Can HTML5 and Flash get along?

With the development of technology HTML5 more and more often there is a comparison with Flash. Among all those who can express their opinion on this issue, Duane Nickull, Adobe's leading evangelist, is worth noting. At the Web 2.0 Expo conference, he will talk a lot about the new perspectives of HTML5, AJAX and Flash, and on the eve of this, he gave us an (O`Reilly) interview.

To what extent HTML5 and Flash overlap, and to what extent complement?

Duane: First, let's clarify the question about what is meant by HTML5. When people talk or think about HTML5, they actually refer to a whole stack of technologies, including jQuery, AJAX, CSS, and even the simplest JavaScript. Like this, Flash is more than just a * .swf file format. Flash is a complete platform that includes server-side components, authorization tools, protocols, binary formats, codec support, as well as data exchange channels in server solutions such as Livecycle Data Services and Flash Media Server.

In most cases, Flash-based applications are hosted on the Internet, so that they are hosted inside HTML containers. JavaScript is often used in the work. So from this we can say with confidence that HTML and Flash work fine “in the same team” and by and large Flash depends on HTML.

What is Adobe’s position on HTML5?

Duane: Adobe's strategy is to use both HTML5 and Flash technologies, including creating development tools for both of these platforms. HTML5 is a delightful technology and from my point of view, as a standard, it has been standing still for too long. We are participating in the W3C group in order to introduce new chips into our products as quickly as possible. At Adobe MAX 2010 , we showed a product similar to Flash Professional CS5, in order to show designers and developers how simple and intuitive the creation of interactive animation in HTML can be.
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Developers and architects must make a choice of what suits them best. Consider this on the example of data entry forms. In most cases, the choice is made in favor of HTML forms, because they load faster and do not require an additional plug-in. If work is required offline, for example in AIR applications, then Flash is preferred. Again, Adobe does not tell developers what technology to use, we provide solutions for both platforms, and the developer himself must make a choice. It is unlikely that they would react positively to those who impose their will on them.

With the increasing use of HTML5, technologies are becoming more and more similar, for example the video tag has appeared. In this question there are a number of specific requirements, which are based both on the capabilities of browsers and on the capabilities of Internet channels. The Flash platform has accumulated vast experience in working with video content, allowing you to provide video in maximum quality, based on such data as the Internet channel and browser capabilities listed above. This requires certain server technologies and communications. HTML5 is still a markup language and may not be able to cope with the tasks as well. Flash Player is not until the corresponding server technologies are created.

We should also talk about displaying video controls. If you use Flash Player, your video player will always look the same. If you create your own controls using HTML and CSS, you may encounter the problem that they will look different in different browsers. It's no secret that CSS has certain problems in different browser / OS combinations. For example, you have Opera, Chrome, IE, Safari, Firefox. They are mainly used on 3-10 different operating systems. Yes, there are about 5 subversions of both the browser and the OS. That is, roughly speaking, we have 5 * 10 * 5 * 5 = 1,250 combinations, where you need to check how our CSS works. Yes, still do not forget about IE6. So not everything is so smooth. If you're interested, I wrote about it in my blog .

How will the development of Flash / HTML5 in the direction of mobile development?

Dwayne: I think it will develop in the same way as on the Internet as a whole. Adobe gives developers the choice to use the tools that they prefer. The Flash platform is certainly of interest for mobile development and the only hindrance to this is that it does not work on iOS devices.

In any case, the choice is up to the consumer. Millennial Media recently released data that Android-based phones accounted for 46% of advertising traffic on their network , while Apple's devices only 32%. Android devices that already support Flash from version 2.2 are the second most popular and will become even more popular .

The tablet market is also developing. The company Research in Motion (RIM), whose devices support both HTML5 and Flash Player, is actively growing in this direction, despite Apple's leadership in this area.

And finally, the Adobe strategy is to give the developer a choice. We love Flash and we love HTML.