Introduction
What is HTML?
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the standard language used to create every web page you have ever visited. When you open a website, the very first file your browser downloads is an HTML file.
HTML describes the structure of a page. It tells the browser: this is a heading, this is a paragraph, this is an image, this is a link to another page. It does not decide colours or fonts (that is CSS) and it does not add behaviour like pop-ups (that is JavaScript).
Breaking down the name
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| HyperText | Text that contains links to other text. Clicking a link takes you to another page: that is hypertext. |
| Markup | You "mark up" plain content with tags, like using a highlighter to label parts of a document. |
| Language | It has its own set of rules (syntax) that browsers understand. |
A tiny example
<h1>Hello, world!</h1>
<p>This is my first web page.</p>The browser reads these two lines and shows a large, bold heading followed by a normal paragraph. The <h1> and <p> parts are called tags.
HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- HTML is the skeleton: it builds the structure and content.
- CSS is the skin and clothes: it adds colours, fonts, spacing and layout.
- JavaScript is the brain and muscles: it makes the page interactive.