HYPERTEXT MARK-UP LANGUAGE (HTML)

HTML which stands for HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup language
used to create and design web pages. It provides the structure and layout for content on the
World Wide Web. Web pages are documents containing HTML which is the language of the
World Wide Web. HTML code is read by web browser software, which carries out the
instructions provided by the HTML code and displays the resulting output as a web page. HTML
is the backbone of the World Wide Web, providing the foundation for creating and designing
web pages. By using HTML, developers can define the structure, content and layout of web
pages , making it an essential language for building websites and web applications. The original
version contained only 18 HTML Tags, but this was enough to organize a simple web page in a
user-friendly manner. Some of the main HTML elements include:

 Headings
 Paragraphs
 Basic text formatting (bold or italic)
 Lists
 Hyperlinks
 Images
 Tables

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HTML

 The first version of HTML(1.0, 1991) was created by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor
of the World Wide Web. It was a very simple language with limited capabilities and
was primarily used to structure text documents with hyperlinks.
 HTML 2.0 (1995) : This version introduced new features such as forms and tables,
allowing for more complex and structured web pages. It also standardized many of
the elements and attributes used in web development.
 HTML 3.2 (1997) : This added support for more features like image maps, applets
and text formatting options. This version marked a significant step forward in the
development of web design capabilities.
 HTML 4.01 (1999) : This introduced new features like frames, scripting languages
(JavaScript), and style sheets (CSS). It also provided better support for multimedia
elements like audio and video.
 XHTML ( 2000) : XHTML, which stands for Extensible HyperText Markup
Language, was introduced as a reformulation of HTML and XML application.
XHTML combined the flexibility of XML with the simplicity of HTML, making it
easier for developers to create consistent and well- structured web pages.
 HTML5 (2014) : HTML 5 is the latest version of HTML and brings a wide range of
new features and improvements to the language. Some key features of HTML5
 include native support for multimedia elements, improved forms and input controls,
better support for mobile devices, and the ability to create more interactive and
dynamic web applications.

Overall, the historical development of HTML has been driven by the need to create more
sophisticated and feature-rich websites, as well as to adapt to the technologies and devices used
to access the web. HTML continues to evolve, with ongoing efforts to standardize new features
and improve the language for the modern web.

IMPORTANT MILESTONES AND DEVELOPMENTS OF HTML

HTML has evolved significantly over the years to become a crucial language for building
websites. Several milestones and developments have played a key role in transforming HTML
into the popular programming language it is today. In the above heading (Historical development
of HTML ), some historical milestones have been mentioned with the key dates. In addition to
the above key dates, the following provides some important milestones and developments in the
history of HTML.

 Responsive web design – With the rise of mobile devices, web developers started
focusing on creating websites that could adapt to different screen sizes. This led to the
adoption of responsive web design techniques using HTML to create fluid and flexible
layouts.
 Accessibility – There has been a growing emphasis on making websites accessible to all
users, including those with disabilities.
 Progressive Web Apps (PWA’s) : HTML , along with CSS and JavaScript, is used to
build Progressive Web Apps, which are web applications that provide a native app-like
experience on the web.

These milestones and developments have contributed to the transformation of HTML into a
versatile and powerful language for building websites, enabling developers to create dynamic,
interactive and accessible web experiences.

ADVANTAGES OF USING HTML IN WEB DEVELOPMENT

HTML helps to build a structure of a website and is a widely used Markup Language.
HTML is simple to edit as being a plain text.
It is easy to learn.
Every browser supports HTML language.
HTML is light weighted and fast to load.
Storage of big files are allowed because of the application cache feature.
HTML has many tags and attributes which can short our line of code.
HTML is very useful for beginners in the web designing field.
HTML allows the utilization of templates, which makes designing a web page easy.
It is fast to download as the text is compressible.
Do not get to purchase any extra software because it is by default in every window.

 Browser compatibility – HTML enjoys widespread browser support, making it a

universal language for web content. Web browsers like Chrome, Firefox , Safari
and Internet Explorer obey HTML standards so that their web pages look the
same on all different platforms.
 Cost Efficient – One of HTML’s advantages is its cost efficiency. Developers
don’t need to purchase license or additional software to create HTML content.
 Easy to learn – HTML is simple and easy to learn. It is so easy to learn that school
students can use HTML to create their own basic website with images and
colours.
 Data storage – HTML extends its capabilities to data storage with technologies
like XML. It enables the structured storage of data within web documents, making
it retrievable and usable by applications. This data accessibility is vital in modern
web development.
 Flexibility – HTML’s loose syntax grants developers flexibility. It allows for
creative experimentation and adapts to various content types.
 Speed and efficiency – HTML’s lightweight nature ensures fast loading times for
web pages. By reducing the loading time, HTML saves time for users.

