HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language used to structure content on the web. Along with CSS and JavaScript, it forms the foundation of modern web development.
Key Features
Document Structure
HTML defines the structure of a web page using elements such as <html>, <head>, and <body>.
<head>includes metadata, links to stylesheets, and scripts.<body>contains the visible page content.
Semantic Elements
Modern HTML emphasizes semantic tags like <header>, <article>, <section>, <nav>, and <footer> that describe the meaning of content. This improves accessibility, SEO, and code readability.
Multimedia Support
Provides elements like <img>, <audio>, and <video> for embedding media directly into web pages.
Forms and Input
HTML includes a variety of form controls (<input>, <textarea>, <select>, <button>) for collecting user input. Forms are often paired with JavaScript for validation and dynamic behavior.
Hyperlinks and Navigation
The <a> element enables linking between pages, forming the core of the web’s hypertext system.
Integration with CSS and JavaScript
- CSS is used to style and visually format the elements defined in HTML.
- JavaScript manipulates the Document Object Model (DOM) created by HTML, enabling interactivity.
Advantages
- Provides a universal, standardized way of structuring documents on the web
- Semantic elements improve accessibility and SEO
- Simple syntax makes it easy to learn and widely adopted
Purpose
HTML’s primary role is to define content and structure. Combined with CSS for presentation and JavaScript for behavior, it enables the creation of dynamic, responsive, and interactive web applications, including Single Page Applications built with frameworks like React and powered by build tools such as Vite.