What is HTML?
Every page available on the internet uses HTML, which stands for HyperText Markup Language. But honestly, it’s just a really complicated name for an outline.
You remember outlines from elementary school, don’t you? Remember how every writing assignment usually required one. Outlines helped to organize your thoughts into a structured format. HTML is a computer language that uses that same idea. It provides a structure to organize what is being presented on the web page.
Just don’t let Acronyms scare you.
For Example
In the outline below there is a title, “Standard Five Para…”; an introductory section with a title, “I. Intro…”, followed by an introductory paragraph; a main section with its own title, “II. Body”, followed by more paragraphs… You get the point.
Computers are so stupid you have to tell them that there is even a document. You have to tell it that it has a top and a bottom and a everything in between. Computers are so stupid that you even have to tell it what language you are speaking. HTML is just one of many computer languages, but don’t worry about that now.
The essay outline, if we were to explain it to a computer, would need lines of HTML language. Shown numbered just to the right of the outline.
- <html>
- <head>
- <title> Standar Fiv…</title>
- </head>
- <body>
- <header> I. Intr…</header>
- <main>
- <article>
- <h1>Paragraph 1</h1>
- <p>1. Topic sente…</p>
- …
Because computers are tools and because you usually have to explain everything to a tool — you’ll have to… explain everything to the computer.
So, in line 1 you tell the computer that this is “HTML”.
In line 2, you tell it that the title goes at the top.
And in line 3, you tell it when the title starts “<title>”, what the title is and when it ends “</title>”.
Just explaining this little bit to the stupid computers has already taken up several lines and we haven’t even got past the title yet! You see, how stupid are computers?!
Just remember that HTML is like an outline.
Where it Becomes Complex
Now that you know what HTML is and what it does, know that the apparent complexity of it all actually comes from its vocabulary. Like any language, there is a lengthy list of vocabulary words. In HTML, these vocabulary words are called tags and there are over 100 different tags; each with its own function and purpose. To keep things straight:
- Tags are used to open and close an element.
- An element contains opening and closing tags, an attribute, and content.
- An attribute has a name and a value; usually a link to another page.
- The content is what will be visible on the web page.
Like with any language, once you are familiar with the vocabulary- using the languages becomes much easier.
All About Tags
There are plenty of websites that provide a complete list of all the tags that can be used in HTML.
To add another level of complexity, HTML has evolved over the years . At each evolution a new version was created, being an improvement on the previous.
All About the Versions of HTML
There are also plenty of sites dedicated to explaining the evolution of HTML and how each version came about, if you’re interested.
Resources
Images: Classroom / Essay Outline / Computers are Stupid / Where the Wild Things Are / Element / ROOT Element / King Max / HTML Cheat Sheet / HTML4 v. HTML5 / HTML Milestones /
Motivation for This
I’ve found it’s just easiest to compile my notes here at Medium. The results of which end up being a hodgepodge of various sources and the process of which becomes just one more learning experience. Plus, the generated link makes for an easy quick reference. A record of my previous scouring of the internet for answers.
