HTML/Basics

Here's a guide to the basics of HTML. This page will cover what HTML is, the different DOCTYPEs, the parts of an HTML element and document, and how to properly nest elements.

What is HTML?
HTML, short for HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup language that allows for the creation and structuring of a web page and its content. It consists of a series of elements, which are used to enclose different parts of the content to make it appear or act a certain way. These elements are represented by the <> tags, of which there are typically a start tag and an end tag with content in between.

Definition breakdown
Let's break the definition down piece-by-piece:
 * HyperText is the method of transporting data across the Web, via special text called "hyperlinks". Hyper just means it is not linear – for instance, you can go to any place on the Internet by clicking on links.
 * Markup Language consists of opening and closing tags, represented by the  characters.

DOCTYPEs
All HTML documents, regardless of version, must begin with a document type declaration. For HTML5, this declaration is simply:

How to view HTML source code
To view the source code of a web page, simply right-click and select "View page source" (in Chromium-based browsers) or "View source" (in Microsoft Edge) – similar commands exist in other browsers. This will open a new window containing the HTML source code of the page.