HTML syntax By Ana Drinceanu

Definition: Syntax refers to the spelling and grammar of a programming language. Computers are inflexible machines that understand what you type only if you type in the exact form that the computer expects. The expected form is called the syntax.

HTML uses elements to describe the structure of pages. There are several basic elements that are present in most HTML documents. Each element has an opening and closing tag. Some examples of these elements are:,,,, etc. The closing tags for these elements are:,,,, etc. Note: !doctype is a special instruction that does not require a closing tag.

Tags Tags are used to delimit the start and end of elements in markup. Elements have a start tag to indicate where they begin. Non-void elements have an end tag to indicate where they end. Starting tags consist of a “ ” character. Ending tags consist of a “ ” character.

A doctype (sometimes capitalized as “DOCTYPE”) is a special instruction which, for legacy reasons that have to do with processing models in browsers, is a required part of any document in the HTML syntax. Example:

The element is a container for all the head elements. The element can include a title for the document, scripts, styles, meta information, and more. The following elements can go inside the element: (this element is required in an HTML document)

The tag defines the document's body. The element contains all the contents of an HTML document, such as text, hyperlinks, images, tables, lists, etc. Included in the element are the,,,, etc.

HTML Syntax is crucial part of Web Design. Computers only understand a programing language when syntax is followed. Picture: zachem-on-nuzhen-i-kakoj-vybrat.png

References: Jon Duckett, HTML & CSS design and build websites