INTRODUCTION TO HTML:
HTML (HyperText 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 series of elements or "tags" that tell the web browser how to display the content.
Key Features of HTML:
Markup Language: HTML is not a programming language but a markup language. It uses tags to define elements on a webpage, such as headings, paragraphs, links, images, and more.
Elements and Tags: HTML documents are made up of elements that are enclosed in tags. These tags are written in angle brackets, like
<tagname>
. For example,<p>
is a tag used to define a paragraph.- Opening tag:
<tagname>
- Closing tag:
</tagname>
- Some tags are self-closing, like
<img />
for images.
- Opening tag:
Structure of an HTML Document: A typical HTML document has a basic structure:
html<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>Page Title</title> </head> <body> <h1>Welcome to My Website</h1> <p>This is a paragraph of text.</p> </body> </html>
<!DOCTYPE html>
: Declares the document type and version of HTML.<html>
: The root element that wraps the entire HTML document.<head>
: Contains meta-information about the document (like the title or links to stylesheets).<body>
: Contains the content of the webpage that users see.
Common HTML Tags:
<h1>
to<h6>
: Headings, with<h1>
being the largest and most important.<p>
: Paragraph, used for blocks of text.<a>
: Anchor tag, used to create hyperlinks.<img>
: Used to embed images in the page.<ul>
,<ol>
,<li>
: Lists, with<ul>
for unordered lists (bullets) and<ol>
for ordered lists (numbers).<div>
and<span>
: Generic containers used to group elements for styling or layout purposes.
Attributes: HTML elements can have attributes that provide additional information or control the behavior of the element. For example, the
href
attribute in the<a>
tag specifies the destination of a link.Example:
html<a href="https://www.example.com">Visit Example</a>
Nesting Elements: HTML elements can be nested inside other elements to create a more complex structure. For example, a list item (
<li>
) can be nested inside an unordered list (<ul>
).
Importance of HTML:
- Foundation of Web Development: HTML is the fundamental building block for web pages. Without HTML, browsers would have no content to display.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Proper use of HTML tags helps search engines understand and index your content.
- Accessibility: HTML tags provide structure and meaning, making it easier for users with disabilities to navigate websites.
Conclusion:
HTML is a crucial part of web development, providing the framework for presenting content on the internet. It works alongside other technologies like CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for styling and JavaScript for interactivity, enabling developers to create fully functional websites.