HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup language used to create and design documents on the World Wide Web. It provides the structure and content of web pages by using a system of tags and attributes to define various elements within a document.
HTML documents consist of text content, multimedia elements (such as images and videos), hyperlinks, and other interactive elements. These documents are interpreted by web browsers, which render them into the visual web pages that users interact with.
Key features of HTML include:
- Tags: HTML documents are made up of HTML tags, which are enclosed in angle brackets
< >. Tags are used to define different elements such as headings, paragraphs, lists, links, images, forms, and more. - Attributes: HTML tags can have attributes that provide additional information about the element. Attributes are placed within the opening tag and are used to modify the behavior or appearance of the element.
- Structure: HTML documents typically have a hierarchical structure, with elements nested within other elements. The basic structure of an HTML document includes a document type declaration (
<!DOCTYPE html>), an<html>element containing<head>and<body>sections. - Semantics: HTML provides semantic elements that convey meaning about the content they enclose. For example,
<header>,<nav>,<footer>,<article>,<section>, and<aside>are semantic elements that help define the structure and purpose of different parts of a web page. - Accessibility: HTML supports accessibility features such as alt attributes for images, labels for form elements, and semantic markup, which help make web content more accessible to users with disabilities.
HTML is often used in conjunction with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript to enhance the presentation and interactivity of web pages. CSS is used to style and format the visual appearance of HTML elements, while JavaScript is used to add dynamic behavior and interactivity to web pages. Together, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript form the core technologies used to create modern web applications and websites.