Basic HTML tags used for the font and page formatting.

HTML tags are the keywords on a web page that define how your browser
must format and display your web page. Almost all tags contain two parts ; an
opening and a closing tag. For example, <html> is the opening tag and </html> is
the closing tag. Note that the closing tag has the same text as the opening tag, but
has an additional forward slash (/) character. The following are some basic HTML
tags used for the font and page formatting.
 Head Tag – The head tag <head> contains all the elements describing the
document.
 Title Tag – The title tag <title> specifies the HTML page title, which is
shown in the browser’s title bar.
 Body Tag – The body tag <body> is where you insert you web page’s
content.
 Paragraph Tag – A paragraph tag <p> is used to define a paragraph on a
web page.
 Heading Tag – The HTML heading tag is used to define the heading of the
HTML document. The <h1> tag defines the most important tag, and <h6>
defines the least.
 Emphasis Tag – The HTML <em> tag is used to emphasize the particulat
text in a paragraph.
 Font Tag – The HTML font tag <font>plays an important role in the web
page to create an attractive and readable web page. The font tag is used to
change the colour, size and style of a text.
 Bold Tag – The <b> tag is used to make the text bold.
 Italic Tag - The <i> tag is used to make the text italic.
 Underline Tag – The <u> tag is used to set the text underline.
 Strong Tag – The <strong> tag denotes important text.
 Link Tag – The <a> tag links one page to another. The href attribute is
used to define it.
 List Tag – The <li> tag is used if you want to enter the contents in the
listed order. There are two types of lists: 1)Ordered list <ol>
2) Unordered list <ul>
 Image Tag – The <img> tag is used to embed an image in an HTML
document. You need to specify the source of the image inside the tag.
 Center Tag – The < center> tag will center your document.
 Table Tag – The <table> tag is used to create a table in the HTML
document. The table row <tr> tag is used to make the rows in the table and
the table data <td> tag is used to enter the data in the table.
The style tag <style> is used to add methods to the content by typing the
code in the HTML file itself.
 Superscript Tag – The <sup> tag defines superscript text . This text
appears half a character above the normal line and is sometimes rendered
in a smaller font. (eg: X2)
 Subscript Tag – The <sub> tag is used to add a subscript text to the HTML
document. (eg: H2O). The subscript text appears half a character below the
normal line and is sometimes rendered in a smaller font.
 Marquee Tag – The <marquee> tag in HTML is used to create a scrolling
piece of text or an image. It can scroll in various directions such as left,
right, up or down.

Overall, HTML provides compatibility with different browsers and

connectivity. One of the best practice to ensure cross-browser
compatibility is to use valid HTML codes. Valid HTML means that
our code follows the rules and standards of the HTML specification.
 The following are some steps to ensure browser compatibility when
using HTML:

• Set a “Doctype” for the HTML files.

• Use the CSS reset rules for cross- browser compatibility.
• Use valid and semantic HTML.
• Keep learning and updating HTML links.
• Use responsive design and media queries.
• Use feature detection and fallbacks.
• Test and debug the HTML codes.

In order to create structured and interactive content using HTML, we can add
components like forms, sliders, buttons and animations. For example, we can add
the following features to create interactive content in HTML:
1)Forms – In HTML, a form is a container used to collect and submit data from
website visitors. It acts as an interactive area where users can input information
such as text, selections and options which can then be sent to a server for
processing. Forms can include text inputs, password fields, radio buttons,
checkboxes and submit buttons. These features allow you to collect and process
data efficiently from users.
 Text input – These fields are used for collecting single-line text data such
as name or e-mail address.
 Password input – These fields are like text input, but the entered
characters are hidden as dots or asterisks for security,
 Radio buttons – These fields are used when you want users to select one
option from a list. Each option is represented by a radio button.
 Checkboxes – These are used when you want users to select one or more
options from a list. Each option is represented by a checkbox. With
checkboxes, users can select multiple options based on their preferences.
 Submit button – A submit button is used to send the form data to the
server for processing. This form triggers the form’s submission when
clicked.