Welcome to the modern Digital Age, in which technology and the Internet reign supreme. If you’ve decided to learn computer programming, then you’re in luck. Now is the perfect time to enter this vast, ever-expanding industry.
The truth is, businesses of all kinds have learned that a functional, engaging website is crucial for success. Plus, the majority of those websites use specific coding languages behind the scenes. One of those major web development coding languages is Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
If you’re ready to learn HTML, you need to start with the basic HTML elements you’ll be working with. Then, you can expand your knowledge base and become the most savvy HTML coder around.
After all, even experts recognize that HTML is one of the most popular programming languages of the day. In other words, you’re off to a great start if you want to become a master programmer!
The Basic Syntax of HTML Elements
Before you start learning about the different HTML tags, it’s important to understand their basic syntax. HTML tags are structured in a simple outline format, which is easy to recognize. Each element, though, will have its own set of brackets: “<>”.
Those brackets indicate to programming decoders that a new HTML element has either started or ended. In fact, there’s a specific designation for the ending of those HTML tags.
When you start an HTML element, you’ll open it with a “<…>” set of brackets. Then, you type out all of the necessary information about that element. When you’re at the end of that tag, then, you’ll use “</…>” to indicate it’s finished.
Every HTML element, then, has an opening and closing bracket. Keep reading for more specific examples.
The HTML Tag
Every HTML document is going to have this tag wrapped around its entirety. At the beginning of the page, then, you’ll type “<html>” on the first line. Then, hit Enter.
Throughout the rest of the page, you’ll add plenty of other HTML tags as needed. On the very last line, though, you’ll always have one final “</html>” to include. This is crucial so that web pages have a sort of protective shell over its HTML elements.
The Head Tag
The element on the next line of your HTML is going to be the “<head>” tag. Within this element, you’ll enter the important information about what this web page is going to be titled.
The Head tag may not have any specific data entered within it. Instead, the Head tag includes other information like the Title tag and the Meta tag. After all of that, though, don’t forget to close out this section with a “</head>” tag.
The Title Tag
The Title tag is pretty self-explanatory. It’s going to be the title of your web page that search engines and users will be able to see. Name your web page something that is engaging and relevant to the rest of the page’s content.
Within the Head tag, then, you’ll designate a “<title>” tag. Without any spaces following it, type out the title of your web page. It can look something like this: “<title>This Is My Web Page</title>”.
The Meta Tag
After that Title tag, it’s common practice to include metadata about your web page. This information isn’t seen by any online users. Instead, search engines look at this data and analyze keywords within it.
Use a “<meta>” tag to ensure your web page gets a high ranking with search engines. Otherwise, online users might not even be able to find your website!
The Body Tag
After your HTML, Head, Title, and Meta tags, it’s time for the main content of the web page. All of this information will be included in the “<body>” tag.
You can add all kinds of content like images, videos, or tables of data. Don’t forget to include the closing “</body>” tag at the end, though!
HTML Is Only the Beginning of Programming Languages!
You might be excited at this point with your new understanding of HTML. It’s one of the easier coding languages to learn, which is why it’s often taught first. Still, recognize that you’re only at the beginning of your programming journey!
In fact, HTML won’t give you an engaging, high-quality website on its own. The next language to learn would probably be that of Cascading Style Sheet (CSS). When you combine HTML and CSS, you have a variety of visual effects you can program on your websites.
Plus, it’s smart to learn more programming languages that deal with databases behind the scene. One great example would be to learn JavaScript or C#, too.
Over time, though, you’ll find that your HTML knowledge was a great foundation for your programming knowledge. You’ll learn all kinds of useful tricks like how to convert C# HTML to PDF documents. It’ll be up to you, though, to continue learning and making the most of available educational resources.
Continue to Keep Yourself Informed of Trends in Web Development
At this point in the article, you should have a thorough understanding of the basic HTML elements. If you become familiar with these building blocks, the rest of HTML will come easily. In no time, you’ll be a master programmer in the world of web development.
Still, don’t underestimate the value of continued education. There are a lot of ins and outs to navigate when it comes to proper web development. Things are always advancing and changing, but it’s important to keep up.
That’s why it’s so essential you continue to keep yourself informed when it comes to web development and design. If you want to stand out ahead of any competitors, you’ll keep up with the industry’s popular trends.
In fact, that’s where we can come into play. We prioritize bringing our readers like you the top practices in today’s world of web development. For that reason, we encourage you to browse through the rest of our website for more qualified guidance on establishing yourself as a tech-savvy expert.