What is HTML: Definition, Syntax, Tag and Examples

HTML(HyperText Markup Language) is the technology that is used to create a webpage with structured content. HTML was created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991. It is considered to be the foundation of all the webpages because it is important for creating simple websites to advanced ones. In this blog, we will discuss HTML, including its structure, features, drawbacks, and role in different domains.

Table of Contents:

Understanding the Basic Structure of an HTML Page
Key Features of HTML
HTML Tags
HTML Elements and Attributes
Implementation of HTML
Common HTML Errors to Avoid
HTML’s Role in Different Domains and Industries
A Timeline of HTML Versions and What Changed
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advanced Topics in HTML: Forms and Multimedia
Conclu sion

Understanding the Basic Structure of an HTML Page

The format below is the basic structure of an HTML document. Every document follows this structure:

Html

Explanation:

<!DOCTYPE html> is used to declare the document as HTML5.
<html> is for the rooting of all the elements of the document.
<head> has metadata, title, and linked files.
<meta> tags are used to provide information about HTML documents to web browsers.
<body> has the content that needs to be displayed.

Key Features of HTML

It is well known for its simplicity because it is easy to learn and implement.
It can be combined with other technologies like CSS and JavaScript.
You can get meaningful tags like <article>, <nav>, and <section>.
The audio, videos, and images can be embedded.
You can work across all browsers and devices.
It gives you a support framework and API.

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HTML Tags

HTML Tags are used for building webpages. You can use it for organizing content like titles, paragraphs, links, or pictures. It is enclosed in the angle bracket, like <p> for writing some paragraphs on your website. It usually comes in an opening <p> tag and closing tag </p>. Web browsers understand these tags correctly and display the content given inside the tags.

Commonly Used HTML Tags

<h1> to <h6>: Headings
<p>: Paragraph
<a href=””>: Anchor (link)
<img src=””>: Image
<div>: Division or section of a page
<ul>, <ol>, <li>: Lists
<form>, <input>, <button>: Forms and user input
<table>, <tr>, <td>: Tables
<article>, <section>, <main>: Semantic tags used for improving SEO and structure.

HTML Elements and Attributes

HTML Element

An element in HTML is said to be the building block for structuring and displaying the content. It has an opening tag, content, and a closing tag, for example:<p>Hello</p>. In HTML, some elements are considered to be self-closing, like <img /> or <br />. It instructs the browser on how to display and handle the content inside them. It has the attribute that provides you with extra information like class, id, or src. Elements can also be nested inside one another in the case of developing complex layouts.

Example:

This is an HTML element.

HTML Attribute

Attributes in HTML are used to provide extra information about the HTML element. It is always added to the opening tag of the element. Attributes are written in name-value pairs like

type=”text” or href=”https://…”. You can use it for defining the element’s behaviour, style, or data. It helps you in customizing and controlling the elements displayed in the respective web page.

Example:

The src is an attribute in the <img> tag. This attribute tells the browser where to find the image.

<img src="image.jpg" />

Implementation of HTML

You can use a code editor like VS Code or Atom.
The file should be saved with the .html extension.
For the result, you can open it in any of the browsers.
It can be combined with CSS for styling your webpage and JavaScript for interactivity.

Common HTML Errors to Avoid

Always try to close the tag properly.
Nesting the tag should be correct. That means placing the tags correctly within each other.
For accessibility, you can use the “alt” attribute along with the <img> tag.
Start avoiding tags like <font> or <center>. Because they are outdated and no longer supported in the HTML standards.
Try to avoid spelling mistakes.

HTML’s Role in Different Domains and Industries

1. Web Development

HTML is the foundation for the development of websites. You can use it to define a structure and content for a webpage with headings, paragraphs, links, images, and lists. HTML is used for every website in some form. The developer for the front end uses HTML with CSS for the styling and JavaScript for the interactivity, which makes it essential for the creation of the user interface or layout for the webpage.

2. Digital Marketing

HTML plays a huge role in digital marketing for creating HTML emails and landing pages. It allows the marketer to add images, links, buttons, and styled text, which can make the content more attractive than plain-text emails. Landing pages are used for campaigns, promotions, or sign-ups, and they should be responsive and optimized for the sake of the visitor.

3. Mobile Development

The HTML can be used for the hybrid mobile app development through frameworks like Apache Cordova, Ionic, or React Native WebView. In these frameworks, the developer writes the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and gets them wrapped in the native container to make them run on mobile platforms like Android and iOS.

4. Education

It was also noticed that HTML is widely used in e-learning platforms and online education tools. There are some learning management systems like Moodle, Blackboard, or even custom web apps that use HTML for the purpose of course materials, quizzes, videos, and interactive content. It is a simple web design language, so it is taught to beginners in computer science

A Timeline of HTML Versions and What Changed

HTML 1.0 (1991): It has the basic text and links.
HTML 2.0 (1995): It improved by adding forms and tables.
HTML 3.2 (1997): Scripting is introduced.
HTML 4.01 (1999): It separates the content and design.
XHTML (2000): XML-compliant HTML.
HTML5 (2014): It supports multimedia, semantic tags, and APIs.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

It is supported universally.
You can learn HTML easily.
It is lightweight and SEO friendly

Disadvantages:

Styling properties are limited, and it requires CSS for styling.
It is not dynamic, it requires JavaScript.
It may be prone to XSS attacks.

Advanced Topics in HTML: Forms and Multimedia

Form

It is used for collecting input from the user in a secure way.

Example:

<form>
  <input type="text" placeholder="Your name">
</form>

Multimedia

You can add video and images using the native tags in the HTML.

Example:

<video controls>
  <source src="movie.mp4" type="video/mp4">
</video>

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Conclusion

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the backbone for developing web pages. You can use this to structure the content. You can define the layout, add multimedia, and improve the interactivity by combining CSS and JavaScript. It is known for its simplicity, universality, and browser compatibility. It is the foundation of the web, where HTML continues to evolve and adapt to modern requirements.