What Is HTML? A Beginner’s Guide-Chapter 1: Basic HTML Course

HTML code displayed on a computer screen for beginners learning web development.

Introduction to HTML

Have you ever wondered how websites are created? Every website needs a structure to display headings, paragraphs, images, links and other content. One of the main technologies used to create this structure is HTML (HyperText Markup Language).

HTML is the foundation of most webpages. It helps web browsers understand how content should be organised and displayed. Whether you want to create a personal website, a blog or a business webpage, learning HTML is an excellent first step towards web development.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Understand what HTML means and why it is used.
Learn the basic structure of an HTML document.
Identify common HTML tags and elements.
Create a simple HTML webpage.
Understand how a browser displays HTML code.

What Is HTML?

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is a markup language used to structure content on the web.

Let us understand the three words:

HyperText: Text containing links that connect one webpage to another.
Markup: Tags used to identify and organise different types of content.
Language: A set of rules and instructions used to structure information.

HTML is not a programming language because it does not provide general-purpose programming logic on its own. Instead, it defines the structure and meaning of webpage content.

Why Is HTML Important?

HTML is important because it provides the basic structure of a webpage. It allows you to add headings, paragraphs, images, hyperlinks, lists, tables and forms.

HTML is commonly used alongside two other web technologies:

CSS: Controls the appearance, colours, fonts and layout of a webpage.
JavaScript: Adds interactivity, such as responding to button clicks and validating forms.

Together, these technologies help developers create useful and attractive websites.

Understanding Basic HTML Tags

HTML uses tags enclosed in angle brackets to mark up content. Many elements have an opening tag and a closing tag.

For example:

<h1>Welcome to My Website</h1>

<p>This is my first webpage.</p>

Here, <h1> defines a main heading, while <p> defines a paragraph. The closing tags contain a forward slash, as shown in </h1> and </p>.

Some elements, such as <img>, do not require a separate closing tag.

Practical Example: Create Your First HTML Page

You can create your first webpage using a simple text editor, such as Notepad, and a web browser.

Copy the following code:

<!DOCTYPE html>

<head>

content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

<title>My First Webpage</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>Welcome to HTML</h1>

<p>I am learning HTML step by step.</p>

<p>This is my first webpage.</p>

</body>

</html>

Save the file as index.html, ensuring that it is saved as an HTML file rather than index.html.txt. Then open it in your web browser.

Expected Output

The browser will display:

Welcome to HTML

I am learning HTML step by step.

This is my first webpage.

The browser will show the heading and paragraphs as formatted text rather than displaying the HTML tags themselves.

Understanding the HTML Document Structure

The example above contains several important parts:

<!DOCTYPE html> tells the browser to use modern HTML standards.
<html lang="en-GB"> identifies the document language as British English.
<head> contains information about the webpage, including its title and character settings.
<title> sets the title shown in the browser tab.
<body> contains the content displayed on the webpage.
<h1> creates the main heading.
<p> creates a paragraph.

These elements form the foundation of a standard HTML document.

Practice Exercise

Now create a webpage of your own.

Change the main heading to your name or your website's name.
Add two paragraphs introducing yourself or your interests.
Change the browser tab title to About Me.
Save the file and open it in your browser.
Check whether the heading and paragraphs appear correctly.

Try changing the text inside the tags without changing the tags themselves.

Key Takeaways

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language.
It structures content on webpages.
HTML uses tags and elements to organise information.
CSS controls presentation, while JavaScript adds interactivity.
A basic HTML document contains a document declaration, a head section and a body section.
You can create and test a basic HTML page using a text editor and a browser.

Next Lesson: HTML Document Structure Explained

In Chapter 2: HTML Document Structure Explained with Examples, we will examine the essential parts of an HTML document in greater detail and learn how to organise webpage content correctly.

Continue learning with Focus360Blog's Basic HTML Course to build your web development skills step by step.

Disclaimer

This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. The examples are provided to help beginners understand HTML and practise basic webpage creation. HTML features and browser behaviour may vary depending on the technologies and tools used. Readers should test their code in a suitable browser and consult official documentation when necessary.

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