HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the standard language used to create web pages. It forms the backbone of the web, allowing us to structure and present content online.
What is HTML?
HTML is a markup language, which means it uses tags to describe the structure of a web page. These tags tell the web browser how to display text, images, and other elements on a page.
Basic Structure of an HTML Document
An HTML document has a basic structure that includes several key components:
- Doctype Declaration: This tells the browser that the document is written in HTML5.htmlCopy code
<!DOCTYPE html> - HTML Element: The root element that contains all other elements on the page.htmlCopy code
<html> </html> - Head Element: Contains meta-information about the document, such as its title and links to stylesheets.htmlCopy code
<head> <title>My First Web Page</title> </head> - Body Element: Contains the content of the document, such as text, images, and links.htmlCopy code
<body> <h1>Welcome to My Web Page</h1> <p>This is a paragraph of text on my web page.</p> </body>
Common HTML Tags
Here are some common HTML tags you will encounter:
<h1>to<h6>: Header tags, used to define headings.<h1>is the largest, and<h6>is the smallest.<p>: Paragraph tag, used to define a block of text.<a href="URL">: Anchor tag, used to create links to other pages or resources.<img src="URL" alt="description">: Image tag, used to display images.<ul>,<ol>, and<li>: List tags, used to create unordered (bulleted) and ordered (numbered) lists.
Why HTML is Important
HTML is essential for creating web pages and web applications. It allows you to structure content in a way that is both readable by humans and interpretable by web browsers. Without HTML, the web as we know it would not exist.
Understanding HTML is the first step towards becoming proficient in web development. With its straightforward syntax and fundamental role in web creation, learning HTML will provide a strong foundation for exploring more advanced web technologies.
