Does HTML5 mean doing less with JavaScript?

Question

Will browsers that use HTML5 use less JavaScript, jQuery, etc. and make things like animations done with just HTML? Will it make Flash less necessary for “smooth” graphics?

In other words, I won’t lose anything by taking the time to learn jQuery since HTML5 is here, will I?

Answer 1

In some specific places, yup:

• The autofocus attribute is specifically designed to replace a common JavaScript pattern
• CSS3 animations can replace JavaScript animations, so if we’re talking about HTML5 in the expanded Apple sense of the word, yup

But in general, I can’t see HTML5 diminishing the usefulness of JavaScript, nor frameworks like jQuery, one bit. Given that HTML’s development is constrained by browser releases, the best it can do provide markup alternatives to a few very common scripting patterns. Scripting is useful because it lets you do anything you can imagine, including things specific to the project you’re working on.

So learn away.

Answer 2

Well, it potentially can mean quite a lot more scripting. For example, where before you might have stuck a flash object into your page to display a chart or graph, that graphic might now be done using javascript drawing to a canvas. Overall I dont see the use of client side scripting decreasing, but rather increasing as web 'pages' become more and more complex. HTML5 will just provide even more possibilities.