HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the foundation of web development. It's a markup language that uses tags and elements to structure content on web pages. When you write HTML code with tags like h1 for headings, p for paragraphs, and img for images, web browsers interpret this code and render it as the visual web pages you see. HTML provides the skeleton and structure that makes the World Wide Web possible.
Every HTML document starts with a DOCTYPE declaration that tells the browser which version of HTML to use. The HTML element is the root container for all content. Inside, we have the HEAD section containing metadata like the page title and character encoding, and the BODY section containing all visible content like headings and paragraphs. This structure is mandatory for valid HTML documents.
HTML tags are the building blocks of web pages. Heading tags from h1 to h6 create different levels of headings, with h1 being the largest. The p tag creates paragraphs of text. The a tag with an href attribute creates clickable links. The img tag with a src attribute displays images. Container tags like div and span help organize and group content for styling and layout purposes.
HTML attributes provide extra information about elements and are always specified in the opening tag. The href attribute in anchor tags defines where a link goes. The src attribute in image tags specifies the image file location. The class attribute assigns CSS classes for styling, while the id attribute provides a unique identifier for specific elements. These attributes make HTML elements more functional and customizable.
To get started with HTML, you only need a text editor and a web browser. Create a new file with a dot HTML extension, write your HTML code using the basic structure we've learned, and open it in your browser to see the results. Start with simple examples like headings and paragraphs, then gradually add more elements like links, images, and lists. Practice is key to mastering HTML, so experiment with different tags and attributes to see how they work.