What is HTML?

What is HTML anyway? Well, HTML stands for Hyper Text Mark-up Language and is the "secret code" that is used to create the look and layout of all the documents on the web. Why do I call it the secret code? Because everything on this web page is the result hidden instructions, called tags, that tell the web browser how to display the text, the images, the color, and such. Moreover, the web browser doesn't display the tags on the web page…so, that's why I call it the secret code.

Sound confusing? It might help for you to see an example of what HTML looks like with all those tags.

Look up on the browser window's toolbar, go under View, then click on Source. In a matter of seconds you will see all the hidden HTML tags for displaying the text and images you see here on this page. Or, just click on the button below and I'll take you behind the scenes to the HTML for this page. Oh, and keep an eye out for "less than" (<) and "greater than" (>) signs, because those are part of the instructions which your web browser reads and obeys.

Wow! That's a lot of stuff, isn't it! Did you notice all those "less than" (<) and "greater than" (>) signs? Those are part of the HTML tags.

Learning to write HTML is not hard to do. That's why you and I are here…to help you learn how to write HTML in order to make your web pages.

Now, let's get started learning the tools and rules of writing tags.

This resource originally created by Deborah Dunk.
Revised and edited by Michael Galloway in 2005 & in 2006.