Yes, You Can Use HTML 5
Published on Jul 8, 2008 (updated Feb 5, 2024), filed under development (feed). (Share this on Mastodon or Bluesky?)
This and many other posts are also available as a pretty, well-behaved ebook: On Web Development.
You can already use HTMLÂ 5: Just use <!DOCTYPE html> as your HTML documentsâ document type.
This works even though you will not yet benefit from new elements and attributes (except for formerly proprietary things like autocomplete). Neither could you use the XHTML serialization (an incentive to use real HTML, as many authors do unknowingly).
A safe thing to do is the ânewâ way of specifying the document encoding by using the charset attribute, however, as in <meta charset="utf-8">. (Feel reminded of the HTMLÂ 5 version of the infamous best HTML template.) Try it. Do not forget to check the transformation result with the HTMLÂ 5 validator.
As an HTML Working Group member who prefers to stay in the background I hope this adds a little to the excitement about HTML 5. Yes, we can! đ [I somewhat regret this pop reference.]
About Me
Iâm Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and Iâm a web developer, manager, and author. Iâve been working as a technical lead and engineering manager for small and large enterprises, Iâm an occasional contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and I write and review books for OâReilly and Frontend Dogma.
I love trying things, not only in web development and engineering management, but also in other areas like philosophy. Here on meiert.com I share some of my experiences and views. (I value you being critical, interpreting charitably, and giving feedback.)