Version 3.2 - Template revamp/modernization

[Ikadon]

Hello everyone!

So, as stated [url=", for IP.Board 3.2 there will be a major revamp of the style/skin/template/design (whatever else you wanna call it)

I'm now asking and/or suggesting that for the new style you make use of HTML5-markup that is backwards compatible!

What do I mean?

Well, we don't know how long it will take for HTML5 to become the real standard of web. IE7 and 8 don't support it, but many admins of different forums/projects say that IE7 and 8 are really important for them.

So instead of using HTML5 and locking out those users of older and outdated browsers one could use HTML5 for the markup and HTML4.1 for the older browser within one template!

An example of what I mean:

<header> <!-- HTML5 header tag -->

    	<div id="header_wrapper">


    		<h1><a class="link0" href="#">Our project's name</a></h1>


    		<nav> <!-- HTML5 navigation tag -->

                  <div id="navigation">

    			<ul>

    				<li><a class="link1" href="#">Link 1</a></li>

    				<li><a class="link2" href="#">Link 2</a></li>

    				<li><a class="link3" href="#">Link 3</a></li>

    				<li><a class="link4" href="#">Link 4</a></li>

    			</ul>

                  </div>

    		</nav>

    	</div>

</header>

<section>

  <div id="content">

  </div>

</section>


...

As you can see I used HTML 5 in combination with HTML 4.1. This is fully backwards compatible but adds two major points:

I) It was hinted that search-engines will - in the long run - use the new elements for indexing the sites.
II) When using the standard-skin of IPB it would be far easier for people to change it to their purpose.

What do you think?

Regards,
Ikadon

[Tom Christian]

Well, we don't know how long it will take for HTML5 to become the real standard of web. IE7 and 8 don't support it, but many admins of different forums/projects say that IE7 and 8 are really important for them.

There are ways of making HTML5 work in IE8.

Something I've used in previous projects: http://www.modernizr.com/

I do like your ideas. However, I highly doubt such drastic changes would be made for 3.2.

These sort of changes would most likely come in the next major release (4.0 I guess)

[Ikadon]

Well I donno how much of the style they wanna revamp. If they just replace some points here and there it may not be worth the costs, but if they go through the whole design they could easily implement those markups.

(Ya, with some js it does also work in other browser that don't officially support it!

http://net.tutsplus....ectly-even-ie6/ )

As always, it's just a suggestion :)

[Fishfish0001]

I doubt they would do that anyways, seems like it would be a lot of messy code because of that.

[bfarber]

We are not planning a major revamp or redesign of the skin. We are planning to modernize the skin that we already have. I don't think we are prepared to switch to HTML5 in 3.2, although we are certainly monitoring acceptance of HTML5 and browser trends to determine when it will be safe to do so without having to implement 1000 hacks for older browsers.

[TSilva]

HTML5 is such a long way off, we will probably already be using IPB 4.2

Btw, once HTML5 comes about, Microsoft will have released IE9 (not making it up, got it from a Microsoft presentation in a developer conference) and every other browser will be supporting it as well. I sure hope people wont still be using IE7 by then, just how at this moment nobody in their right mind shouldbe using IE6.

[bfarber]

I sure hope people wont still be using IE7 by then, just how at this moment nobody in their right mind shouldbe using IE6.

The problem is, they still do, regardless of whether it makes sense or not. ;)

[Fishfish0001]

But thats because people are still supporting IE6 & 7. If developers would just stop doing so, people might finally get the h8int that they are using a hunk-o-junk currently. I mean even Google is stopping support for IE 6.

[bfarber]

Yes, "stopping" support. They didn't drop support 3 years ago, or something, however.

We are also "stopping" support for IE6 in that it will be functional, but not necessarily pixel-perfect. The same will start with IE7 when IE9 is released.

I can appreciate your position, and honestly if it were simply that easy, we'd just drop support for the old versions and embrace all the new cool functionality that isn't supported on those old versions. The reality is, however, that we cater to many many different users - many corporate users, and users in other countries, where older browser versions are the norm, and we can't simply alienate half of our customer base so that we can use some new widget in HTML5 as soon as it's available.

[Matt Enloe]

You could make it optional to use though.

:)

[Fishfish0001]

Yes, "stopping" support. They didn't drop support 3 years ago, or something, however.

We are also "stopping" support for IE6 in that it will be functional, but not necessarily pixel-perfect. The same will start with IE7 when IE9 is released.

I can appreciate your position, and honestly if it were simply that easy, we'd just drop support for the old versions and embrace all the new cool functionality that isn't supported on those old versions. The reality is, however, that we cater to many many different users - many corporate users, and users in other countries, where older browser versions are the norm, and we can't simply alienate half of our customer base so that we can use some new widget in HTML5 as soon as it's available.

I think my reply was a bit blunt, I was just implying most companies, not specifically IPS. But thanks for the answer anyways :)