Introduction to HTML
So you want to learn HTML? You've heard alot about it - how you can make your own web content with it and publish your work online. HTML is one of the most important tools in creating web content.
This lesson focuses on:
- What you should already know
- What is HTML?
- What HTML is not
- HTML dissected
- The world wide web
- The HTTP protocol
- The HTTPS protocol
What you should already know
Before studying HTML, you do not necessarily need to have an understanding of any other computer languages. HTML is relatively easy to learn and does not build on previous technical knowledge or experience, therefore it is OK if you are beginning HTML without those things. However, you should be familiar with using a computer and accessing the internet. Specifically, you should know what a web browser is (hint: it's the program you're using right now to read this webpage) and how to use a basic text editor (like notepad in Windows) and save files with it.
What is HTML?
HTML is a web language used to write webpages. While there are many other web languages such as Javascript, VBScript, and PHP, HTML is different - it is the core language of the world wide web, the fundamental building block of web pages. With HTML, you decide what text and graphics will appear on a webpage as well as other elements found on webpages such as forms and links. HTML is designed to specify the logical organization of a webpage.
What HTML is not
One feature of HTML that some people do not know about is that HTML is a static language. This means that the content you create with HTML does not change, it is not dynamic. HTML is used to create and place various elements on a webpage, it is not used to create things like calculators and other things which would require dynamic data.
Dynamic content can be created with languages such as as Javascript, VBScript, and PHP.
Another thing about HTML that should be mentioned is that HTML is not used for styling. For example, with HTML you set what text appears on the page, not its color, font style, and font size. Not just with text, any elements on a webpage such as form elements (textboxes, drop downs, submit buttons, etc.) or links are displayed with HTML but the styles for these elements (layout on the page, text color, background color, size, etc.) are NOT set with HTML.
NOTE: HTML is used to set the logical organization of a webpage and what elements will appear on it, but not the styles of these elements. To style the elements of a webpage, another language called CSS is used.
Learn about styling webpage elements in our CSS section.
HTML dissected
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. When you are viewing a webpage, you do not have to look at it in a linear fashion. Instead, you can look at any part of the page anytime you want. Hyper being the opposite of linear is the way HTML operates, allowing you to view any part of a webpage at any time. HTML is a markup language - a language that has code which indicates layout and styling. Some other markup languages include XML and SGML.
The world wide web
HTML is used to create web pages on the world wide web, but what is the world wide web?
When it comes to the world wide web, a common misconception exists that the world wide web and the internet are synonomous. The world wide web is only a small subset of the internet. The world wide web is the medium by which webpages and other resources such as sounds and images are transferred from various web sites, and users send requests for these resources as well as data to web servers. The word 'internet' is an abbreviation for 'internetwork' and it is the global communications system which links together various computer networks around the world allowing for intercommunication between devices and people on these networks. The global communications system which is the internet employs various different protocols to allow for intercommunication between devices and people on different networks. One of these protocols is the HTTP protocol.
The HTTP protocol
HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfter Protocol. It is this protocol that is used to transfer data across the world wide web. Every time you enter a websites URL in your web browser (ex. www.yahoo.com), your web browser is making use of the HTTP protocol to send your request for a webpage (or any other web resource such as an image) and then transfers the data to you. The data for a website is stored on a computer called a web server.
The HTTPS protocol
While HTTP is used to transfer data across the world wide web, there is another protocol which works just as HTTP does, but adds a layer of security. This protocol is the HTTPS protocol. HTTPS stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. HTTPS is used to encrypt communication between a web browser and a web server. HTTPS is often used on websites that need to provide private communication such as online stores and membership sites. Next time you are making a purchase from an online store look at your web browsers address bar, the beginning part of it should say HTTPS.
