HTML debabbled
HTML, simply put, is the language of the worldwide web. If you've visited a website, you've seen HTML in action (and if you haven't, you're not reading this anyway). HTML is essentially a way of telling different types of computers and web browsers how to display web pages. In essence, it forces all of the many types of computer hardware and operating systems to speak a common language on the internet. Technically speaking, HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. Crystal clear, right? It's not as bad as it sounds, if we break it down:Hypertext debabbled
No, it's not text that travels at faster than the speed of light. Well, actually, that's not far from the truth. It's text that travels at just about the speed of light. Hypertext refers to the links you see on just about every website. It's essentially text that transports you to other, relevant content. You might not think of links as anything special, but they're essentially the ultimate cross-referencing tool and were a pretty revolutionary concept when the internet was first coming into being. Hypertext is what makes the worldwide web a "web", interconnecting countless bits of information.
Markup languages debabbled
The idea of a markup language actually goes back to the publishing world, where documents were marked up with a standard formatting language before going to press. The markup told typesetters what fonts to use, where to put styles, etc. HTML extends the markup concept more broadly, but is still at its core a standardized language for telling the "printer" (in this case, your web browser) how to display the elements of a web page. Let's try a simple example:
This is bold text.Putting HTML to work
Of course, developing a website is a bit trickier than that example, but HTML is simple enough for even non-techies to dabble in, and there are many good online tutorials. Another plus is that HTML files are really just text files and can be created in any text editor (including Notepad). For those who are less technically inclined but are interested in web design, there are also a number of visual editors on the market that allow you to design web pages through a graphical interface. Features and pricing vary wildly, but popular options include Microsoft's FrontPage and Adobe's Dreamweaver.
