How difficult is it to learn HTML?


Aspiring Web developers often stumble upon this question and the answer may vary person to person. No matter the answer, HTML or Hypertext Markup Language is one of the most important languages to get started with Web Development. The commonly used browsers and web pages make use of such languages and to get into the domain, HTML remains a compulsion.

For the answer, Coders who have prior experience with languages can find it to be easier than any other language but first timers may need to get attuned to it. Although the language demands time and practice, it is pretty straight-forward and an easy language to master.

To make the process of learning HTML an easy walk, one must first familiarize themselves with the basics of HTML.

Steps to Learn

  • Getting started with HTML

  • Features of HTML

  • HTML with CSS and JavaScript

  • HTML Code

Getting Started with HTML

HTML forms the foundation of any webpage and determines the structure of it. Before getting into the technicality of the languages, individuals must know where to code, text editors are widely used for this purpose along with IDEs like Visual studio Code which is a more comprehensive tool for HTML and web development. IDEs are known to offer auto-completion and syntax highlighting, making it a preferred choice.No matter the coding application, the files must be saved with a .html file extension.

HTML Basics

The capacity to hyperlink various pieces of information together is referred to as "hypertext." By employing the element to construct hyperlinks in HTML, visitors can click on these links to move across web pages. The World Wide Web was designed with the idea of interconnection at its core, enabling users to quickly access and explore related content.

The HTML code starts with defining the DOCTYPE of the file, specifying the HTML version. The 'Markup' in the name 'Hypertext Markup Language' comes from the wide use of tags in this language.

The term "HTML" was chosen to symbolize the language's function of organizing and linking information on the internet. The use of markup elements in HTML enables the construction of documents that are simple for web browsers to understand and enable smooth page navigation for users.

HTML Tags

html, head, and body are some of the tags to get started with the language. <head></head> tags are home to meta-information such as title and character encoding while the <body></body> tag contains visible content of the webpage.

Other tags are heading tags(h1 to h6), paragraph tags(<p>), list tags(ol for ordered list and ul for unordered list), link tags(<a>), image tags(<i>) and div tags. HTML tags have attributes, which provide additional information about an element. These are added within the open tag and are written with their value.

For example the href attribute in <a> tag. Id, class, src, href, alt, style are some of the commonly used attributes. HTML is a combination of tags and attributes.

Features of HTML

  • Greater flexibility − HTML also offers greater flexibility and control through the Nesting technique. HTML allows the nesting of elements into one another to create a hierarchical structure, for example paragraph tags can contain inline elements like 'em' element for emphasis.

  • Document Objective Model − Through DOM, developers can build features like form validation and real- life data updates. While getting into web development, developers should also work towards making a dynamic webpage.

HTML with CSS and JavaScript

With more exposure to HTML, one can understand that it should be paired up with CSS and JavaScript to make the outcomes worthy.

CSS(Cascading Styling Sheets) deals with the aesthetic and design aspect of a webpage. The presentation, design,style and colors in a webpage are coded in through CSS. CSS provides many options for color, background color, typography, borders, text-alignment, animation and layout. This can either be linked with an HTML file or written in the HTML code itself. CSS cascading nature helps the design to be flexible.

JavaScript is embedded into an HTML file to make it an engaging and interactive user experience. The JavaScript files are embedded using <script> tags. JavaScript and CSS are a part of this article because of what they make out of an HTML file and convert it into a functional website. The duo is also known to make a visually appealing web page which functions and interacts better.

The triad of HTML, CSS and JavaScript is an indispensable tool for web development and should be learnt along the way.

HTML Codes

All of these are some basics, developers must understand to pave their way into Web Development. But theory isn't all we need, the practical knowledge to be able to use it stands more important.

The internet is filled with resources to learn more about the basics, that is also one of the reasons why HTML is so accessible and easy to learn at a desired pace. Practicing the use of tags and attributes is a step to excel in the language. Along with coding and using the theories practically, one must keep exploring the scope of HTML.

Building Projects is a practical approach towards learning more and testing your knowledge. Developing basic web pages, learning and moving on to create complex web pages or a fully functional website is a testimony to the growth of a good Web developer and should be an aim while getting started with HTML.

To understand the above mentioned theories better, we'll make a web page.

Algorithm

  • Using Text editors Or IDEs, make a new file and save it with .html extension

  • Define the DOCTYPE.

  • Write the title and meta information about the content.

  • In the body tag, mention the content of the web page.

Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
   <meta charset="UTF-8">
   <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
   <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
   <title>
      Creating Webpage
   </title>
</head>
<style>
   *{
      font-family: Cambria, Cochin, Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;
   }

   {
      box-sizing: border-box;
   }

   body {
      margin: 0px;
      background-color:#A07855FF
      font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;
   }

   header h1 {
      text-align: center;
      font-size: 40px;
      background-color: #333333;
      color: antiquewhite;
   }

</style>
<body>
   <header>
      <h1>Creating Webpage</h1>
   </header>
</body>
</html>

Conclusion

From this article, we can conclude that HTML learning experience can be different for different people. But if done in the correct way with correct resources, it can be a worthy start for the web developers.

One must keep in mind the importance of learning, understanding and putting basics to use to do well in this domain. The process should also have its own share of experimentation and exploration. The article also discussed the tags and attributes, and the process of embedding CSS and JavaScript into HTML files.

In conclusion, it's only time and practice that can help you master HTML and the skill of Web Development.

Updated on: 17-Aug-2023

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