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What is HTML? How Does It Work?: A Complete Guide

Şevval Senyücel

Şevval Senyücel
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Table of Contents

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the basic building block of web pages and a fundamental markup language that makes the internet work. Developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991, HTML is used to structure and organize the content of a web page.

HTML organizes the text, images, links, and other types of content on a web page in a format that browsers can understand. HTML files work with other technologies (such as CSS and JavaScript) to provide a visual and interactive experience for users in their browsers.

Basic Purposes of HTML

  • To create the structure of a web page (headings, paragraphs, lists, links, etc.).
  • To integrate multimedia content (images, videos, audio files).
  • To provide a basic infrastructure for interactive forms and user input.
  • To optimize web pages for browsers in a standards-compliant manner.

How Does HTML Work?

The working principle of HTML is quite simple:

1. Creating an HTML Document

Web developers use a simple text editor (e.g. Notepad, VS Code) to create an HTML file. The extension of this file should be .html or .htm.

2. Interpretation of HTML Codes by the Browser

HTML codes are sent to the browser. The browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Firefox) interprets these codes and presents a visual web page to the user.

3. HTML Communication with the Browser

The browser converts the HTML file into a structure called the “DOM” (Document Object Model). The DOM represents all the elements and content on the web page and allows developers to manipulate these elements with JavaScript.

4. User Interaction

Using HTML with CSS and JavaScript enhances the appearance and dynamic features of the page. When the user clicks on a link or submits a form, the browser responds by forwarding these actions to the server.

programming

HTML and Browser Relationship

HTML communicates directly with browsers. Browsers read HTML codes, interpret them, and present them to the user as a web page. For example, an <h1> tag tells the browser “This is a heading”, while a <p> tag says “This is a paragraph”.

Modern browsers support HTML5 standards, allowing multimedia content to work seamlessly. In addition, browsers automatically optimize HTML content according to users’ screen size and device type.

Basic Structure of HTML

The basic structure of an HTML document is as follows:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>What is HTML?</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Hello World!</h1>
  <p>This is a simple example of an HTML document.</p>
</body>
</html>

Explanation:

  • <!DOCTYPE html>: Indicates that HTML5 is used.
  • <html> Tag: Marks the beginning and end of the HTML document.
  • <head> Section: Contains metadata, titles and style information.
  • <body> Section: Content to be displayed to the user is defined here.

Advantages of HTML

Advantages of using HTML:

  • 1. Easy Learning: HTML can be learned quickly because it has a simple structure.
  • 2. Platform Independence: HTML files work in all browsers and are device independent.
  • 3. Standardization: W3C standards ensure the continuous development of HTML and reduce compatibility problems.
  • 4. SEO Compatibility: HTML allows search engines to crawl pages better.

Basic HTML Tags and Their Extensive Explanations

1. Heading Tags (<h1> - <h6>)

Heading tags provide meaningful structuring of content and are of great importance in terms of SEO. For example:

<h1>What is HTML?</h1>
<h2>How Does HTML Work?</h2>

2. Paragraph Tag (<p>)

Paragraphs increase readability by dividing text into sections.

<p>HTML is the basic markup language used to structure web pages.</p>

3. Anchor Tag (<a>)

Used to direct users to another page:

<a href="https://www.wikipedia.org" target="_blank">Visit Wikipedia</a>

4. Image Tag (<img>)

Used to add images to web pages:

<img src="html.jpg" alt="HTML Image" width="500">

5. List Tags (<ul>, <ol>, <li>)

Creates unordered and ordered lists:

<ul>
  <li>HTML</li>
  <li>CSS</li>
  <li>JavaScript</li>
</ul>

6. Form Tags (<form>, <input>, <button>)

Used to get user input:

<form action="/submit">
  <label for="name">Your Name:</label>
  <input type="text" id="name" name="name">
  <button type="submit">Send:</button>
</form>

How to Create Successful Websites Using HTML?

1. HTML5 Usage:
The current HTML version, HTML5, offers advanced features in terms of mobile compatibility and multimedia support.

2. Responsive Design:
In HTML coding, responsive designs can be created with meta and CSS.

3. Correct Semantic Usage:
The use of semantic tags such as <header>, <footer>, <article> strengthens accessibility and SEO.

Conclusion

HTML is one of the cornerstones of the modern web development world. Although it is a simple language, it plays an indispensable role in creating the structure and functionality of web pages. Today, HTML knowledge is a necessity not only for developers, but for everyone who wants to exist in the digital world.

You can start learning HTML to step into the digital world or develop your projects and become an expert in this field by practicing. When you reach the advanced level, you can combine your HTML knowledge with technologies such as CSS and JavaScript to develop more complex and impressive web applications.

Şevval Senyücel

Şevval Senyücel
“Writing is seeing the future.” Paul Valéry
5 min. read