Flash has been a long-standing industry favorite among software developers, but the relatively new HTML5 is gaining popularity for its versatility in the increasingly mobile platform marketplace. So the question needs to be asked: which framework reigns in the programming world?

Flash has built a solid base of developers and users since its release in 1996. According to Adobe, by 2010 Flash was used almost exclusively for integrating graphics and playing audio and video on web pages. Developers have become very familiar with the functionality of Flash, making it ideal for problem solving. With the advent of Flash , even more options have been made available to customize programming. For example, the complexity involved with creating social media networks has made Flash the programming mode of choice.

For users, Flash has also become the plug-in of choice. Adobe states that Flash is installed on as many as 98% of desktop and laptop computers worldwide. However, while Flash continues to be prominently used by desktop operating systems, gaming systems, and most web browsers, Apple has not enabled Flash to run on iOS, thereby limiting the functionality of Flash on the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and AppleTV. The constraints of Flash also become more obvious with other mobile platforms. Flash is not being updated as often as HTML5, and there is currently no strategy to advance the use of Flash on mobile applications. Adobe has announced that it will not be issuing Flash support for Android 5.0, RIM or GoogleTV. Mobile browsers and platforms is the niche market where HTML5 will thrive.

HTML5 will be the language used on Windows 8, Adobe, iOS and most mobile platforms. Many updated browsers have begun to experiment with HTML5, along with some video sites like YouTube, Vimeo and blip.tv. But HTML5 is still very much in its infancy, and there are few experts on this new programming language. HTML5 represents a new direction that requires new skills; there are not many developers who can confidently program using HTML5. The developers at Svitla are quickly gaining proficiency with HTML5 and are currently using it to create digital portfolios for students. They have opted for HTML5 over Flash because of its versatility to go mobile.

Despite the trending toward mobile devices, Flash will always retain its usefulness among developers for its familiarity, and it will remain the standard for traditional stand-alone desktop applications. But when it comes to creating tools for mobile platforms, Flash is limited and HTML5 is the language of choice. The winner? You decide!