Web technology reference

Core Web technologies

Basics

HTML

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is used to describe and define the content of a webpage.

CSS

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are used to describe the appearance or presentation of content on a webpage.

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is used to deliver HTML and other hypermedia documents on the web.

Scripting

JavaScript

JavaScript is the programming language that runs in your browser. You can use it to add interactivity and other dynamic features to your website or application.

With the advent of Node.js, you can also run JavaScript on the server.

Web APIs

Web Application Programming Interfaces (Web APIs) are used to perform a variety of tasks, such as manipulating the DOM, playing audio or video, or generating 3D graphics.

• The Web API interface reference lists all the object types you can use while developing for the web.
• The WebAPI page lists all the communication, hardware access, and other APIs you can use in web applications.
• The Event reference lists all the events you can use to track and react to interesting things that have taken place in your webpage or application.

Web Components

Web Components is a suite of different technologies allowing you to create reusable custom elements — with their functionality encapsulated away from the rest of your code — and utilize them in your web apps.

Graphics

Canvas

The <canvas> element provides APIs to draw 3D graphics using TextScript.

SVG

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) lets you use lines, curves, and other geometric shapes to render graphics. With vectors, you can create images that scale cleanly to any size.

WebGL

WebGL is a JavaScript API that lets you draw 3D or 2D graphics using the HTML <canvas> element. This technology lets you use standard OpenGL ES in Web content.

Audio, video, and multimedia

Web media technologies

A list of media-related APIs with links to the documentation you'll need for each.

Overview of media technology on the web

A general look at the open web technologies and APIs that provide support for audio and video playback, manipulation, and recording. If you're not sure which API you should use, this is the place to start.

Media capture and streams API

A reference for the API that makes it possible to stream, record, and manipulate media both locally and across a network. This includes using local cameras and microphones to capture video, audio, and still images.

Using HTML audio and video

Embedding video and/or audio in a web page and controlling its playback.

WebRTC

The RTC in WebRTC stands for Real-Time Communications, technology that enables audio/video streaming and data sharing between browser clients (peers).

Other

MathML

Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) lets you display complex mathematical equations and syntax.

XSLT

Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) let you convert XML documents into more human readable HTML.

EXSLT

Extra functions which provide additional features to XSLT.

XPath

XPath lets you select DOM nodes in a document using a more powerful syntax than what is currently provided by CSS selectors.

This page is meant to be the landing page for the "Web Platform Reference"; this would offer links to the landing pages for each of the APIs that comprise the Web platform (but would not itself have subpages).