11 Facts About Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML)
Explore 11 amazing facts about HTML, the foundation of the internet, discovering its background, unique aspects, and the reasons it continues to run the internet presently.
FACTS ABOUT
HTML5 Logo Icon (credit: icons8)
HTML does not always shout happiness, allow us to face it. From the early 1990s, it has been operating in the background while more prominent technologies like Python or JavaScript take center stage. However, if you have ever developed a webpage (or at least gone through one), you are aware of how important HTML is. HTML offers more unique characteristics and discoveries than you might think, regardless of whether you are a beginner to coding, expanding up on your knowledge, or simply interested in what powers your favourite websites. Even seasoned developers get blown away by a number of these facts. Grab a cup of coffee (or whatever captivates your interest) and discover 11 fascinating facts about HTML.
HTML Tags Are Case-Insensitive: Your page will not crash if you type <DIV> instead of <div>. This is due to the fact that HTML tags are not case-sensitive. Although using capital letters is entirely acceptable, recent best practices, particularly with HTML5, advise adopting lowercase for uniformity and readability. Texting in all uppercase is similar to that. Yes, it can be effective, but everybody likes it better when you do not.
HTML is Not a Programming Language: Somebody may have mentioned, "I am learning to code. I began by using HTML." That is a nice beginning, however HTML is a markup language, not code. In other words, it represents structure rather than behaviour. There are no loops, if/else statements, or logic. Similar to a house's layout, it is necessary but does not include plumbing or electrical wiring. Consider it the foundation of any webpage.
HTML5 Removed Some Tags: Do you recall the tags <font>, <center>, and <big>? HTML5 graciously opened the door for them. In order to promote greater usage of CSS and a cleaner, more semantic structure, some components have been gradually eliminated away. You are going to see why this was so necessary if you have ever attempted to style a website from the year 2005.
HTML Has Semantic Tags: Tags like <article>, <nav>, <section>, and <aside> were introduced in HTML5. These are with regard to what things constitute, not simply how they appear. This layout is essential for search engines, screen readers, and other technologies to properly interpret your page. Semantic tags allow you to perform things more efficiently, even though <div>s may accomplish anything.
HTML Supports Audio/Video: Whenever embedding a video in the very beginning of the 2000s, you had to work with third-party plugins or Flash, which had a tendency to break at the worst times. With the <video> and <audio> tags, you may now embed media directly without the need for plugins. No more "Please install Flash Player." Thank heavens.
HTML Doctype Matters: Each current HTML page has <!DOCTYPE html> at the top. It instructs the browser to "use standards mode to render this," so it is not some outmoded custom. Your website could function strangely without it, particularly in older browsers. You will avoid a lot of complications with this one-liner.
HTML Has Hidden Fields: You may incorporate data in a form that users cannot see or are unable to engage with by using the <input type="hidden"> tag. It is frequently used to transmit additional data (such as session tokens) when submitting a form. It is intelligent, however in a useful, backend-data sense.
HTML Can Trigger File Downloads: Do you wish to allow people to download a file? Advanced scripts are not necessary. Simply give a URL the download attribute as shown:
<a href="resume.pdf" download>Download My Resume</a>
Whenever you click on that link, the file will download rather than open in the browser.
HTML Input Types Are Diverse: Have you ever completed a form and seen a date calendar or a color picker? That is HTML5 in action. New input types were introduced, such as:
email
date
range
color
The above facilitate validation in addition to enhancing User Experience (UX). An additional advantage is that they work well with mobile keyboards.
HTML Supports Data Attributes: There are situations when you require to store more information about an element without changing how it functions or appears and data-* attributes are used for that purpose as shown below:
<div data-user-id="1234" data-role="editor"></div>
JavaScript is ideal for dynamic websites because it can readily retrieve these values.
HTML Comments Do Not Nest: More individuals are caught off guard by this one than you may anticipate. HTML comments do not support nesting (<!-- comment -->). Consider the following:
<!-- This is <!-- a nested comment --> -->
The browser will become confused. If necessary, keep your comments brief and distinct.
Why HTML is Still Important (And Most Likely Will)
Yes, it lacks advanced logic and fascinating animations. However, HTML remains the foundation of every website you browse. HTML is the foundation of every button you press and every paragraph you read. If you have ever been upset struggling to get JavaScript to load or CSS to function properly, keep in mind that none of this would be achievable without HTML performing its steady, silent work in the background. And that is somewhat lovely, is it not?
Summary: The Unsung Hero Behind Every Click
Despite its outdated appearance in comparison with the latest frameworks and libraries, HTML remains the foundation of the internet. Knowing these facts helps you learn more about how everything works in combination, whether you are managing a large online application or creating your first website. Consider studying HTML again if you have been putting it off given that you find it "too simple" or "too boring." It is okay if you find yourself obsessing over details like <section> versus <div>. It is not necessary for HTML to be interesting to be important. However, occasionally it is much more enlightening to know what happens behind the scenes.
