HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language)

Learning Objectives

HTML, an acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language, is the language used to describe structured documents as well as to create web pages in the Internet. Hyper Text refers to links that connect web pages/websites and Markup means a set of markup tags. The aim of this topic is to enable you to understand the different features of HTML and develop the ability to design a simple web page using HTML editors.

Before discussing about Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) which is used to describe structured as well as to create web pages in the Internet, let us understand some commonly used Internet terms. These terms are widely used in the world of Internet as well as in HTML programming.

Website

Website is a set of pages of information on the Internet about a particular subject, and which is published by a single person or an organisation. The web pages are linked with one another to form a global web of information. You can move from one page to another on a website through hyperlinks.

For example, you are working on a browser and want to access information on a certain topic (say, Home for Homeless People). When you type the name of the topic in the search box, the browser will display a long list of related topics. Now, if you want to get information on a related topic which is not available on the current page, then hyperlink will lead you to another page that will have compete information on that topic.

You will notice that while selecting the required topic, the mouse pointer will take the shape of a hand. This indicates a hyperlink and on clicking, the browser will move to the next server and make the related information available on the searched topic.

Web Page

Web Page is a document commonly written in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) that is accessible through the Internet by using a browser. Multiple web pages together constitute the World Wide Web (WWW). A web page contains text, graphics and hyperlinks to other web pages. It can be accessed by entering a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address in the address bar of a browser.

Web Pages can be either static or dynamic. Static pages show the same content each time they are viewed. Dynamic pages have content that can change each time they are accessed.

Web Browser

Web Browser is a software application to access the Internet. It allows users to view resources that are stored on a server. It is the responsibility of a web browser to interpret text and commands contained in the web page. It can show text, audios, videos, animation, etc.

A web browser helps in following ways:

It contacts the web server and sends a request for information.
It receives information and displays the content on the user's computer screen.

An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The information can be in the form of a web page, an image, a video or any other content. Hyperlinks present in resources enable users to easily navigate through web pages. Although browsers are primarily intended to access the World Wide Web (WWW), they can also be used to access information provided by web servers in private networks or files in the file systems.