As neophytes to the basics of HTML... this is where you start.
Welcome to Lesson 1 - A Brief Introduction to HTML.
Modifying an existing web page and/ or creating a new one from scratch are not at all difficult tasks. And learning up the complete HTML encoding language solely for the sake of web page creation is not required. This tutorial has been specifically designed to highlight the importance of HTML standards and also to provide a general understanding of the difference amongst the 3 existing HTML versions – HTML 2.0, HTML 3.2 and HTML 4.0
HTML – an ellipsis for Hyper Text Markup Language – is by far, the key markup language for the internet; a markup language deciphered by different software and several web browser decoding HTML codes, and displaying the web contents to the end user as per the commands recorded in the HTML script. Candidly speaking, HTML is the argot to put forward your hypertexts over the World Wide Web.
An easy-to-learn, simple-to-understand and yet the most comprehensive of all markup languages, it is the HTML magic potion that work towards presenting your text documents in a uniquely structured manner. You give your text information a header, footer, paragraphs, several fonts, colours, listings, and also supplement the same with embedded images and additional bits and pieces. Written in the form of, although not entirely, but to some extent the appearance and semantics of the text documents do also rest upon the frail shoulders of HTML.
And now coming to the different HTML standards, as far as the early standard i.e. HTML 2.0 is concerned, it is supported by almost all popular web browsers in use till date. It was the introduction of some new-fangled features by Microsoft and Netscape that led to the birth of the next new version – HTML 3.2. Offering a somewhat different take over the internet, it was during the reign of standard 3.2 that the web took off in popularity. Although not designed to serve as a web page formatting tool, with HTML 3.2 programming geeks found out ways to use HTML for subtle web page formatting.
But it’s the currently used brand new standard – HTML 4.0 – that has brought with it a completely new and a more logical approach for web page formatting, courtesy the “Style Sheets” that helps in separating the style format from content, thus making the task of the web designers even easier. Well-resourced with state-of-the-art features, HTML 4.0 has been specifically designed to rule out all probable complications related to different web browsers.
The different HTML standards serve different purposes all revolving around the presentation of web pages. It is the basic set of standard HTML codes that’ll provide accessibility to the widest range of web browsers, but yes, then again you’ll have to cut down on your expectations and passions of presenting things on your web page. For instance, an HTML that looks flamboyant on Netscape will obviously have zero appeal to the IE users. And moreover, it’s not only the web browsers of your viewers that matters, monitor sizes and resolutions, should also be taken into consideration while employing the HTML standards. You’d certainly not like the idea of wasting time in designing web pages solely for your viewing purpose. It should be something for the world to view. So it is necessary for you to get an overview of some of the most widely accepted features of HTML as presented in the first section of the lessons; and once you are through with it, the rest depends upon you to decide about using some of the more "deluxe" features of HTML codes.
Original Authors: Rajat
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 20/04/2009
