What Does "Deprecated" Mean?

 

What Does "Deprecated" Mean?

When a feature or element is marked as deprecated, it means that it is no longer recommended for use, and there are better, more efficient alternatives. Although <marquee> still works in some browsers for backward compatibility, it is not supported in newer versions of HTML and may eventually be removed from browsers entirely.

Why Was <marquee> Deprecated?

The <marquee> tag was considered outdated for several reasons:

• Accessibility: The scrolling text could be distracting or hard to read for users with disabilities.
• Poor User Experience: It often detracted from the overall design of a webpage and led to cluttered, hard-to-navigate sites.
• Lack of Control: The tag provided limited customization options, making it difficult to control the speed or behavior of the scrolling content.

Alternatives to <marquee>

Web developers now use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and JavaScript for more flexible and accessible ways to create animations, including scrolling effects. The CSS @keyframes rule and CSS animations offer greater control over the movement, timing, and design of the animations, while maintaining better performance and compatibility across devices and browsers.

For example, here’s how you can create a simple horizontal scrolling effect using CSS:

@keyframes marquee {
    0% { left: 100%; }
    100% { left: -100%; }
}

.marquee {
    position: absolute;
    white-space: nowrap;
    animation: marquee 10s linear infinite;
}

Conclusion

While the <marquee> tag may have been a fun addition to early web design, it has been deprecated in favor of more modern, accessible, and flexible alternatives. Web developers are encouraged to use CSS and JavaScript for animations, ensuring websites are not only visually appealing but also functional and user-friendly.