What is HTML used for?

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is used to structure web pages and their content.

In more detail, HTML provides the foundational building blocks for any website. It uses a system of elements, represented by tags, to define different parts of a web page. These elements tell the web browser how to display text, images, videos, and other multimedia.

How HTML Structures Web Content

HTML isn't a programming language; it's a markup language. This means it uses tags to mark up text and other content, instructing the browser on how to display them.

Here's a breakdown of how HTML works:

• Elements: The basic building blocks of an HTML page. Examples include paragraphs (<p>), headings (<h1> to <h6>), images (<img>), and links (<a>).
• Tags: Used to define HTML elements. Most elements have an opening tag (e.g., <p>) and a closing tag (e.g., </p>). The content between the tags is what is displayed.
• Attributes: Provide additional information about HTML elements. For example, the <img> tag uses the src attribute to specify the image source and the alt attribute for alternative text.

Examples of HTML in Action

Here are a few examples illustrating how HTML is used:

• Creating a paragraph:

  <p>This is a paragraph of text.</p>

• Adding a heading:

  <h1>This is a main heading</h1>
  <h2>This is a subheading</h2>

• Inserting an image:

  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description of the image">

• Creating a hyperlink:

  <a href="https://www.example.com">Visit Example Website</a>

Why HTML is Important

HTML is essential for creating web pages because:

• It provides the structure and organization of content.
• It allows browsers to display content correctly.
• It forms the basis for more advanced web technologies like CSS (for styling) and JavaScript (for interactivity).
• It's universally supported by all web browsers.

In short, HTML is the backbone of the web, defining the structure and content of virtually every web page you see.