HTML 5 Draft Recommendation — 7 July 2008

Abstract
This specification evolves HTML and its related APIs to ease the authoring of Web-based
applications. Additions include the context menus, a direct-mode graphics canvas, inline popup
windows, and server-sent events. Heavy emphasis is placed on keeping the language backwards
compatible with existing legacy user agents and on keeping user agents backwards compatible
with existing legacy documents.

Status of this document

This is a work in progress! This document is changing on a daily if not hourly basis in
response to comments and as a general part of its development process. Comments are very
welcome, please send them to whatwg@whatwg.org. Thank you.
The current focus is in responding to the outstanding feedback. (There is a chart showing current
progress.)
Implementors should be aware that this specification is not stable. Implementors who are not
taking part in the discussions are likely to find the specification changing out from
under them in incompatible ways. Vendors interested in implementing this specification
before it eventually reaches the call for implementations should join the WHATWG mailing list
and take part in the discussions.
This specification is also being produced by the W3C HTML WG. The two specifications are
identical from the table of contents onwards.
This specification is intended to replace (be the new version of) what was previously the HTML4,
XHTML 1.x, and DOM2 HTML specifications.
Stability