What is HTML?
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is the standard markup language used for creating web pages and applications. HTML provides a set of tags and elements that define the structure and content of a web page. These tags are used to mark up different parts of the content, such as headings, paragraphs, images, links, forms, and more.
HTML uses a hierarchical structure, known as the Document Object Model (DOM), to organize the elements on a web page. Each HTML tag serves a specific purpose and has its own attributes that define various characteristics and behaviors of the associated content.
When a web browser interprets an HTML document, it renders the elements according to their tags and displays the formatted content to the user. HTML works in conjunction with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and JavaScript to create visually appealing and interactive web pages.
In summary, HTML is the foundation of web development, responsible for structuring and presenting content on the World Wide Web.
History of HTML:
HTML has a rich history that dates back to the early days of the World Wide Web. Here's a brief overview of the key milestones in the history of HTML:
HTML 1.0 (1991): The first version of HTML was created by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, along with his team. It provided basic formatting elements like headings, paragraphs, lists, and hypertext links.
HTML 2.0 (1995): This version introduced new features such as tables, image support, and form elements. It was the first HTML version to gain significant adoption and was supported by various web browsers of the time.
HTML 3.2 (1997): HTML 3.2 introduced additional elements, including frames for creating multi-section web pages, and support for background images and text formatting. This version marked the beginning of web standards development.
HTML 4.01 (1999): HTML 4.01 brought improvements to web page structure and added new elements like semantic headers, navigation, and multimedia embedding. It also introduced the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for styling web pages.
XHTML (2000): XHTML, which stands for Extensible Hypertext Markup Language, was introduced as a reformulation of HTML 4.01 using the stricter syntax of XML. XHTML aimed to improve the interoperability of web content with XML-based technologies.
HTML5 (2014): HTML5 represented a significant milestone in the evolution of HTML. It introduced numerous new features and APIs, including video and audio elements, a canvas for drawing graphics, local storage, and geolocation. It also focused on improving accessibility, semantics, and compatibility across different devices.
HTML Living Standard (Ongoing): Rather than releasing new versions, HTML is now being developed as a "living standard." This means that the specification is continuously updated and maintained with new features and improvements, ensuring the ongoing evolution of HTML.
It's important to note that HTML is a standard governed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which is responsible for developing and maintaining web standards. Additionally, browser vendors play a crucial role in implementing and supporting HTML specifications in their respective browsers.
Basic HTML program
Here's a simple example of a basic HTML program that you can use as a starting point:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My First HTML Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello, World!</h1>
<p>This is my first HTML program.</p>
</body>
</html>
Let's break it down:
The
<!DOCTYPE html>declaration is the document type declaration and specifies that you're using HTML5.The
<html>element is the root element of an HTML document.The
<head>element contains meta-information about the document, such as the title that appears in the browser's title bar.The
<title>element sets the title of the web page.The
<body>element contains the visible content of the web page.The
<h1>element defines a heading level 1 and displays "Hello, World!" as the heading text.The
<p>element defines a paragraph and contains the text "This is my first HTML program."
You can save this code in a file with a .html extension (e.g., index.html) and open it in a web browser to see the rendered output. The browser will display the heading and paragraph as specified in the HTML code.