Introduction
HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the foundational language used to create and design documents on the World Wide Web. It is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. HTML describes the structure of a webpage using elements and tags, allowing browsers to display text, images, and other multimedia content correctly.
What is HTML?
HTML is a markup language that structures content on the web. It uses a series of elements and tags to enclose different parts of the content to make it appear or behave in a certain way. Tags can create headings, paragraphs, links, images, tables, lists, and much more.
Basic Structure of an HTML Document
An HTML document has a basic structure that includes several key elements:
<!DOCTYPE html>
: This declaration defines the document type and version of HTML being used.<html>
: This is the root element that encompasses all other HTML elements.<head>
: This element contains meta-information about the document, such as its title and links to CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) or JavaScript files.<title>
: This sets the title of the webpage, which appears in the browser’s title bar or tab.<body>
: This element contains the content of the HTML document, which is displayed in the web browser.
Here’s a basic example of an HTML document:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=”en”>
<head>
<meta charset=”UTF-8″>
<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0″>
<title>Basic HTML Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to My Website</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph of text on my webpage.</p>
</body>
</html>
HTML Elements and Tags
HTML elements are the building blocks of HTML documents. They are defined using tags, which are enclosed in angle brackets (< >
). Tags usually come in pairs: an opening tag and a closing tag. The closing tag has a forward slash (/
) before the tag name.
For example, a paragraph element is defined with <p>
and </p>
:
Conclusion
HTML is the essential language for creating web pages and applications. Understanding its basic structure, elements, and tags is crucial for anyone looking to develop or design websites. With the knowledge of semantic HTML and responsive web design, you can create modern, accessible, and mobile-friendly web pages. The examples provided should give you a solid foundation to start building your HTML documents and explore more advanced web development concepts.