HTML

As technology and computer science become increasingly more prominent and essential in our everyday lives, it is vital to understand the basics of coding languages. HTML is a foundational coding language used to create documents on the World Wide Web.

In this article, we will discuss what HTML is and why it is important to know the basics of this coding language. We will also discuss some of the basics of HTML and how it can be used to design websites. By the end, you should better understand the basics of HTML.

What Is HTML Used for?

HTML is the abbreviation for “Hypertext Markup Language”. It falls within the category of computer languages, though it is not a programming language.

This may seem a little confusing, but the difference between HTML and a programming language is that HTML is simply used for creating and organizing website content and applications. Because of its limited features, website developers use HTML alongside CSS and JavaScript to deliver a fully functioning website. 

Apart from web development, it is used for emails. To be more specific, Gmail uses HTML by default. This is why you can use italic, bold, and underlined features and other fonts rather than the plain text format. Email service providers other than Gmail offer these options as well.

How to Define HTML?

HTML files do not require any special software or application. You can create and edit them in basic text editors like Microsoft Word or Notepad. However, adding the .html or .htm file extension is essential when saving an HTML document. Once you finish your document, you can view it using any web browser.

The core characteristic is the use of tags. Tags are the building blocks of HTML and are recognized as keywords that determine the text format affected by that tag.

There are two basic types of tags. Opening tags <tag> is embedded in angle brackets “<” and “>”, while closing tags </tag> have the addition of a forward-slash “/”. The text between an opening tag and its corresponding closing tag is affected by that tag. 

For instance, the tags <h1> and</h1> classify the text between them as “Heading 1”. An opening tag, a closing tag, and the text between them make up one element.

Along with tags, attributes assign additional values to an element. Attributes are inserted in the opening tag and are used for various purposes. For example, an image has to contain its source (src) and alternative information (alt). It can additionally contain attributes for height and width. In practice, the use of these attributes in an image tag would look like this:

<img src=”image.jpg” alt=”image” width=”500” height=”500”>

Unlike paragraph or header tags, the image tag does not need a closing tag. As you can see, there are four attributes in total in this tag, and they all assign specific values to the image.

Different attributes can be applied to various elements. In particular, hyperlinks can have the “nofollow” attribute assigned to them, thus making nofollow links.

This brings us to a feature of this language that is very important for SEO: hypertext. In the SEO world, hypertext is also called “anchor text”. Either way, this type of text is easily recognizable. It is clickable, usually highlighted in blue, and sometimes underlined (e.g., link or link).

It is crucial for SEO because hypertext enables linking between web pages and different pieces of content. In fact, even Microsoft Office programs like Excel, PowerPoint, and Word recognize hyperlinks. 

What Makes HTML Important?

HMTL is a valuable component that supports the structure and content of web pages. HTML is used to add text, images, audio, video, and other elements to a webpage, making it a powerful tool for creating engaging web pages. It also provides a way to create responsive and interactive web pages, allowing users to interact with the content of a web page.

Website SEO optimization 

HTML is a crucial component of search engine optimization, as it helps to determine how a page is indexed and ranked by search engines. HTML is versatile, easy to learn and understand, and can be used to create various web pages. For web developers, HTML is an essential tool for creating a successful website.

What Is The Basic Structure of an HTML Page?

Although numerous distinct options exist for organizing a web page, some basic HTML structure must be created. In other words, virtually all HTML documents must include a set order of specific tags.

First, an HTML document must start with <html> and end with </html> to be classified as HTML. Next, the core elements are the head and body. The head tag marks the title of your web page, metadata, and other information. Headings, paragraphs, and other content of your web page are included in the body. The most basic HTML document would look like this:

Remember that this example represents the bare minimum and is used for illustration purposes only. You will hardly stumble upon a web page with this kind of sample.

Can I Teach Myself HTML?

HTML is probably the easiest computer language that you can learn independently. Still, this does not mean you will achieve the desired competence just by trial and error. You will need some learning material and a lot of practice.

Fortunately enough, there are many ways you can learn HTML online. To start, you can check out the HTML Essential Training on LinkedIn; it does cost a bit, but the course has many valuable insights. If you want to learn more, visiting w3schools.com would be the place to go.

There, you can quickly get the hang of the basics. In addition, you can watch YouTube tutorials both for elementary and advanced use. Nevertheless, taking an online course is always a no-brainer if you want to develop your HTML skills.

The Bottom Line 

HTML is one of the most critical technologies for creating web pages and applications. It is a markup language that helps structure and display content on a page. HTML is also the foundation for other web technologies, such as CSS and JavaScript.

We have described the fundamentals of HTML and the basic structure of an HTML page. With all this knowledge and information, it’s up to you now to determine if learning more about HTML is the right step to take on your web development journey.