What is HTML
HTML, or Hyper Text Markup Language, is the standard language used to create and structure content on the web. It defines the structure of web pages by using a system of elements or tags, which can be used to organize and display text, images, links, and other content.
Key Components of HTML:
Elements and Tags:
- HTML documents are made up of elements, which are defined by tags. A tag is a keyword enclosed in angle brackets, like
<p>for a paragraph or<h1>for a heading. - Most HTML elements have an opening tag (e.g.,
<p>) and a closing tag (e.g.,</p>), with content in between.
- HTML documents are made up of elements, which are defined by tags. A tag is a keyword enclosed in angle brackets, like
Attributes:
- Tags can have attributes that provide additional information about the element. Attributes are specified within the opening tag, usually as name-value pairs.
- Example:
<a href="https://example.com">Visit Example.com</a>hrefis an attribute of the<a>tag, defining the link's destination.
Document Structure:
- A basic HTML document has a specific structure, typically including the following:
<!DOCTYPE html>: Declares the document type and version of HTML.<html>: The root element that contains all other elements.<head>: Contains meta-information about the document, such as its title, character encoding, and links to stylesheets.<body>: Contains the content that will be displayed on the webpage, such as text, images, and links.
- A basic HTML document has a specific structure, typically including the following:
Semantic HTML:
- Semantic HTML refers to the use of HTML elements that convey meaning about the content they contain. For example,
<header>,<footer>,<article>, and<section>elements provide structure and context to web pages, making them easier to understand and navigate.
- Semantic HTML refers to the use of HTML elements that convey meaning about the content they contain. For example,
Forms and Inputs:
- HTML forms allow users to submit data to a server. The
<form>element typically contains input elements like<input>,<textarea>,<select>, and<button>, each serving different types of user input.
- HTML forms allow users to submit data to a server. The
Example of a Basic HTML Document:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>My First HTML Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to My Webpage</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph of text on my webpage.</p>
<a href="https://example.com">Click here to visit Example.com</a>
</body>
</html>How HTML Works:
- Browsers: Web browsers (like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari) read HTML files and render them as visual web pages. The structure and elements defined in the HTML guide the browser in displaying text, images, and other content in a certain way.
- Links: HTML uses hyperlinks (created with the
<a>tag) to connect different web pages and resources, forming the interconnected structure known as the World Wide Web. - Styles and Scripts: HTML can be combined with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to control the appearance of the content, and JavaScript to add interactivity.