views:

95

answers:

1

In HTML 5 is there any support for things which are really easy to do in Silverlight?

For example, ripping a file (chosen by the user) into an array of bytes that can be base64 encoded and passed up to a web service?

Or, creation/reading of an image and being able to manipulate the pixels and display this on screen? Or even save it to disk (location chosen by the user)?

If so, which browsers would support this and are the APIs consistent?

Thanks

+3  A: 

In HTML 5 is there any support for things which are really easy to do in Silverlight?

See this

For example, ripping a file (chosen by the user) into an array of bytes

Yes. See this

that can be base64 encoded

Google

and passed up to a web service?

XMLHttpRequest still works.

Or, creation/reading of an image and being able to manipulate the pixels and display this on screen?

Yes. Combine FileReader with canvas.

Or even save it to disk (location chosen by the user)?

Sorry, not possible. See this and this.

If so, which browsers would support this

I know Firefox does, but try this on other browsers. See what works and what doesn't.

and are the APIs consistent?

Yes. These are called standards for a reason.

Anurag
Thank you, very nice considered answer (except for the 'standards' bit which made me laugh out loud ;)!
ConfusedNoob
"The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from." Still, I agree with that bit. It -was- kinda funny.
Kawa
Thanks :). Standards do take a long time to develop compared to a proprietary solution, and speaking of standards, it's very difficult to get 5+ vendors to come to an absolute consensus on a 200+ page document, hence the discrepancies :). But that is also the nice thing about it as spec authors are forced to consider a variety of viewpoints before they finalize something. This back and forthing helps in creating a very good standard over time.
Anurag