What Is HTML?

What is HTML?
HTML is a language for describing web pages.
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language HTML is not a programming language, it is a markup language A markup language is a set of markup tags HTML uses markup tags to describe web pages
HTML Tags
HTML markup tags are usually called HTML tags
HTML tags are keywords surrounded by angle brackets like <html> HTML tags normally come in pairs like <b> and </b> The first tag in a pair is the start tag, the second tag is the end tag Start and end tags are also called opening tags and closing tags
HTML Documents = Web Pages
HTML documents describe web pages HTML documents contain HTML tags and plain text HTML documents are also called web pages
The purpose of a web browser (like Internet Explorer or Firefox) is to read HTML documents and display them as web pages. The browser does not display the HTML tags, but uses the tags to interpret the content of the page:
<html> <body> <h1>My First Heading</h1> <p>My first paragraph.</p> </body> </html>
Example Explained
The text between <html> and </html> describes the web page The text between <body> and </body> is the visible page content The text between <h1> and </h1> is displayed as a heading The text between <p> and </p> is displayed as a paragraph
What You Need

You don't need any tools to learn HTML at W3Schools.
You don't need an HTML editor You don't need a web server You don't need a web site
Editing HTML
HTML can be written and edited using many different editors like Dreamweaver and Visual Studio. However, in this tutorial we use a plain text editor (like Notepad) to edit HTML. We believe using a plain text editor is the best way to learn HTML.
Create Your Own Test Web

If you just want to learn HTML, skip the rest of this chapter. If you want to create a test page on your own computer, just copy the 3 files below to your desktop. (Right click on each link, and select "save target as" or "save link as") mainpage.htm page1.htm page2.htm After you have copied the files, you can double-click on the file called "mainpage.htm" and see your first web site in action.
Use Your Test Web For Learning

We suggest you experiment with everything you learn at W3Schools by editing your web files with a text editor (like Notepad). Note: If your test web contains HTML markup tags you have not learned, don't panic. You will learn all about it in the next chapters.
.HTM or .HTML File Extension?

When you save an HTML file, you can use either the .htm or the .html file extension. There is no difference, it is entirely up to you.
Don't worry if the examples use tags you have not learned. You will learn about them in the next chapters.
HTML Headings
HTML headings are defined with the <h1> to <h6> tags.
Example
<h1>This is a heading</h1> <h2>This is a heading</h2> <h3>This is a heading</h3>
Try it yourself
HTML Paragraphs
HTML paragraphs are defined with the <p> tag.
Example
<p>This is a paragraph.</p> <p>This is another paragraph.</p>
Try it yourself
HTML Links
HTML links are defined with the <a> tag.
Example
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com">This is a link</a>
Try it yourself
Note: The link address is specified in the href attribute. (You will learn about attributes in a later chapter of this tutorial).
HTML Images
HTML images are defined with the <img> tag.
Example
<img src="w3schools.jpg" width="104" height="142" />
Try it yourself
Note: The name and the size of the image are provided as attributes.
HTML Elements
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HTML documents are defined by HTML elements.
HTML Elements
An HTML element is everything from the start tag to the end tag:
Start tag * <p> <a href="default.htm" > <br />
Element content This is a paragraph This is a link </p> </a>
End tag *
* The start tag is often called the opening tag. The end tag is often called the closing tag.
HTML Element Syntax
An HTML element starts with a start tag / opening tag An HTML element ends with an end tag / closing tag The element content is everything between the start and the end tag Some HTML elements have empty content Empty elements are closed in the start tag Most HTML elements can have attributes
Tip: You will learn about attributes in the next chapter of this tutorial.
Nested HTML Elements

Most HTML elements can be nested (can contain other HTML elements). HTML documents consist of nested HTML elements.
HTML Document Example

<html> <body> <p>This is my first paragraph.</p> </body> </html>
The example above contains 3 HTML elements.
HTML Example Explained

The <p> element:
<p>This is my first paragraph.</p>
The <p> element defines a paragraph in the HTML document. The element has a start tag <p> and an end tag </p>. The element content is: This is my first paragraph. The <body> element:
<body> <p>This is my first paragraph.</p> </body>
The <body> element defines the body of the HTML document. The element has a start tag <body> and an end tag </body>. The element content is another HTML element (a p element). The <html> element:
<html> <body> <p>This is my first paragraph.</p> </body> </html>
The <html> element defines the whole HTML document. The element has a start tag <html> and an end tag </html>. The element content is another HTML element (the body element).
Don't Forget the End Tag

Some HTML elements might display correctly even if you forget the end tag:
<p>This is a paragraph <p>This is a paragraph
The example above works in most browsers, because the closing tag is considered optional. Never rely on this. Many HTML elements will produce unexpected results and/or errors if you forget the end tag .
Empty HTML Elements

HTML elements with no content are called empty elements. <br> is an empty element without a closing tag (the <br> tag defines a line break). Tip: In XHTML, all elements must be closed. Adding a slash inside the start tag, like <br />, is the proper way of closing empty elements in XHTML (and XML).
HTML Tip: Use Lowercase Tags

HTML tags are not case sensitive: <P> means the same as <p>. Many web sites use uppercase HTML tags. W3Schools use lowercase tags because the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommends lowercase in HTML 4, and demands lowercase tags in XHTML.
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HTML Attributes
HTML elements can have attributes Attributes provide additional information about an element Attributes are always specified in the start tag Attributes come in name/value pairs like: name="value"
Attribute Example
HTML links are defined with the <a> tag. The link address is specified in the href attribute:
Example
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com">This is a link</a>
Try it yourself
Always Quote Attribute Values

