HTML Introduction
HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup
language used to create web pages. It’s a combination of
Hypertext, which defines the link between web pages, and
Markup language, which is used to define the text document
within tags to structure web pages. This language is used to
annotate text so that machines can understand and manipulate it
accordingly. HTML is human-readable and uses tags to define
what manipulation has to be done on the text. This guide will help
you understand the workings of HTML and explain it with
examples.
What is HTML?
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language and it is used to
create webpages. It uses HTML tags and attributes to describe
the structure and formatting of a web page.
HTML consists of various elements, that are responsible for telling
search engines how to display page content. For example,
headings, lists, images, links, and more.
HTML Example
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>First HTML Code</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Welcome To GFG</h2>
<p>Hello Geeks</p>
</body>
</html>
Features of HTML
It is easy to learn and easy to use.
It is platform-independent.
Images, videos, and audio can be added to a web page.
Hypertext can be added to the text.
It is a markup language.
HTML Elements and Tags
HTML uses predefined tags and elements that instruct the
browser on how to display the content. HTML elements include an
opening tag, some content, and a closing tag. It’s important to
remember to include closing tags. If omitted, the browser applies
the effect of the opening tag until the end of the page.
This section will dive into the basic structure of an HTML page,
which includes essential building-block elements like doctype
declaration, HTML, head, title, and body elements.
HTML Page Structure
The basic structure of an HTML page is shown below. It contains
the essential building-block elements (i.e. doctype declaration,
HTML, head, title, and body elements) upon which all web pages
are created.
<!DOCTYPE html> – This is the document type
declaration (not technically a tag). It declares a document
as being an HTML document. The doctype declaration is
not case-sensitive.
<html> – This is called the HTML root element. All other
elements are contained within it.
<head> – The head tag contains the “behind the scenes”
elements for a webpage. Elements within the head aren’t
visible on the front end of a webpage. HTML elements
used inside the <head> element include:
<style> – This HTML tag allows us to insert styling into
our web pages and make them appealing to look at with
the help of CSS.
<title> – The title is what is displayed on the top of your
browser when you visit a website and contains the title of
the webpage that you are viewing.
<base> – It specifies the base URL for all relative URL’s
in a document.
<noscript> – Defines a section of HTML that is inserted
when the scripting has been turned off in the user’s
browser.
<script> – This tag is used to add functionality to the
website with the help of JavaScript.
<meta> – This tag encloses the metadata of the website
that must be loaded every time the website is visited. For
eg:- the metadata charset allows you to use the standard
UTF-8 encoding on your website. This in turn allows the
users to view your webpage in the language of their
choice. It is a self-closing tag.
<link> – The ‘link’ tag is used to tie together HTML, CSS,
and JavaScript. It is self-closing.
<body> – The body tag is used to enclose all the visible
content of a webpage. In other words, the body content is
what the browser will show on the front end.
An HTML document can be created using an HTML text editor.
Save the text file using the “.html” or “.htm” extension. Once
saved as an HTML document, the file can be opened as a
webpage in the browser.
Note: Basic/built-in text editors are Notepad
(Windows) and TextEdit (MacOS). Other advanced text editors
include Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, Froala, etc.
Example
This example illustrates the basic structure of HTML code.
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<!--The above meta characteristics make a website
compatible with different devices. -->
<title>Demo Web Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>GeeksforGeeks</h1>
<p>A computer science portal for geeks</p>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Web Browsers
Unlike other programming languages, HTML does not show output
on the compiler.
Web browsers show the results of an HTML code. It reads HTML
files and determines how to show content with the help of HTML
tags.
Any web browser (Google, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc) can be
used to open a . HTML file and view the results.
Why learn HTML?
It is a simple markup language. Its implementation is
easy.
It is used to create a website.
Helps in developing fundamentals about web
programming.
Boost professional career.
HTML History
HTML is a markup language used by the browser to manipulate
text, images, and other content, in order to display it in the
required format. HTML was created by Tim Berners-Lee in
1991. The first-ever version of HTML was HTML 1.0, but the first
standard version was HTML 2.0, published in 1995.
Currently, we are using HTML5, which is the latest and most
recent version of HTML.
Advantages of HTML
HTML is used to build websites.
It is supported by all browsers.
It can be integrated with other languages
like CSS, JavaScript, etc.
Disadvantages of HTML
HTML can only create static web pages. For dynamic web
pages, other languages have to be used.
A large amount of code has to be written to create a
simple web page.
The security feature is not good.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mastering HTML is a fundamental step in your web
development journey. This guide serves as a comprehensive
resource for understanding HTML, from the basics to more
advanced topics. Remember, HTML is more than just a markup
language – it’s a powerful tool for creating engaging, accessible,
and SEO-friendly websites.
To learn more about HTML, visit the HTML Tutorial Page.
Master The Art of Web Development with Full Stack Web
Development
Frequently Asked Questions about HTML
Introduction
What are the basics of HTML?
HTML basics include understanding the syntax, elements/tags,
attributes, structure and formatting of HTML file.
What are the 5 uses of HTML?
5 key uses of HTML are:
Creating web page.
Integrating CSS and JavaScript
Accessing web content
Semantic markup
Cross-platform compatibility
What is HTML syntax?
HTML syntax means the set of rules and regulation that defines
how HTML code is structured and written.
What is the main concept of HTML?
HTML is a global markup language for web. You can create any a
webpage using HTML and any browser can open that HTML file.