HTML

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HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

Overview: HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the foundational language used to create and structure content on the World Wide Web. It defines the structure and layout of a web page using elements represented by tags. HTML is not a programming language but a markup language, meaning it’s used to annotate content so that a web browser knows how to display text, images, links, and other elements.

Originally developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991, HTML has gone through several evolutions, with the most current standard being HTML5, which adds powerful features for multimedia, graphics, and enhanced semantics.

Purpose and Scope:

HTML is the backbone of web pages, working in tandem with CSS (for styling) and JavaScript (for behavior/interactivity). It ensures that content is presented in a structured format, allowing browsers and search engines to parse and render content accurately.

Common uses of HTML include:

  • Structuring headings, paragraphs, lists
  • Creating hyperlinks and forms
  • Embedding images, videos, and interactive content
  • Building semantic and accessible web documents

Key Components of HTML:

  1. Elements & Tags:
    • Tags are enclosed in angle brackets: <tagname>.
    • Most tags come in pairs: opening <p> and closing </p>.
  2. HTML Document Structure:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>My First Page</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Hello, World!</h1>
    <p>This is an example HTML page.</p>
  </body>
</html>
  1. Common Tags:
    • <h1> to <h6> – Headings
    • <p> – Paragraph
    • <a> – Anchor/link
    • <img> – Image
    • <div> / <span> – Block/inline containers
    • <ul>, <ol>, <li> – Lists
    • <table>, <tr>, <td> – Tables
    • <form>, <input>, <button> – Forms and controls
  2. Attributes:
    • Provide additional information about elements.
    • Example: <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">
  3. Semantic Elements (HTML5):
    • <header>, <footer>, <nav>, <article>, <section> – Improve readability and accessibility.

HTML5 Enhancements:

HTML5 introduced new elements and APIs:

  • Media support: <audio>, <video>
  • Graphics: <canvas>, SVG
  • Forms 2.0: New input types like email, date, range
  • Web Storage: localStorage and sessionStorage
  • Geolocation API, Drag-and-Drop, WebSockets

Advantages of HTML:

  • Easy to learn and use
  • Supported by all browsers
  • Search engine friendly
  • Platform-independent
  • Forms the base of every website
  • Works well with CSS and JavaScript

Limitations:

  • Static content only: Requires CSS/JS for dynamic behavior.
  • No logic or conditions: Not a programming language.
  • Limited by browser rendering engine capabilities.

Use Cases:

  • Web pages and portals
  • Email templates
  • Technical documentation
  • Online forms
  • Embedded web apps (with CSS/JS frameworks)

Conclusion:

HTML is the essential markup language for structuring web content. Though simple in its core, when combined with CSS and JavaScript, HTML becomes part of a powerful triad that drives modern web development. With HTML5, developers can now build interactive, rich-media applications directly in the browser without relying on external plugins like Flash.