Coding For Dummies

Chapter 4

Exploring Basic HTML

IN THIS CHAPTER

Learning the purpose of HTML

Understanding basic HTML structure

Adding headlines, paragraphs, hyperlinks, and images

Formatting web page text

Creating a basic HTML website

You affect the world by what you browse.

— TIM BERNERS-LEE

HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is used in every single web page you browse on the Internet. Because the language is so foundational, a good first step for you is to start learning HTML.

In this chapter, you learn HTML basics, including basic HTML structure and how to make text appear in the browser. Next, you learn how to format text and display images in a web browser. Finally, you create your own, and possibly first, HTML website. You may find that HTML without any additional styling appears to be very plain, and does not look like the websites you normally visit on the Internet. After you code a basic website using HTML, you will use additional languages in later chapters to add even more style to your websites.

What Does HTML Do?

HTML instructs the browser on how to display text and images in a web page. Recall the last time you created a document with a word processor. Whether you use Microsoft Word or Wordpad, Apple Pages, or another application, your word processor has a main window in which you type text, and a menu or toolbar with multiple options to structure and style that text (see Figure 4-1). Using your word processor, you can create headings, write in paragraphs, insert pictures, or ...