Introduction to HTML

Introduction to HTML

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is the fundamental language for creating web pages. It allows developers to structure text, images, links, and other content to be displayed in web browsers. HTML is essential for building the skeleton of any website.

The term Hyper Text refers to the ability to link various web pages together, while Markup Language indicates that it uses tags to mark elements within the text.

History of HTML

HTML was developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991. Initially, it was used to create simple web pages, but over time, it evolved to support multimedia, interactivity, and various advanced features.

Earlier, it was known as HTML 1.0, and it has been upgraded over the years to provide more functionalities and ease of use. HTML is continuously being updated by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) to make it more efficient and user-friendly.

HTML Versions

YearVersion
1991HTML 1.0 - Initial version developed by Tim Berners-Lee
1995HTML 2.0 - First official version standardized by IETF
1997HTML 3.2 - W3C recommendation with better support for styling
1999HTML 4.01 - Improved accessibility and multimedia support
2000XHTML 1.0 - HTML reformulated as XML
2008HTML5 - Modern standard with support for audio, video, and interactive features

Basic Structure of an HTML Document

The basic structure of an HTML document consists of several key elements:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>This is a Heading</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
HTML Compiler

Explanation:

  • <!DOCTYPE html>: Declares the document type and version.
  • <html>: Root element of the HTML document.
  • <head>: Contains meta-information, links, and scripts.
  • <title>: Sets the title seen on the browser tab.
  • <body>: Contains the visible content of the webpage.