What is HTML?
● HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language
● HTML is the standard markup language for creating Web pages
● HTML describes the structure of a Web page
● HTML consists of a series of elements
● HTML elements tell the browser how to display the content
● HTML elements label pieces of content such as "this is a heading", "this
is a paragraph", "this is a link", etc.
A Simple HTML Document
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>My First Heading</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
Example Explained
● The <!DOCTYPE html> declaration defines that this document is an
HTML5 document
● The <html> element is the root element of an HTML page
● The <head> element contains meta information about the HTML page
● The <title> element specifies a title for the HTML page (which is shown in
the browser's title bar or in the page's tab)
● The <body> element defines the document's body, and is a container for
all the visible contents, such as headings, paragraphs, images,
hyperlinks, tables, lists, etc.
● The <h1> element defines a large heading
● The <p> element defines a paragraph
What is an HTML Element?
An HTML element is defined by a start tag, some content, and an end tag:
<tagname>Content goes here...</tagname>
The HTML element is everything from the start tag to the end tag:
<h1>My First Heading</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
Start tag Element content End tag
<h1> My First Heading </h1>
<p> My first paragraph. </p>
<br> none none
Learn HTML Using Notepad or TextEdit
Web pages can be created and modified by using professional HTML editors.
However, for learning HTML we recommend a simple text editor like Notepad
(PC) or TextEdit (Mac).
We believe in that using a simple text editor is a good way to learn HTML.
Follow the steps below to create your first web page with Notepad or TextEdit.
Step 1: Open Notepad (PC)
Windows 8 or later:
Open the Start Screen (the window symbol at the bottom left on your screen).
Type Notepad.
Windows 7 or earlier:
Open Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad
Step 1: Open TextEdit (Mac)
Open Finder > Applications > TextEdit
Also change some preferences to get the application to save files correctly. In
Preferences > Format > choose "Plain Text"
Then under "Open and Save", check the box that says "Display HTML files as
HTML code instead of formatted text".
Then open a new document to place the code.
Step 2: Write Some HTML
Write or copy the following HTML code into Notepad:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Heading</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
Step 3: Save the HTML Page
Save the file on your computer. Select File > Save as in the Notepad menu.
Name the file "index.htm" and set the encoding to UTF-8 (which is the
preferred encoding for HTML files).
Tip: You can use either .htm or .html as file extension. There is no difference,
it is up to you.
Step 4: View the HTML Page in Your Browser
Open the saved HTML file in your favorite browser (double click on the file, or
right-click - and choose "Open with").
The result will look much like this:
Activity: try by creating a new note pad and write the code stated below.
Save and run in any browser
