Introduction to HTML
HTML, short for HyperText Markup Language, is the foundational code used to create webpages on the internet. Introduced in the late 1980s, HTML has undergone numerous iterations, with HTML5 being the latest major revision. This language uses a series of elements, or tags, to structure text, images, and other content to be rendered by web browsers.
The Structure of an HTML Document
An HTML document typically consists of several key components: the doctype declaration, the html element, head element, and body element.
Doctype Declaration
The doctype declaration is the first line in an HTML document. It informs the web browser about the version of HTML being used. For HTML5, this is indicated simply with ``, which ensures compatibility across modern browsers.
HTML Element
The html element serves as the root of the HTML document. It encompasses all other elements, defining the start and end of the document. Within it, two primary children—head and body—help inform the browser and display content.
Head Element
The head element contains meta-information about the document. This includes the document title, character set, and links to stylesheets or scripts. The content within the head is not directly displayed on the webpage itself.
Body Element
The body element contains the content visible to users, like text, images, and structures certain as paragraphs, headings, tables, and lists.
HTML Tags and Attributes
HTML employs a tag-based syntax, where tags enclose content to declare what the specified content is. Tags often come in pairs, such as `
` and `
`, which denote the start and end of a paragraph. Some tags are self-closing, like ``, used to embed images.
Attributes
Attributes provide additional information about HTML elements. They are included within the opening tag and usually appear as key-value pairs. For example, an `` tag may include an `alt` attribute to describe the image, like `
`.
Case Study: Responsive Design with HTML and CSS
A case study highlighting the capabilities of HTML and CSS is the redesign of BBC’s news website. As digital consumption grew on mobile devices, BBC sought a responsive design to ensure seamless experience across varying screen sizes.
Using HTML5’s semantic elements and media queries in CSS3, BBC achieved a responsive, flexible layout that adjusted based on the viewer’s device. Key aspects of this redesign included using the `