The latest version of Modernizr 2.6 has been recently released with a number of included features. Modernizr is a popular JavaScript library for HTML5 or CSS3 that helps in finding out whether a particular feature is there in a browser or not. While detecting browser features, the results include creating Java-script object which are shown as properties on global object and also as classes on the HTML element. These classes while also being added to HTML elements allow to key in or embed the CSS. A number of major new players on the web are now interested in the JavaScript library from modernizr.
Features
The new design for the Modernizr platform has led the core development focus from the community to enable the detections for 40 or more essential detects. The detects for the modernizr includes CSS filters, CSS regions, Scope Styles and others. Existing detects like Geolocation enable to find whether a native location support is available for a browser and can be shared with the trusted websites.
Being open source and supporting a range of web designs for different user experiences based upon the capabilities of a web browser, Modernizr 2.6 is the one for designers. Modernizr already has other styling elements for Internet Explorer made from HTML5 for improved semantics. The new release version 2.6 is also a close reflection of what is included as a progressive enhancement for building the website with JavaScript free foundation while adding the other layers.
Functions
Modernizr as the new library of detects is an improvement over the earlier technique of ‘UA sniffing practice’ detecting browser with user configuration property and is more reliable with following capabilities-:
● For over 40 next generation features, tests are conducted within a matter of milliseconds.
● Results of the tests are provided under Boolean properties.
● Classes of the HTML element clarify precisely what features are and are not supported by the modernizr library.
● Script loader that can pull ‘polyfills’(downloadable code or script which provides facilities that are not built-in to a web browser) to backfill their functionality for old browsers.
Extended Techniques
Modernizr detects from the property of a Flexbox update from the Flexbox legacy. This property includes different positioning elements and checks for shortcoming from it’s float-based layout feature. From the next property for WebGL test, a lesser reliability is therefore measured. This property for WebGL includes inadequate graphics memory or the GPU leading to a lesser detection. Other detections for modernizr features include the font face, background size, border image, border radius and box shadow. Few other features for detections include the methods from using the following – Modernizr. prefixed(), media query testing(), extensibility, testStyles and testProp(), testAllProps(), hasEvent() and _prefixes; _domPrefixes.
Modernizr detections for every HTML5 elements includes a polyfill feature and in most of the issues an HTML5 or CSS3 feature can be easily replicated for non-supporting browsers. A number of other detections and for authoring side features could be the next part of the release, more importantly for CSS.
Conclusion
The latest released version 2.6 for Modernizr detecting features for HTML5 or CSS3 is now considered as the important part to a web designer’s toolkit. The modernizr quickly and reliably discerns whether the feature is implemented natively (without external support). Modernizr with these new features ensures browsers have an easier and reliable method to control situation for actual feature detections. Standardizing the detecting feature from Modernizr, is now an important criterion from fast web design development. This helps the browser to return something sensible while browsers that may not understand the Modernizr test return nothing or undefined. A fast and growing pace of web development would need consistent implementations while also gaining compatibility for better edge case features.
