How to detect HTML 5 compatibility in browser

Question

What is the best way to detect browser compatibility for HTML 5 syntax? And prompt the user if the browser is not compatible?

I understand the tutorial which shows h

Answer 1

This works on IE 11 (and hopefully other browsers too).

// Detect HTML v5 compatibility
var isHtml5Compatible = document.createElement('canvas').getContext != undefined;

It's a take from Clement's answer and the link from Shivan (http://diveintohtml5.info/detect.html). Clement's answer didn't work in IE 11.

In my case I use jQuery UI for everything so don't need Modernizr (also it seemed slower). Reading the rather negative "How to use Modernizr" blog comments supports this assumption.

But now jQuery have split browser compatibility between v1 and v2 development streams, its necessary for people wanting to support non-HTML v5 browsers to load EITHER the v1 or v2 jQuery core script at the start. So this "one liner" HTML v5 detection is perfect. Here's how I load jQuery properly using the result:

// Use jQuery v2 for HTML v5 browsers else v1 to support old browsers
var jQueryScriptPath = (isHtml5Compatible)
    ? "/Scripts/jquery-2.0.3.js"
    : "/Scripts/jquery-1.10.2.js";
document.writeln("