What is HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)?

 INTRODUCTION

The World Wide Web is the most unique service of the internet. Its protocols allow it to transmit text and multimedia file. formats to users while also allowing web browsers to access another internet services. The web is based on a concept called hypertext, which means that text within the paragraph on a web page, is designed to act as link to other web pages and the web pages are written in a special language called HTML. HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language.


Internet is an integral part of all of us today. The World Wide Web bring loads of information on variety of pages called the web pages. A web page is generally a single HTML document, which might include text, graphics, sound file and hypertext links. Each HTML document you create is a single web page, regardless of the length of the document or the amount of information included. 


HTML is simple enough that typical computer user can generate HTML document without the benefit of a special application.


HTML lets you to design and create web pages that can be read on any type of computer. Using any web browser software, you can be connected to the web.


HISTORY OF HTML

HTML was first proposed in 1989, it took shape as a subset of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language), which is a higher level markup language that has long been a favourite of the department of defense and many other organizations with a truly large volume of document to manage. Like HTML it describes formatting and hypertext links and define different components of a document.HTML definitely the simpler of the two and although they are related. Because HTML can transmit over the internet (in the form of web pages) it is much simpler than SGML. SGML is not exactly ideal for transmission access to the internet to many different types of computer, user and browser application. HTML is more suited to this task. 

HTML is not a programming language., but a markup language.


HTML (HYPERTEXT MARKUP LANGUAGE)

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is a cross-platform standard. The same HTML document can be viewed using browsers on Windows, Macintosh and UNIX platforms. This is possible because HTML conforms to a specification or a standard, defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ISO is an international body comprised of computer manufacturers, software vendors, university researchers and members of industry and government.


「Definition Byte

Markup refers to a sequence of characters or other symbols that are inserted in a text document. They indicate how a document should be structured.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is a language used to develop Web pages.


HTML is a language used to create documents using tags that determine the structure and format. Hypertext provides a way to organize and present information. Its purpose is to link documents in a non-linear manner.


「Definition Byte

Hypermedia: Multimedia data types incorporated into HTML documents.


Hypertext documents contain active links or pointer to other information sources. A user can click a link and advance to a specific hypertext document section or go to a different Web document altogether.


You are probably familiar with some common hypertext systems. Many computer Help systems, such as the one in Microsoft Word, include hypertext interfaces. Typically, a user will search and retrieve a document by typing in a keyword. He or she can then select other active links within the new document to find associated information. Active links usually have a visual distinction, such as underscored text or a pointer of some kind. 


The World Wide Web is responsible for hypertext′s rapid growth. Because of their intuitive nature, hypertext systems are widely used for navigating and exploring information.


「Information Byte

Cross-platform software works on more than one type of system.


With hypertext, the information is text. Hypermedia is an extension of hypertext and it includes images, video, audio, animation and other multimedia data types which can be incorporated into HTML documents. The Web can be accurately described as a hypermedia system.


Ted Nelson first conceived hypertext in 1965. The first widely commercialized hypertext product was Hypercard, conceived by Bill Atkinson and introduced by Apple Computer in 1987. It incorporated many hypertext and hypermedia concept, but wat a proprietary system that worked only on Macintosh computers.


In contrast, HTML is a cross-platform language that works on Windows. Macintosh and UNIX platforms. Also, HTML and the Web are client/server system, whereas Hypercard works only on a stand alone Macintosh computer.


Markup Language

Markup language such as HTML is very different from programming languages because HTML does no act on external data: rather, the data and markup tags are both part of a single HTML document. Also HTML does not provide data structures or internal logic as procedural programming languages, such as a C or Pascal.


HTML has evolved from other languages. First, it was called as General Markup Language (GML). It originated at IBM In the late 1960s at a way to move formatted documents across different compute platforms. GML became the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) in 1986 when the International Standards Organization defined it as a standard (ISO 8879). While SGML is a powerful markup language, it is also very complex and difficult to learn.


HTML language is a subset of SGML. Although it has fewer tags than SGML. It is easier to use and has become the standard method of encoding information for Web documents. As with GML, HTML Facilitates data exchange via a common document format across different types of computer systems and networks on the Web.


Limitations of HTML

HTML is not a programming language and is a simple text file. Therefore, complex designing cannot be accomplished. Heavy interactive forms or dynamic pages are a challenge to create using HTML. On the other hand languages like ASP(Active Server Pages). ASP Java Servers work wonders in creating dynamic pages.


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What is XML?

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