HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language used to create and structure web pages.
- It defines the layout of a webpage using elements and tagsallowing for the display of textimages, links, and multimedia content.
- As the foundation of nearly all websites, HTML is used in over 95% of all web pages todaymaking it an essential part of modern web development.
In this guidewe learn the basics of HTMLwhich includes HTML tags ( <h1>, <p>, <img>etc)attributeselementsand document structure which collectively form a working web page.
HTML Basic Document and Structure
Every HTML document begins with a document type declarationsetting the foundation for the webpage. This section introduces basic HTML tags that structure the pagesuch as <head><body>and <title>. Although this is not mandatoryit is a good convention to start the document with the below-mentioned tag.
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Below mentioned are the basic HTML tags that divide the whole page into various parts like headbodyetc.
Basic HTML Tags for Document Structure | |
|---|---|
| Tags | Descriptions |
| <html> | Encloses the entire HTML documentserving as the root element for all HTML content. |
| <head> | Contains header information about the webpageincluding titlemeta tagsand linked sheets. It is part of the document's structure but is not displayed on the webpage. |
| <title> | Used within the <head> section to define the title of the HTML document. It appears in the browser tab or window and provides a brief description of the webpage's content. |
| <body> | Encloses the visible content of the webpagesuch as textimagesaudiovideosand links. All elements within this tag are displayed on the actual webpage when viewed in a browser. |
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-widthinitial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<!--Contents of the webpage-->
<p>GeeksforGeeks is a online study platform</p>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
- This HTML document defines a basic webpage with a responsive design using <meta> tagsensuring it adjusts well to different devices.
- The content includes a paragraph <p> displaying "GeeksforGeeks is an online study platform," and the title "HTML" appears in the browser tab.
HTML Headings
The HTML heading tags are used to create headings for the content of a webpage. These tags are typically placed inside the body tag. HTML offers six heading tagsfrom <h1> to <h6>each displaying the heading in a different font size.
Syntax:
<h1></h1>
<h2></h2>
<h3></h3>
<h4></h4>
<h5></h5>
<h6></h6>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-widthinitial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Heading 1 (h1)</h1>
<h2>Heading 2 (h2)</h2>
<h3>Heading 3 (h3)</h3>
<h4>Heading 4 (h4)</h4>
<h5>Heading 5 (h5)</h5>
<h6>Heading 6 (h6)</h6>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
- This code displays six headings (<h1> to <h6>) on the webpagewith <h1> being the largest and most prominent and <h6> being the smallest.
- The headings are used to define text hierarchy and emphasize content based on importance.
HTML Paragraph and Break Elements
HTML <p> tags are used to write paragraph statements on a webpage. They start with the <p> tag and end with </p>. The HTML <br> tag is used to insert a single line break and does not require a closing tag. In HTMLthe break tag is written as <br>.
Syntax:
// for Paragraph
<p> Content... </p>
// for Break
<br>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-widthinitial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language.<br>
It is used to design web pages using a markup
language.<br>HTML is a combination of Hypertext
and Markup language.<br>Hypertext defines the
link between web pages.<br>A markup language
is used to define the text document within the
tag which defines the structure of web pages.
</p>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
- This HTML code uses a <p> tag to display a paragraph of textproviding an overview of what HTML is and its purpose.
- The <br> tags are used to insert line breaksmaking the text more readable by separating each sentence onto a new line within the paragraph.
HTML Horizontal Line
The HTML <hr> tag is used to divide a page into sections by creating a horizontal line that spans from the left to the right side of the page. This is an empty tag and does not require a closing tag or any additional attributes.
Syntax:
<hr><!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-widthinitial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
</p>
<hr>
<p>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
</p>
<hr>
<p>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
A Computer Science portal for geeks<br>
</p>
<hr>
</body>
</html>
Code Overview:
- <h1> to <h6> tags are used to define headingswith <h1> being the largest and <h6> the smallest.
- Each tag displays "Hello World!" in decreasing font sizesillustrating the hierarchy of headings in HTML.
HTML Comments
HTML comments are annotations in your code that are not displayed in the browser. They are enclosed within <!-- and --> tags and are primarily used for documentationexplanationor temporarily disabling code during debugging.
Syntax of HTML Comments
- Single-line comment:
<!-- This is a single-line comment -->
- Multi-line comment:
<!--
This is a multi-line comment
spanning multiple lines
-->
Example Usage of HTML Comments
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport"
content="width=device-widthinitial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML</title>
</head>
<body>
<!-- This is a heading tag -->
<h1>Welcome to GeeksforGeeks</h1>
<!-- This is a paragraph tag -->
<p>Learn HTMLCSSand JavaScript here.</p>
</body>
</html>
In this examplethe comments provide context about the purpose of each HTML element.
Best Practices for Using HTML Comments
- Be concise and relevant: Write comments that explain the "why" behind the code in a brief and clear manner.
- Avoid over-commenting: Do not state the obvious. Let the code itself explain when possible.
- Keep comments up-to-date: Ensure comments reflect changes in the code to avoid confusion.
HTML Images
The <img> tag is used to insert an image into a webpage. The source of the image is specified within the src attributelike this: <img src="source_of_image">.
Syntax:
<img src="geeks.png">- This HTML code uses the <img> tag to display an image on a webpage.
- The src attribute specifies the URL of the imagewhich is loaded and displayed when the page is rendered in the browser.
View HTML Source Code
While checking a web pageyou might want to see the HTML code behind it. Here we will see how you can view HTML source code for the entire page or a specific element.
1. View HTML Source Code of Entire Page
- To view the source code of a webpage press ctrl + u on the pageor right-click on the page and select the "view page source" option.
- This will open a new tab that shows the HTML source code for that entire page.
2. Inspect an HTML Element on a Page
- To check the HTML code for a specific element on a pageright-click on the page and select the "Inspect" option.
- This lets you see the HTML and CSS behind that element. You can also try making changes and see the changes.
Conclusion
Understanding HTML is the first step in becoming a web developer. By learning the basic tags and structureyou can create well-organized and functional web pages. The more you practice and experiment with HTMLthe better you'll understand how to create interactiveengagingand well-optimized websites.