Today’s web technologies are evolving at near–light speed, bringing the promise of a seamless Internet ever closer to reality. When users can browse the Web on a three-inch phone screen as easily as on a fifty-inch HDTV, what’s a developer to do?

Peter Gasston’s The Modern Web will guide you through the latest and most important tools of device-agnostic web development, including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. His plain-English explanations and practical examples emphasize the techniques, principles, and practices that you’ll need to easily transcend individual browser quirks and stay relevant as these technologies are updated.

Learn how to:

• Plan your content so that it displays fluidly across multiple devices
• Design websites to interact with devices using the most up-to-date APIs, including Geolocation, Orientation, and Web Storage
• Incorporate cross-platform audio and video without using troublesome plug-ins
• Make images and graphics scalable on high-resolution devices with SVG
• Use powerful HTML5 elements to design better forms

Turn outdated websites into flexible, user-friendly ones that take full advantage of the unique capabilities of any device or browser. With the help of The Modern Web, you’ll be ready to navigate the front lines of device-independent development.

From the Author: Top 5 HTML5 Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

1. Geolocation API

Allows you to ask a website visitor for their current geographical location, which can be vital for certain online services.

2. Streams API

Gives you live access to modern, web-connected devices that have cameras and microphones.

3. Battery API

Shows the status of visitors’ device battery levels, letting you prompt them to save data when levels are low.

4. Network Information API

Monitors the network status of a device. If connection strength is low, you can postpone downloading large files.

5. Web Storage API

Makes your site accessible even when a user's device is offline. You can hold copies of files locally, removing the need for internet connection.

About the Author

Peter Gasston has been a web developer for more than 12 years in both agency and corporate settings. The author of The Book of CSS3, Gasston has also been published in Smashing Magazine, A List Apart, and .net magazine. He runs the web development blog Broken Links (http://broken-links.com/) and lives in London, England.