Attribute values should always be enclosed in quotes. Double style quotes are the most common, but single style quotes are also allowed.
Tip: In some rare situations, when the attribute value itself contains quotes, it is necessary to use single quotes: name='John "ShotGun" Nelson'
HTML Tip: Use Lowercase Attributes

Attribute names and attribute values are case-insensitive. However, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommends lowercase attributes/attribute values in their HTML 4 recommendation. Newer versions of (X)HTML will demand lowercase attributes.
HTML Attributes Reference

A complete list of legal attributes for each HTML element is listed in our: Complete HTML Reference Below is a list of some attributes that are standard for most HTML elements: Attribute class id style title Value classname id style_definition tooltip_text Description Specifies a classname for an element Specifies a unique id for an element Specifies an inline style for an element Specifies extra information about an element (displayed as a tool tip)
For more information about standard attributes: HTML Standard Attributes Reference
HTML Headings
Headings are defined with the <h1> to <h6> tags. <h1> defines the most important heading. <h6> defines the least important heading.
Example
<h1>This is a heading</h1> <h2>This is a heading</h2> <h3>This is a heading</h3>
Try it yourself
Note: Browsers automatically add some empty space (a margin) before and after each heading.
Headings Are Important

Use HTML headings for headings only. Don't use headings to make text BIG or bold. Search engines use your headings to index the structure and content of your web pages. Since users may skim your pages by its headings, it is important to use headings to show the document structure. H1 headings should be used as main headings, followed by H2 headings, then the less important H3 headings, and so on.
HTML Lines
The <hr /> tag creates a horizontal line in an HTML page. The hr element can be used to separate content:
Example
<p>This is a paragraph</p> <hr /> <p>This is a paragraph</p> <hr /> <p>This is a paragraph</p>
Try it yourself
HTML Comments
Comments can be inserted into the HTML code to make it more readable and understandable. Comments are ignored by the browser and are not displayed. Comments are written like this:
Example

Try it yourself
Note: There is an exclamation point after the opening bracket, but not before the closing bracket.
HTML Tip - How to View HTML Source

Have you ever seen a Web page and wondered "Hey! How did they do that?" To find out, right-click in the page and select "View Source" (IE) or "View Page Source" (Firefox), or similar for other browsers. This will open a window containing the HTML code of the page.
Examples From This Page
Headings How to display headings in an HTML document. Hidden comments How to insert comments in the HTML source code. Horizontal lines How to insert a horizontal line.
HTML Tag Reference

W3Schools' tag reference contains additional information about these tags and their attributes. You will learn more about HTML tags and attributes in the next chapters of this tutorial. Tag <html> <body> <h1> to <h6> <hr /> <!--> Description Defines an HTML document Defines the document's body Defines HTML headings Defines a horizontal line Defines a comment
HTML Paragraphs
Paragraphs are defined with the <p> tag.
Example
<p>This is a paragraph</p> <p>This is another paragraph</p>
Try it yourself
Note: Browsers automatically add an empty line before and after a paragraph.
Don't Forget the End Tag

Most browsers will display HTML correctly even if you forget the end tag:
Example
<p>This is a paragraph <p>This is another paragraph

Try it yourself
The example above will work in most browsers, but don't rely on it. Forgetting the end tag can produce unexpected results or errors. Note: Future version of HTML will not allow you to skip end tags.
HTML Line Breaks

Use the <br /> tag if you want a line break (a new line) without starting a new paragraph:
Example
<p>This is<br />a para<br />graph with line breaks</p>
Try it yourself
The <br /> element is an empty HTML element. It has no end tag.
<br> or <br />

In XHTML, XML, and future versions of HTML, HTML elements with no end tag (closing tag) are not allowed. Even if <br> works in all browsers, writing <br /> instead is more future proof.
HTML Output - Useful Tips

You cannot be sure how HTML will be displayed. Large or small screens, and resized windows will create different results. With HTML, you cannot change the output by adding extra spaces or extra lines in your HTML code. The browser will remove extra spaces and extra lines when the page is displayed. Any number of lines count as one line, and any number of spaces count as one space. Try it yourself (The example demonstrates some HTML formatting problems)
Examples From This Page
HTML paragraphs How HTML paragraphs are displayed in a browser. Line breaks The use of line breaks in an HTML document. Poem problems Some problems with HTML formatting.
More Examples
More paragraphs The default behaviors of paragraphs.
HTML Tag Reference

W3Schools' tag reference contains additional information about HTML elements and their attributes. Tag <p> <br /> Description Defines a paragraph Inserts a single line break

What Is HTML?

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What is HTML?

HTML is a language for describing web pages.

HTML Documents = Web Pages

What You Need

Create Your Own Test Web

Use Your Test Web For Learning

.HTM or .HTML File Extension?

HTML documents are defined by HTML elements.

Start tag * <p> <a href="default.htm" > <br />

Element content This is a paragraph This is a link </p> </a>

HTML Element Syntax

Nested HTML Elements

HTML Document Example

The example above contains 3 HTML elements.

HTML Example Explained

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

<body> <p>This is my first paragraph.</p> </body>

<html> <body> <p>This is my first paragraph.</p> </body> </html>

Don't Forget the End Tag

<p>This is a paragraph <p>This is a paragraph

Empty HTML Elements

HTML Tip: Use Lowercase Tags

Free Online Website Builder - No Downloading Needed

Always Quote Attribute Values

HTML Tip: Use Lowercase Attributes

HTML Attributes Reference

Headings Are Important

HTML Tip - How to View HTML Source

Examples From This Page

HTML Tag Reference

Don't Forget the End Tag

<p>This is a paragraph <p>This is another paragraph

HTML Line Breaks

<br> or <br />

HTML Output - Useful Tips

Examples From This Page

More paragraphs The default behaviors of paragraphs.

HTML Tag Reference

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