Structuring the Web with HTML

Introduction

To build effective websites, understanding HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is essential. HTML is the fundamental technology used to define the structure of a webpage. It allows you to specify whether your content should be recognized as a paragraph, list, heading, link, image, multimedia player, form, or any other element.

Prerequisites

Before diving into this topic, you should have:

  • Basic familiarity with using computers and the web (i.e., browsing and consuming content).
  • A basic work environment set up, as detailed in Installing basic software.
  • An understanding of how to create and manage files, as detailed in Dealing with files.

It’s recommended to complete the Getting started with the web module, though it’s not strictly necessary. Much of what is covered in the HTML basics article is also explored in the Introduction to HTML module, albeit in more detail.

What’s Next?

After mastering HTML, you can move on to more advanced topics such as:

  • CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): Learn how to style HTML elements, change text size and fonts, add borders and shadows, create multi-column layouts, and add animations.
  • JavaScript: Learn how to add dynamic functionality to web pages, such as interactive maps, toggling UI elements, and saving user data locally.

Modules

This topic includes the following modules, listed in a suggested order for learning:

1. Introduction to HTML

This module introduces important concepts and syntax, demonstrating how to apply HTML to text, create hyperlinks, and structure a webpage.

2. Multimedia and Embedding

Learn how to use HTML to include multimedia in your web pages, including images, videos, audio, and even embedding other webpages.

3. HTML Tables

This module covers how to represent tabular data on a webpage in an understandable and accessible way, including basic table markup and advanced features like captions and summaries.

4. Solving Common HTML Problems

This section provides solutions to common HTML problems, such as dealing with titles, adding images or videos, emphasizing content, and creating basic forms.

See Also

Web Forms

This module covers the essentials of web forms, which are powerful tools for interacting with users. Learn how to mark up form structure, style form controls, validate form data, and submit data to the server.

What is a Web Server?

A web server is a computer system that hosts websites and delivers web content to users over the internet. When you enter a web address into your browser, it sends a request to the web server where the website is hosted. The server processes this request and sends the appropriate web pages back to your browser, which displays them.

Key Functions of a Web Server:

  • Hosting Websites: Web servers store all the files that make up a website, including HTML documents, images, CSS stylesheets, and JavaScript files.
  • Processing Requests: When a user requests a web page, the server processes this request and retrieves the necessary files to display the page.
  • Security: Web servers implement security measures to protect websites from attacks and unauthorized access.
  • Performance: Web servers manage the load and ensure that websites run efficiently, even with high traffic.

Types of Web Servers:

  • Apache HTTP Server: One of the most popular and widely used web servers.
  • Nginx: Known for its high performance and efficient handling of concurrent connections.
  • Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS): A web server developed by Microsoft, used for hosting websites on Windows servers.

Further Reading

By exploring these modules and resources, you will build a strong foundation in HTML and web development, enabling you to create and manage your own websites effectively.