HTML, which stands for HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup language used for creating and structuring content on the World Wide Web. It is the foundation of all web pages and is used to define the structure, layout, and content of a webpage.
Definition:
HTML is a markup language that uses tags to define elements within a document. These tags tell web browsers how to display the content, such as headings, paragraphs, images, links, and more. HTML is not a programming language; it is a way to describe the structure and presentation of content on a webpage.History:
HTML was invented by Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, in 1990 while working at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). Berners-Lee created HTML as part of his vision for a global hypertext system, which later became known as the World Wide Web. The first version of HTML was released in 1991, and it has since undergone several revisions and updates to accommodate the growing needs of web developers and users.- Elements and Tags: HTML uses elements to define the structure and content of a webpage. Elements are represented by tags, which are enclosed in angle brackets (< >). Tags usually come in pairs, with an opening tag and a closing tag, and the content sits between them. For example, <p>This is a paragraph</p>.
- Attributes: Elements can have attributes that provide additional information about the element. Attributes are defined within the opening tag and consist of a name and a value. For example, <a href="https://www.example.com">Click here</a>, where "href" is the attribute name and "https://www.example.com" is the attribute value.
- Document Structure: An HTML document has a specific structure that includes the <!DOCTYPE html> declaration, <html>, <head>, and <body> tags. The <head> tag contains metadata about the document, such as the page title and links to CSS stylesheets, while the <body> tag contains the visible content of the webpage.
How it works:
When a user requests a webpage, the web browser sends a request to the web server, which then sends back the HTML document. The browser reads the HTML code and renders the webpage according to the instructions provided by the tags and attributes. The browser interprets the HTML elements and applies default styling, which can be further customized using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).As the browser parses the HTML document, it creates a Document Object Model (DOM), which is a hierarchical representation of the webpage. The DOM allows developers to manipulate the content and structure of the webpage using JavaScript.
HTML has evolved, and its latest version, HTML5, introduced new semantic elements, multimedia support, and APIs that enhance the functionality and interactivity of webpages.
In summary, HTML is the backbone of the World Wide Web, providing the structure and content of webpages. Its simplicity and versatility have made it an essential skill for web developers, and its continuous evolution has enabled the creation of dynamic and engaging websites.