HTML is the most widely used language for developing web applications. It was created by Berners-Lee in the year 1991 but was first published in 1995. HTML 4 was a popular breakthrough version and got published in 1999. This version gained a lot of popularity and was adopted all over the globe for developing web applications. HTML 5 is the current version and was published in 2012.
This article on the basics of HTML aims to get you familiar with the most popular web development language globally. We will further explore what exactly HTML is, and why and how this language is used across various fields in web development.
HTML is critical for web development, and if you’ve ever thought about choosing that career path, you’d unquestionably have come across this language. And that’s probably why you are here in the first place.
What is HTML?
HTML
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is used for creating websites and web applications. Let’s break it down, so we understand the name better:
HyperText
HyperText refers to the “text wrapped within a text.” It is very similar to hyperlink and contains an underlying text that, when clicked, redirects to a new webpage.
Markup Language
A markup language is not necessarily a programming language. Instead, it is used to apply formatting and layout to a simple text document. This leads to more interactive and dynamic text content.
Web Page
A web page is a document that is commonly coded in HTML and rendered by a web browser. Every web page is identified by a URL and can be static or dynamic according to the requirements. If we are only using HTML for development, we can create static web pages.
Why HTML?
HTML is widely used to format web pages and web applications with the help of different HTML tags available in the language.
HTML is an essential markup language, almost compulsory to learn for students or software developers that are gravitated towards web development. Wondering why? Here’s why HTML is used:
Create a Website
We can create a website or a web template using HTML.
Understand Web
Knowing HTML is essential for understanding web development and optimizing websites.
Become a Web Designer
HTML and CSS is an essential skill if you are interested in becoming a web designer or developer.
Other Languages
HTML is a very convenient entry point in the software development field since learning other languages becomes easier once you get familiar with HTML.
What is HTML used for?
As mentioned above, HTML is perhaps the most widely used language in the world for developing web applications. We’ve listed a few use-cases below:
HTML applications
1. Web Page Development
HTML is primarily used to create web pages that are rendered by web browsers over the internet.
2. Game Development
HTML5 has native support for rich user experience and is now being used in the field of game development as well.
3. Internet Navigation
HTML syntax provides tags that help in navigation between pages in web applications.
4. Offline Support
HTML pages can be downloaded for viewing later when there is no internet connectivity.
5. Responsive UI
With the introduction of HTML 5, web applications continue to look and feel better. HTML web pages now support devices of various sizes and platforms.
Say “Hello World” in HTML
By now, you must have a much better understanding of what HTML exactly is. So, let’s dive into the practical aspect of this markup language, and code a simple webpage that displays “Hello World” on the screen when rendered by a web browser.
<html>
<head>
<title>A Simple Web App</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello World</h1>
<p>This is my first ever web application!</p>
</body>
</html>
<html>
This tag is kind of a wrapper for the whole web application, everything goes within this tag and finishes before this tag closes.
<head>
This tag is used to hold metadata about a web application. Things including the title of a web application, or importing javascript or CSS into a web application, are done within this tag.
<body>
This tag is used to display the contents on the screen when rendered by a web browser. Therefore, anything that has to be shown to the user on-screen goes within this tag.
<h1>
There are several tags provided by HTML for text formatting. <h1> is one of those tags. It means “heading 1”. There are several other tags like “heading 2” and “heading 3” that is abbreviated as <h2> and <h3>, respectively.
<p>
This is again a text formatting HTML tag. It means “paragraph” and is therefore used whenever there is a paragraph needed in a web application.
Output
This is how the application should look when you code it. So congratulations, you just coded your first web application using only HTML.
HTML Hello World
You can further style your web applications using CSS stylesheet and add interactivity using JavaScript. But you will need HTML as a basis for all your websites or applications. Therefore, learning HTML is absolutely essential if you want to get into web development.
We hope this “What is HTML” article helped you in getting familiar with the primary language of the web development field. We highly encourage you to go through further tutorials and also learn CSS and JavaScript to become a full-fledged web developer.
Get skilled in HTML5 and CSS3 with the Full Stack Java Developer Master's Program. Click to check out the program details!
Get Ahead of the Curve and Master HTML Today
You may be wondering as to how you can obtain the skills necessary to take advantage of its immense popularity, now that you are familiar with HTML. You can enroll in a comprehensive Java Full Stack Developer Masters’ Program, which will help you become career-ready upon completion. To learn more, check out our Youtube video that provides a quick introduction to HTML and explains how to write a simple ‘Hello World’ program in HTML.
If you’re an aspiring web and mobile developer, HTML training will broaden your skills and career horizons. Do you have any questions for us? Please mention it in the comments section, and we'll have our experts answer it for you at the earliest.