HTML
People use this tool to interpret and represent text, images, videos, audio, and other media for web pages. Usually, it is for creating the structure of a website, meanwhile, other tools like CSS, for example, function to improve a site's appearance or JavaScript that can help add interactivity. Together, they can create a website that you often find on the internet.
The word “Hypertext” in HTML means the links between pages of content on the web. You can access it when you click on that link. Moreover, “Markup” refers to the method of annotation on how you display text, images, and other content on the page. It includes elements like, <head>, <title>, <body>, <video>, <ul>, <li>, and many more.
The history behind HTML
The first person who was able to figure out this system was a physicist named Tim Berners-Lee in 1990. He was a nuclear researcher, looking for a way to share documents with other people. With that in mind, he developed HTML, which became the basis of the World Wide Web.
His findings allowed people to create and design web pages using elements like paragraphs, headings, links, quotes, and images. Now, it is known as a “front-end” technology in the web development field. You can add, edit, and delete things to customise your public site according to your taste and requirements.
Is HTML a programming language?
The answer is no, it is different from programming or coding languages. The name, Hypertext Markup Language, already shows it’s a markup language. It is for creating and structuring content on the web. Naturally, it does not have logic or control flow capabilities, so it can’t perform operations or manipulate data. Thus, you can only use HTML for defining the structure and layout of web content, like text, images, and links.
On the other hand, programming languages are more complex. This mechanism can write instructions that a computer can execute. In short, it helps humans to communicate and instructs computers to perform tasks. It requires logic, conditions, variables, and other computational thinking for work. For example, it uses commands and code to create websites, apps, and platforms that are common in daily life.
Understanding how HTML works
The way this tool works is by using “tags”. These are special codes using angle brackets, like <tag>. Most of the elements are in pairs. For instance, an opening tag like <p> to start a paragraph will be followed with a closing tag, </p>, to show the ends of the paragraph. Through those elements, it tells the browser to show the sentence in paragraphs.
Moreover, HTML has plenty of uses for building a website. In general, here is how this architecture works:
Describes the structure
It can act like a blueprint for a web page. This system tells the browser what parts the page should have. The options are plenty, such as headings, paragraphs, images, and links. The type of content and how it is organised are the only focus that HTML prioritises in this step.
Mark content
In this markup language, tags are like labels. It means you can use tags to mark up different parts of the page. If you want to have a heading, you can use the <h1> tag or use the <p> tag if you want a new paragraph. The marks will help to tell the browser how to show the content you have made, and where a paragraph should start and stop.
The browser reads and displays HTML
After you make the content of a web page, it stores the file on the internet or your computer. In turn, every time you open it, the browser will receive the data. The app will read the file from top to bottom, understand the tags, and then show the content according to the command.
Mixed with other technologies
HTML works best if it’s not standing alone. It means you need other tools to complement the web page, such as CSS, Cascading Style Sheets. This one can boost a site’s look by utilising colours, fonts, layouts, and many more. Also, you can add JavaScript to make it more interactive, like buttons that react when clicked. Please note that without HyperText Markup Language, there would be no basic content or structure to style or make interactive.
Answer: No, it’s a markup language, not a programming one.
Answer: HTML is crucial for both UI and UX design.
Answer: You can master HTML in terms of its technologies, concepts and theories.
