Articles by Mike Robinson

Let’s Talk about Semantics

It’s time we had “the talk”. I could get you a book or recommend some sites from Dr Mike’s special bookmarks folder, but the best way to make sure you get the right idea is to do it myself. I’m talking about HTML semantics. Understanding the thinking behind the naming of elements will help your markup shine.

HTML5 Doctor Drop-In Clinic

Got an itch? A problem that’s slowing you down? Need someone to answer your question? If email just doesn’t quite patch you up, you should stop by the HTML5 Doctor IRC channel.

Pushing and Popping with the History API

Until recently, we developers couldn’t to do much with the state and history of the browser. We could check the number of items in the history and push users forwards and backwards, but this provides little benefit to the user. With the rise of more dynamic web pages, we need more control. Thankfully, HTML5 gives […]

Document Outlines

Document outlines have changed a bit in HTML5. For a start, they’re actually in the spec! The HTML5 Doctor is here to explain what document outlines are, how to make good ones, and why you should care.

Go offline with application cache

HTML5 introduces new methods for enabling a web site or web application to function without a network connection. When you’re working on a mobile connection and your signal drops, or you just have no connection to the internet for whatever reason, having some level of access is better than nothing. In this article, we’ll look at how the application cache can store resources to be used by the browser when it’s offline, granting your users partial access to your web site or application.

You can still use div

“Sorry, can you say that again?”, I hear you ask. Certainly: you can still use <div>! Despite HTML5 bringing us new elements like <article>, <section>, and <aside>, the <div> element still has its place. Let the HTML5 Doctor tell you why.

The dl element

The <dl> element existed in HTML 4, but it’s been repurposed in HTML5. Let the Doctor explain what’s changed and how it can be used.

HTML5 Doctor Speaking and Training Appearances

Even after slaving away at the web’s operating table, the HTML5 Doctors still find time to speak about HTML5 at industry events. We’d like to make sure you don’t miss out on future chances to see the doctors in action.

Aside Revisited

Since the HTML5 specification is not yet final, we can expect changes to improve on the good bits and cut out the bad bits. aside — a misunderstood good bit — has now been tweaked based on feedback from the web development community. In this article, we’ll take a look at what’s changed.

Draw attention with mark

Other than allowing Mark’s everywhere to rejoice that they have an element that shares their name, HTML 5 introduces mark as a way to highlight text to indicate its relevance to the user. Read on as we tally up the uses of this new element.