Anytime you go on the internet, you are interacting with HTML code and related tags. HTML is primarily used to develop web pages and web applications that run on web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. HTML tags are keywords present on a web page that define how your web browser must format and display the contents.
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What Is HTML?
HTML, which stands for Hypertext Markup Language, is the language used to describe structured documents and the language used to create web pages on the internet.
You can use any text editor to write the HTML code, such as Notepad (PC) or TextEdit (Mac). For our demonstration, we will use a sublime text editor, which you can download at https://www.sublimetext.com/3.
Save the file with the .html extension, and open it using a web browser of your choice.
What Is an HTML Tag?
HTML tags are the keywords on a web page that define how your web browser must format and display your web page.
Almost all tags contain two parts, an opening, and a closing tag. For example, <html> is the opening tag and </html> is the closing tag. Note that the closing tag has the same text as the opening tag, but has an additional forward-slash ( / ) character.
There are a total of 100 HTML tags. We will divide them into categories and discuss the important ones in this article.
Head Tag
The head tag <head> contains all the elements describing the document.
Title Tag
The title tag <title> specifies the HTML page title, which is shown in the browser’s title bar.
Body Tag
The body tag <body> is where you insert your web page’s content.
Paragraph Tag
A paragraph tag <p> is used to define a paragraph on a web page.
Heading Tag
The HTML heading tag is used to define the heading of the HTML document. The <h1> tag defines the most important tag, and <h6> defines the least.
Let’s practice using these tags and create a web page with them:
Formatting Tags
Emphasis tag
The HTML <em> tag is used to emphasize the particular text in a paragraph.
Bold Tag
The <b> tag is used to make the text bold.
Italic Tag
The <i> tag is used to make the text italic.
Underline Tag
The <u> tag is used to set the text underline.
Link Tag
The <a> tag links one page to another page. The href attribute is used to define
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List Tag
The <li> tag is used if you want to enter the contents in the listed order. There are two types of lists.
- Ordered list <ol>
- Unordered list <ul>
Image Tag
The <img> tag is used to embed an image in an HTML document. You need to specify the source of the image inside the tag.
The center tag will center your content.
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The Table Tag
The <table> tag is used to create a table in the HTML document.
The table row (<tr>) tag is used to make the rows in the table, and the table data (<td>) tag is used to enter the data in the table.
The style (<style>) tag is used to add methods to the content by typing the code in the HTML file itself.
Checking your website's HTML tags is crucial for ensuring proper structure, semantics, and accessibility. Here are some methods to do so:
- View Page Source: Right-click on a webpage and select "View Page Source" or "View Source" from the browser menu. This will display the webpage's HTML code in a new tab or window. Scan through the code to inspect the HTML tags used.
- Developer Tools: Most modern web browsers have built-in developer tools that allow you to inspect HTML elements. You can access these tools by pressing F12 or right-clicking on a webpage and selecting "Inspect" or "Inspect Element." Developer tools provide a comprehensive view of the HTML structure, including elements' hierarchy and associated styles and attributes.
- Online Validators: Various online tools and validators are available that can analyze your website's HTML code for errors, warnings, and best practices compliance. These validators can identify missing tags, incorrect nesting, deprecated elements, and other issues affecting your website's performance and SEO.
- Accessibility Checkers: Accessibility checkers help ensure that your HTML tags are semantically correct and comply with accessibility standards such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). These tools can flag potential accessibility issues related to HTML structure, form labels, alt text for images, and more.
Regularly checking your website's HTML tags, you can maintain a well-structured, accessible, and search engine-friendly website.
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How Do Web Pages Read HTML Tags?
Web browsers render and display web pages based on the HTML tags in their code. Here's how web pages read HTML tags:
- Parsing: When a web browser loads a webpage, it starts by parsing the HTML code. Parsing analyzes the HTML document and creates a structured representation of its contents, known as the Document Object Model (DOM).
- DOM Tree: The DOM tree represents the hierarchical structure of HTML elements, where each element is represented as a node with properties and attributes. The browser constructs the DOM tree by interpreting the HTML tags and their relationships, such as parent-child and sibling elements.
- Rendering: Once the DOM tree is constructed, the browser uses it to render the webpage on the screen. Rendering involves applying CSS styles, calculating layout, and painting pixels based on the content and properties of HTML elements.
- Event Handling: Web browsers also handle user interactions and dynamic content updates based on JavaScript code associated with HTML elements. Event listeners attached to HTML tags respond to user actions such as clicks, mouse movements, and keyboard inputs.
