What is HTML?
HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup language used to create web pages. It provides the structure of a webpage, allowing developers to format text, embed images, and create links to other pages or resources.
The Structure of an HTML Document
An HTML document is made up of elements, which are defined by tags. These tags are enclosed in angle brackets. The basic structure includes:
- DOCTYPE Declaration: Specifies the HTML version being used.
- HTML Tag: The root element that contains all other HTML elements.
- Head Section: Contains meta-information about the document, such as the title and links to stylesheets.
- Body Section: Contains the content that is displayed on the webpage.
Basic HTML Tags
Here are some commonly used HTML tags:
- <h1> to <h6>: Header tags that define headings, with <h1> being the highest level and <h6> the lowest.
- <p>: Paragraph tag used to define blocks of text.
- <a>: Anchor tag used to create hyperlinks.
- <img>: Image tag used to embed images in a webpage.
- <div>: Division tag used for grouping and organizing content.
Creating Your First HTML Page
To create a simple HTML page, follow these steps:
- Open a text editor (like Notepad or VSCode).
- Type the following code:
- Save the file with a .html extension (e.g., myfirstpage.html).
- Open the file in a web browser to see your webpage.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My First HTML Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello, World!</h1>
<p>This is my first web page.</p>
</body>
</html>
Conclusion
HTML is the foundation of web design and development. Understanding its structure and basic tags is essential for anyone looking to create web content. As you dive deeper into web development, you’ll encounter additional technologies like CSS and JavaScript that enhance the functionality and design of HTML pages.
