Hypertext Markup Language

Hypertext Markup Language
Name	Hypertext Markup Language
File ext	.html, .htm
Mime	text/html
Developer	World Wide Web Consortium, WHATWG
Latest release version	Living Standard
Genre	Markup language

Contents

History
Syntax
Elements and attributes
Document structure
Semantic HTML
Related technologies

Hypertext Markup Language. It is the standard markup language used for creating web pages and applications that are displayed in a web browser. Developed from SGML, it structures content on the World Wide Web through a system of tags and attributes. The language is maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium and the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group.

History

The initial proposal for a hypertext system was made by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while working at CERN. The first publicly available description, "HTML Tags", was published in 1991, outlining 18 elements. Subsequent development was rapid, with the IETF publishing the first formal specification, HTML 2.0, in 1995. The World Wide Web Consortium later took over development, releasing versions like HTML 3.2 and HTML 4.01. A major shift occurred with the formation of the WHATWG, which began work on HTML5, merging the specification with those for DOM and JavaScript. This effort culminated in HTML5 becoming a W3C Recommendation in 2014, and the language has since evolved as a living standard.

Syntax

The syntax is defined by the use of angle brackets to enclose tags, such as `

` for a paragraph. Most elements are written with a start tag and an end tag, though some, like ``, are void elements. The language originally was designed to be forgiving of syntax errors, a trait of its SGML heritage, leading browsers to implement robust error handling. Modern conventions, encouraged by HTML5, promote the use of a well-formed structure, often validated against a Document Type Definition. Key syntactic features include the use of attributes within start tags and the nesting of elements to create a hierarchical document tree.

Elements and attributes

Core structural elements include `

` for division and `` for inline phrasing. Text-level semantics are provided by elements like `` for emphasis and `` for strong importance. Hyperlinks are created using the `` element with its `href` attribute, while images are embedded with the `` tag using `src`. Form controls, such as ``, ``, and `<select>`, are critical for user interaction. Each element can be modified by attributes; for instance, the `class` and `id` attributes are fundamental for applying <a href="CSS.html">CSS</a> styles and <a href="JavaScript.html">JavaScript</a> manipulations. The `data-*` attributes, introduced in <a href="HTML5.html">HTML5</a>, allow for the storage of custom data.</p> <h2 id="document-structure">Document structure</h2> <p>A typical document begins with a `<!DOCTYPE html>` declaration. The root `<html>` element contains a `<head>` section and a `<body>` section. The `<head>` houses metadata elements like `<title>`, `<meta>`, and `<link>` for resources such as <a href="CSS.html">CSS</a> stylesheets. The `<body>` encloses all the visible content, which is structurally organized using elements like `<header>`, `<main>`, `<article>`, `<section>`, and `<footer>`. This division aids in presentation, accessibility, and search engine optimization, as interpreted by tools like the <a href="Googlebot.html">Googlebot</a>.</p> <h2 id="semantic-html">Semantic HTML</h2> <p>This practice involves using HTML elements that convey the meaning of their content, rather than merely defining presentation. Introduced significantly with <a href="HTML5.html">HTML5</a>, semantic elements include `<nav>` for navigation blocks, `<aside>` for tangential content, and `<figure>` for self-contained illustrations. Using `<article>` for independent content and `<time>` for dates enhances machine readability. This approach improves accessibility for assistive technologies like <a href="JAWS.html">JAWS</a> and <a href="NVDA.html">NVDA</a>, and provides clearer data for search engine crawlers from companies like <a href="Google.html">Google</a> and <a href="Microsoft.html">Microsoft</a>.</p> <h2 id="related-technologies">Related technologies</h2> <p>It is almost invariably used alongside <a href="Cascading_Style_Sheets.html">Cascading Style Sheets</a> for presentation and layout, and <a href="JavaScript.html">JavaScript</a> for dynamic behavior, forming a core triad of web technologies. The <a href="Document_Object_Model.html">Document Object Model</a> provides a programming interface for document structure. For vector graphics, <a href="Scalable_Vector_Graphics.html">Scalable Vector Graphics</a> can be embedded directly. Web applications often rely on <a href="WebGL.html">WebGL</a> for 3D graphics and <a href="WebAssembly.html">WebAssembly</a> for high-performance code. The language's evolution is closely tied to standards for <a href="HTTP.html">HTTP</a>, <a href="URL.html">URL</a>s, and <a href="WebRTC.html">WebRTC</a>, maintained by bodies like the <a href="Internet_Engineering_Task_Force.html">Internet Engineering Task Force</a>.</p> <p>Category:Markup languages Category:Web development</p> </div></div> </div> <footer class="mw-ft"><div class="ft-logos"><a href="https://scads.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span class="ft-lt">ScaDS.AI<small>Dresden / Leipzig</small></span></a></div> <div class="ft-links">Licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a> <span class="ft-sep">·</span><a href="accessibility.html">Accessibility</a> <span class="ft-sep">·</span><a href="imprint.html">Imprint</a> <span class="ft-sep">·</span><a href="data_protection.html">Data Protection</a></div> <div class="ft-ver">LLMpedia v0.1</div></footer> </div></body></html>