In summary, web pages read HTML tags by parsing them into a structured DOM tree, which is then used to render the visual representation of the webpage and handle user interactions.
HTML tags and attributes are essential components of HTML elements, but they serve different purposes:
- HTML Tags: HTML tags are used to define the structure and content of an HTML document. They enclose content and determine the type of element represented. For example, <p> tags indicate a paragraph element, <div> tags define a division or container, and <a> tags create hyperlinks.
- HTML Attributes: HTML attributes provide additional information or properties to HTML elements. They modify the behavior or appearance of elements and are specified within the opening tag of an element. Attributes can define characteristics such as the source of an image (src), the URL of a hyperlink (href), the style of an element (style), or the alternative text for an image (alt).
While HTML tags define the type and structure of elements, attributes provide specific details and configurations to customize their behavior or appearance. Both tags and attributes work together to create meaningful and interactive web content.
Here's a comparison table highlighting the differences between HTML tags and attributes:
Feature | HTML Tags | HTML Attributes |
Definition | Define the structure and content of HTML elements. | Provide additional information or properties to elements. |
Syntax | Enclosed in angle brackets (<>) with a tag name. | Attached is an element's opening tag within angle brackets (<>). |
Example | <p>, <div>, <a>, <h1> | href, src, alt, style, class |
Purpose | Indicates the type of element and its semantics. | Modifies the behavior, appearance, or properties of elements. |
Usage | Used to enclose content and define element types. | Specifies specific details or configurations for elements. |
Nesting | Can be nested within other HTML elements. | Not nested directly but can be attached to any HTML element. |
Required/Optional | Required for defining HTML structure. | Optional and used to enhance element functionality. |
Rendering | Renders visible content on the webpage. | Influences element appearance, behavior, or functionality. |
Accessibility | Contributes to document structure and semantics. | Supports accessibility features like alternative text for images. |
Extensibility | New tags can be defined in HTML specifications. | Attributes can be defined and used with any HTML element. |
Impact on Styling | Directly affects element rendering and styling. | Can be used to apply inline styles or reference external stylesheets |
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The Most Common HTML Tags
Here's a table listing some of the most common HTML tags, along with their descriptions:
Tag | Description |
<html> | Defines the root of an HTML document. |
<head> | Contains meta-information about the HTML document, such as title, styles, and scripts. |
<title> | Sets the title of the HTML document, displayed in the browser's title bar or tab. |
<body> | Contains the content of the HTML document, including text, images, links, and other elements. |
<h1>, <h2>, <h3>, <h4>, <h5>, <h6> | Defines headings of different sizes, with <h1> being the largest and <h6> the smallest. |
<p> | Defines a paragraph of text. |
<a> | Creates a hyperlink, linking to another webpage, file, or location within the same page. |
<img> | Inserts an image into the HTML document. |
<div> | Defines a division or container for grouping HTML elements and applying CSS styles. |
<span> | Defines an inline container for styling a specific portion of text or content. |
<ul>, <ol> | Creates an unordered or ordered list, respectively, containing list items (<li>). |
<li> | Defines a list item within an unordered or ordered list. |
<table> | Creates a table for organizing data into rows and columns. |
<tr> | Defines a table row within a <table> element. |
<td> | Defines a table cell within a <tr> element. |
<th> | Defines a header cell within a <tr> element in a table. |
<form> | Creates an HTML form for collecting user input. |
<input> | Defines an input control element within a form, such as text fields, checkboxes, or buttons. |
<label> | Associates a label with an input element, improving accessibility and usability. |
<button> | Defines a clickable button within a form or webpage. |
<textarea> | Creates a multiline text input control within a form. |
<iframe> | Embeds another HTML page or external content within the current document. |
<script> | Embeds or links to client-side scripts, such as JavaScript. |
<style> | Contains CSS rules for styling HTML elements within the document. |
These tags are fundamental building blocks for creating structured and interactive web pages.
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Next Steps
This article on HTML tags offered a brief insight into different types of HTML tags and their functionalities. To learn more about web development in its entirety, certification is highly recommended to jumpstart your coding career. Further, Simplilearn’s Full Stack Java Developer will help you master web development. The course covers a wide array of relevant topics, including front-end, middleware, and back-end Java web developer technologies. You will learn to build an end-to-end application, test and deploy code, store data using MongoDB, and much more.
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