HTML

Most of what makes the web work is the Hypertext Markup Language, HTML. HTML is comprised of a set of "markup" codes that can be used for a variety of purposes in communicating between a web server and client software. Among these are

• formatting text
• including directions in a web page to include image files and other objects into a web page
• providing front-end tools for gathering information from people using the web clients (forms)
• link to other documents including web pages

Documents written in HTML are kept on servers around the world. A standard set of HTML "tags" render an HTML document within the client software called a "browser." Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Mozilla are examples of browsers..

HTML "tags" are additions to text that have the format

<tag>This is a bit of text</tag>

The textual part and look of a web page are derived from the text word you see and tags. Web page files are saved in files with extension ".html" or, less frequently ".htm" depending on the setup of the web server. (Geek note: the ".htm" designation was required for early Microsoft Windows file systems which limited file extensions to three characters.)

Image files are most commonly of the format (and saved with the file extensions) .gif, .jpg (or .jpeg) or .png. These images are inserted at specific places within a web page because a special set of tags call those images.

W3C

HTML standards and, indeed, the entire vision for the Web are set by the W3C, the World-Wide Web Consortium. Please read specifically about the Background and Mission of the W3C including goals, the role of the W3C and the design principles that guide W3C's work.

HTML standards and, indeed, the entire vision for the Web are set by the W3C, the World-Wide Web Consortium, an organization comitted to fostering open standards for a number of really great, lofty goals.

So, check out the W3C and save what information you find out there for your web page:

• What are the goals of the W3C?
• Summarize how the W3C works

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Page last edited February 7, 2006