Well, recently there has been a lot of discussion on the future of Flash or the web.
Just because some known websites and companies have chosen HTML5 as an alternative for their development.
I’d like to say this is not a biased statement, but I have to point out the pros and cons of each technology accordingly to my perspective and past experience.
First, I have coded, learned, failed and succeeded with both.
Back in the day I was so amused by the fact that we could code for visual purposes, at least for the web.
So, html came into play and it was fun understanding how all that could be wrapped with data and server-side processing.
From iframes to tables and later divs the language was evolving, slowly but forward.
And that is my point, it takes decades to something new get implemented in html, it took a long time to have a video tag!
Not to mention that html is an interpreted language, not compiled. It needs support form other technologies such as Javascript or back-end ones.
Now, the good part, it can be accessed from any browser, despite some incompatibilities, any app or device.
I am pretty sure that will evolve more in the short-term, new libraries and frameworks of all kinds will be more popular, useful and reliable.
On the other hand, Flash which is mistakenly know only as an animation program, or a way to “make annoying banners” for some (I am serious, I heard that so many time!s) is largely used for delivering digital content on the web, such as video (Youtube owes Flash a lot!), interactivity, 3d, etc.
From a basic prototyped language to a OOP version its language became a powerful resource for web development and adds that dynamic touch as if the webpage is another canvas itself.
There is a lot more to tell and discuss for both technologies, but to make my point clear, I am trying to say that both technologies are useful and there should be no need for such war. It reminds me of the Cold War, Coca-cola vs. Pepsi or Nike vs. Adidas, which means both sides, I mean both side supporters, are more concerned in attacking each other rather than providing better solutions for each technology.
When planes first came out, we didn’t loose cars, bikes or any other type of vehicles. Unfortunately, most people depend on cars more than anything else, but people support alternatives to that.
What about the user?Have we forgot it?To me this should all be about having a better experience on the web, whether it is done in Flash or HTML5. You also need a plug-in (runtime) for Java if you visit a webpage that contains Java apps or applets and still no one mentions that as a turn down for Java. Why do they do it for Flash?
Certainly, HTML5 will benefit the web and Flash use will decrease in the following years, but wouldn’t it be great if they both continue as the main technologies for front-end development? Who is the evil and the good guy here?
Behind this debate there are some many things we don’t know about it, corporations interested in increasing their profits and extinguishing competitors.
My advice for users is use both, don’t complain if it’s Flash the webpage you visit, you probably don’t know how much effort there is in order to bring you that information.
Also, don’t complain if that HTML5 site is killing your processor due to a canvas animation in the background. Eventually, you will have to choose one for certain apps, but don’t feel guilty in your decision, find a way to support both.
For developers, be aware of what’s going on, try them both, the more you understand both, the broader will be your options when it comes to use one technology for a specific project. You may like one more than the other, but coldly analyze what fits better your skills and needs for each app you work on.
Below is some good articles I read in the past few days. It’s more info for you to be wisely involved in this buzz.
Dan Mall post about the Cold War of the Web
Adobe Engineer explaining the nuances of Core Animation in Cocoa (MacOS)
