Last Updated on March 31, 2018 by WebsiteDesigner.sg
Whether you need to learn HTML for work, you want to set up your own website or you simply love to learn, it’s always best to begin with the basics. Here, we’ll outline the basics of HTML, including a bit of background and the essential parts of this widely used system for site construction usually done by a freelance web designer singapore.
When and Why
What exactly is HTML? It’s a system of language by which computers speak to each other – this process is called a Markup Language. HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language and is the gold standard by which computers communicate.
The “hyper text” part of HTML refers to the fact that communication is achieved by links. Users can jump from one place in a document or site to another using these links, or to another document or site. The links used in HTML are known as tags or markers.
What Are Tags and Markers?
Tags and markers are some of the building blocks of HTML. Tags are used to open and close an element (HTML elements are usually websites). A tag is always enclosed in angle brackets. A tag might look like <this> and need to be opened and closed in order for an element to function. This is done with slashes, so if <this> opens an element, </this> would close it.
An attribute is a bit like a tag, but with more information enclosed. It begins like a tag, with an angle bracket. However, it’s not closed until after that information is inserted.
Head and Body of an HTML Element
Creating a web page in HTML is easy once you understand the basics. One of these basics is that Microsoft Word – or any open-sourced replacement – is not the place to do this. Instead, use the Note function of your computer.
You’ll open each page with two tags. One is <!DOCTYPE HTML>, which specifies the language to be used. The other is simply <html> which seems redundant, but is necessary.
After that come the head and body of your page. The head is not designed to be read by humans – it’s designed to be read by search engines. This is where you’ll put – in proper format – the basics of what your page or site is about. Within the head are two sub-headings: the title and metadata. The metadata contains more information about your page, and is what Google and other large search engines will search to categorize your site. This portion is approximately two sentences.
The body is what actual people will read. Properly formatted, this portion is added after the metadata.
There are practically infinite variations on how you can add information, photos, videos, music and other features to a HTML website, and it will take some time to learn them all. However, you now understand what HTML is, what it does, proper formatting and the basics of creating your first page.