Legal Definitions - HTML

HTML, which stands for Hypertext Markup Language, is a foundational computer language used to create and structure content for web pages. It provides a system of "tags" that web browsers interpret to display text, images, videos, and other elements in a specific layout. Essentially, HTML acts as the blueprint or skeleton of a webpage, defining its various parts and how they relate to each other, allowing users to navigate and interact with information online.

• Imagine reading a news article on a website. The main headline, the different paragraphs of text, the embedded images, and the links to related stories are all structured using HTML. For instance, an HTML tag tells the browser, "This is a main heading," another says, "This is a paragraph," and yet another indicates, "This is an image to display here."

  How this illustrates HTML: HTML provides the underlying framework that organizes these distinct pieces of content, ensuring they appear in a logical and readable format on your screen.

• Consider an online recipe website. When you view a recipe, HTML is used to define the recipe title, list the ingredients (perhaps in an unordered list), present the step-by-step instructions (maybe in an ordered list), and include a photo of the finished dish. It also structures any comments section or nutritional information.

  How this illustrates HTML: Each component of the recipe page—from the heading to the individual list items for ingredients and steps—is marked up with HTML tags, giving the browser instructions on how to display the recipe's structure and content.