HTML5 Specification Finalized as Work Continues

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) yesterday took two significant steps down its double-track path toward standardizing HTML, the core language of the Web. First, it released a candidate recommendation of Hypertext Markup Language 5, which means HTML5 is settling down in the eyes of the standards group. Second, it released a first draft of HTML5.1, a smaller set of changes it's developing simultaneously.

HTML5.1 gathers together several technologies for which there's already broad agreement. They will relate to improvements to video captioning and fast seeking, better forms including input modes and autocomplete, spell checking, better image accessibility, and more powerful iframes. The HTML5 release meets a schedule the W3C set this year to ensure an earlier goal that HTML5 is standardized in 2014. Next steps along that path include the last call final release in the third quarter of 2014 and the last recommendation standard release in the fourth quarter of 2014.