What is HTML?

The Internet

First of all, let's take a step back and talk about "The internet".

The internet is a global network of computers that enables communication and data exchange. Across the world, there are undersea cables connecting continents. We don't really need that many, but they are crucial for connectivity and also serve as a fallbackFallback: A backup option used if the primary option fails.

A submarine internet cable in detail

An internet cable is a physical connection that transports data between computers and networks. They are essential for the functioning of the internet.

A submarine internet cable is about 17mm to 25mm thick. It looks very similar to a common garden hose. However, the actual glass fibers inside that carry data, are tiny. They're about the width of a human hair. The whole internet passes through that!

The WWW

The WWW (World Wide Web) is a system of interconnected HyperTextHyperText: Text with links to other texts documents accessible via the internet. With a web browser, users can view web pages and navigate between these documents through hyperlinksHyperlinks: Links to other web pages or resources. The WWW is thus not the same as the internet.

When we open our web browser and navigate to a website, we are interacting with the WWW which in turn relies on the internet to fetch and display the requested web pages.

When you enter a URL in your web browser, it sends a request to the appropriate web server. The server processes the request and sends back the requested web page.

Then, the browser processes the received web page, requests additional resources if needed, and renders the content for the user to view.

Since the inception of the WWW, web browsers have played a crucial role in accessing and navigating the web. The dominant web browsers have changed often over time.

HTML and what it stands for

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language
It is a standard set by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
A semanticSemantic: Making something clear according to the rules structure with textual content and media (video, images, audio,..)
It is the basis of the WWW

How HTML works and how to recognize it

HTML consists of a series of elements that define the structure and content of a web page. HTML files;

have a doctype declaration like <!DOCTYPE html>;
have elements like <h1>, <p>, <ul>, <li> that are used to structure the content;
usually have the extension .html, .htm or .php;
can be opened in a web browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Edge, Safari,.. ;
can be edited with a text editor like Notepad, VS Code, Sublime Text,.. ;
can be hosted on a web server so they are accessible via the internet;
can be linked to CSS files for styling (soon) and JavaScript files for interactivity (5APDA → next year, 5BINF → DW2);

Time for some inception type shi-:

<div class="flexbox">
	<img src="/assets/img/html.jpg" class="w-2/4" alt="The start of an HTML file">
	<div>
		<h2>HTML and what it stands for</h2>
		<ul>
			<li>HTML stands for HyperText<span class="tooltip"><span><strong>HyperText</strong>: Text with links to other texts</span></span> Markup Language</li>
			<li>It is a standard set by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)</li>
			<li>A semantic<span class="tooltip"><span><strong>Semantic</strong>: Making something clear according to the rules</span></span> structure with textual content and media (video, images, audio,..)</li>
			<li>It is the basis of the WWW</li>
		</ul>
	</div>
</div>

<h2>How HTML works and how to recognize it</h2>
<p>HTML consists of a series of elements that define the structure and content of a web page. HTML files;</p>
<ul>
	<li>have a doctype declaration like <code><!DOCTYPE html></code>;</li>
	<li>have elements like <h1>, <p>, <ul>, <li> that are used to structure the content;</li>
	<li>usually have the extension .html, .htm or .php;</li>
	<li>can be opened in a web browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Edge, Safari,.. ;</li>
	<li>can be edited with a text editor like Notepad, VS Code, Sublime Text,.. ;</li>
	<li>can be hosted on a web server so they are accessible via the internet;</li>
	<li>can be linked to CSS files for styling (soon) and JavaScript files for interactivity (5APDA → next year, 5BINF → DW2);</li>
</ul>

<h2>Time for some inception type shi-</h2>

Yes, the current page is made with HTML as well. It's where most websites begin. Overwhelmed? Don't worry, we'll get there.

Next: HTML Basics