What is HTML? Understanding Hypertext Markup Language
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is a code used to create websites, web pages, and web-based applications. In this post, we will understand what is HTML and its features. We will also discuss the top free resources to learn HTML, top industries that rely on HTML, and popular job roles in this field.
HTML – Definition
HTML is a markup language that helps describe the content and layout of a web page or document. A web page is a text file containing text, images, hyperlinks, and sound. HTML is comprised of tags and attributes that combine to identify document parts and tell the browser how to display them. The collection of HTML pages makes the world wide web for a website.
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Features of HTML
HTML is widely used in various industries because of its excellent features. Some of the notable features of HTML are:
- Markup language
- Easy to learn, use, and implement
- Lightweight
- Flexible
- Platform independent
- Supported across most browsers
- Easy to integrate with other programming languages
- Case-insensitive
Top Applications of HTML
Below are the 5 most common uses of HTML
- Web page development
- Internet navigation
- Web document creation
- Responsive on web pages
- Game development
Here’s a Simple HTML Document
| <!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>First Heading</h1>
<p>First paragraph.</p>
<p>Second paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html> |
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What is an HTML Element?
HTML elements are the fundamental parts of a web page. An HTML page consists of a set of HTML elements, consisting of various tags and attributes. A tag instructs the web browser where an element begins and ends. An attribute defines the characteristics of an element.
An element consists of three parts:
- Opening tag – it describes where an element starts. The tag is enclosed in opening and closing angle brackets.
- Content – information that you want users to see.
- Closing tag – marks the closing of a tag. It is just like the opening tag, but with a forward slash before the element name.
Basic Tags in HTML
<!DOCTYPE>: Defines the document type.
<html></html> tag: It identifies the document as HTML.
<head></head> tag: Contains metadata or the information related to the document, such as its title, style definitions, and scripts used.
<title></title> tag: Contains the document's title that appears at the top of the browser window.
<body></body> tag: It consists of the tags, attributes, and information you want to display on a browser.
<h1></h1>: describes the first level heading of the web page.
History of HTML
Sir Tim Berners-Lee developed HTML in late 1991. 1993, the HTML 1.0 version was released for developers. HTML5, the latest version of HTML, was first released in a public-facing in 2008. It received a major update and ‘W3C Recommendation’ status in 2014.
Why Learn HTML?
Learning HTML can be helpful in a variety of careers and professions. Here are some of the top reasons why you should learn HTML:
Easy to Learn
HTML is a beginner-friendly scripting language. You don’t need a computer science degree or prior programming knowledge to learn HTML. It is relatively easy to learn and understand compared to other scripting languages.
Switch Career
HTML knowledge can help you switch careers. Many job roles in different fields require professionals with proficiency in HTML. Learning HTML will help you build your professional portfolio.
Learn other Languages Easily
Learning HTML will help you learn other programming languages such as JavaScript and PHP easily. This may open more job opportunities for you.
Check out the best PHP Courses
Make More Money
If you don’t want to switch career, you can take up freelancing projects and use your HTML knowledge to earn extra income. Taking up freelancing projects will help you build a portfolio, practice your skills, and make more money outside of your regular job.
Become a Front-End Developer
HTML is one of the building blocks of front-end development. By learning HTML, it would be easier to start a career in the field of front-end web development.
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HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
HTML helps us add text elements and create the structure of content. But we cannot develop a fully responsive website with HTML alone. HTML works with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and JavaScript for creating most of the website content. CSS helps us add stylings such as colors, background, layouts, and animations while JavaScript adds functionality such as pop-ups and sliders.
Check out the best JavaScript Courses here.
Free Resources to Learn HTML
HTML Books
- HTML CSS in 8 Hours, For Beginners, Learn Coding Fast! | Author: Ray Yao
- The Guide Of HTML5 AND JAVASCRIPT | Programming For Beginners | Author: Jeanine Meyer
- Teach Yourself VISUALLY HTML and CSS | Authors: Mike Wooldridge, Linda Wooldridge
- HTML, XHTML, and CSS | Your visual blueprint for designing effective Web pages | Author: Rob Huddleston
- HTML 5.1 & CSS3 Ultimate Cheatsheet| HTML syntax at your fingertips | Author: Sergey Mavrody
Online HTML Courses
There are many online courses from top platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, and edX that can help you learn HTML. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, an online course can help you understand the basics as well as the advanced concepts of HTML.
Top Courses and Certifications in HTML
Here are some of the popular courses to learn HTML
- HTML, CSS, and Javascript for Web Developers on Coursera
- Introduction to HTML and CSS on Alison
- Build Websites from Scratch with HTML and CSS on Udemy
- Build Your First Web Pages With HTML and CSS on OpenClassrooms
- HTML, CSS, & JavaScript - Certification Course for Beginners on Udemy
- Introduction to Web Development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript on Coursera
- HTML, JavaScript, & Bootstrap - Certification Course on Udemy
- HTML Tutorial by Great Learning
HTML Jobs & Careers
HTML developers have a wide range of job roles. Some of the popular job positions that require HTML as the main skill are:
- Computer programmer
- Web developer
- Graphic designers
- Web Architect
- Web designer
- JavaScript developer
- Software engineer
- Software Developer
Also Read: Top HTML Interview Questions and Answers
Conclusion
We hope this article gives you a fair understanding of what HTML is and its features. We also discussed the free resources to learn HTML, careers in this field, and the future of HTML. If you want to learn more about HTML, take up an online HTML course and start your journey in this exciting field.
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