History
HTML, which stands for Hyper Text Mark-Up
Language, is the language for describing structured documents as
well as the language used to create web pages in the Internet.
The language is based on an existing, international formatting
standard SGML, Standard Generalized Mark-Up Language, which is
used for text processing. HTML is a simplified version of SGML.
Significant Language Features
HTML files are written in ACSII text, so the
user can use any text editor to create his/her web page, though a
browser of one sort or another is necessary to view the web page.
HTML is case insensitive with its language commands. The characters
within the document, however, are case sensitive. The language
consists of various "tags" which are known as elements. These allow
the browser to understand (and put into the desired/specified
format) the layout, background, headings, titles, lists, text and/or
graphics on the page. The elements are classified according to their
function in the HTML document. There are head elements and body
elements. The head elements identify properties of the entire
document, while body elements actually mark text as content and show
a change in the appearance in one way or another. Most elements have
a beginning and an ending which
encompass the text the user wishes to mark with the tag. All HTML
documents must begin with the element and end with the element .
Some of the other elements which may be used are tags to create
lists--both ordered lists as well as unordered lists. The user may
also create larger or smaller, bolder, italicized, or underlined
text. Attributes may be used along with the elements. These perform
functions such as placement of text, indication of the source files
of images, and identification of links to the document or part of
the document.
Areas of Application
