments:

    • One minor point, the article seems to indicate that the HTML5 specification will “Ratify” next summer, that is true, but this is not the date of the final specification

    • For a nice countdown till HTML 5 specification is final:

      • https://www.w3.org/TR/html5/
• Interview with one of the HTML 5 specification reviewers, from 2008 but an interesting read, and makes the point that HTML 5 specification is not final till 2022, let me write that again: 2022, see this article for the timeline:
  • HTML 5 Editor Ian Hickson discusses features, pain points, adoption rate, and more
• Where do you go for the most current information:
  • See https://www.w3.org/TR/html5/ for any specific information about HTML 5
  • Do you have to wait? No, No, No, No
• Microsoft has an internal commitment to building standards based tools and technologies, this means that HTML 5 is the standard to use, so logically it means that Microsoft is going to make a big play to HTML 5.
• For now, the Platform development for Windows Phone 7 is using Silverlight and XNA with VB.NET or C#, this is true in the released version of WP7 and the Mango version.
  • <<My opininon and no one has told me otherwise>>
    • If you have heard rumors that C++ will another language that can be used for a future version of WP7 or WP V-Next, I wouldn’t make the assumption that you will be able use unmanaged code. 
    • Keep in mind that you can force C++ development to only use managed code with a switch.

Is the timeline for HTML 5, so the “candidate recommendation will be in 2012”

• First W3C Working Draft in October 2007.
• Last Call Working Draft in October 2009.
• Call for contributions for the test suite in 2011.
• Candidate Recommendation in 2012.
• First draft of test suite in 2012.
• Second draft of test suite in 2015.
• Final version of test suite in 2019.
• Reissued Last Call Working Draft in 2020.
• Proposed Recommendation in 2022.