How Do I Write HTML?

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HTML is written with the regular alphabet, and something called TAGS. A tag is regular letters contained within two carats. Carats look like this: < > and they're in the bottom row of your keyboard. Here are some examples of HTML tags:

<HTML>

<BODY>

</BODY>

</HTML>

The tags don't show when you look at the web page. They're like a secret code that only the computer can understand. The tags tell the computer to do something, like put a word in italics, or show a certain picture.

All tags come in pairs; a beginning tag and an ending tag. The tag with no slash goes in front and means "begin." The tag with the slash goes in back and means "end." Look up at the examples again. I bet you were wondering what those slashes were!

For example, every web page written in the HTML language starts with <HTML>. This tells the computer that you are now writing the HTML language. Every HTML page also ends with </HTML>. This tells the computer that you are finished with HTML now.

Here is an HTML page:

NOTE: The TITLE shows, but not on the page itself. It appears in the dark blue bar up at the top of your screen.

The way you write it

The way your viewer sees it

See? The tags don't show (but they will if you forget the carat.) The tags can be written in upper- or lower case. The computer doesn't care! The end tags can be placed on the same line as the text, or on the next line below.

The tags have to stay in order. For example, if you put the </HTML> (end html) tag before the <BODY>, the computer will think you've stopped speaking html. The body of your page won't even show. Now it gets more complicated:

Within the tags, you can put other bits of HTML code which tell the computer to do other stuff. Within the BODY tag, you can specify the background color, text color, and link color. Within the FONT tag, you can specify the style and color of the text. These bits of code are called attributes (sometimes I call them variables). Now let's jazz up that HTML page we made earlier:

The way you write it

The way your viewer sees it

There is more coming up about the funny letter/number thing (look in the BODY and FONT tags.) That is the secret code you need to change the colors. I told the BODY tag the secret code for "make the color of the background yellow." BGCOLOR is HTML for "background color."

I told the FONT tag the secret code for "make the text color red." I also told it to use the style called "Elephant." FACE is HTML for "style of letters."

There are many other tags that can be used in your HTML pages. The most important, of course, are the link tags. Click on this link BASIC TAGS to see a list of the most basic tags and their definitions.

If you want to learn HTML, my advice would be:

Download an HTML editor (a program that gives you a blank sheet to write your HTML on.) The one I use is Arachnophilia. Follow the directions, and get it installed on your computer (hard drive.)

Figure out how to open it up (it usually ends up as a shortcut on your desktop (first screen) Or you can click on "start", then "programs". You should see it in there.)

OK. Now, you're inside your editor. Figure out how to open a new page (usually "file", then "new".) Then, with your list of HTML tags by your side, begin to make a page. It would be handy to have a list of the color codes, too. Just fool around with the tags, and see what they do! Nobody's going to see this one...except you.

There should be a button in your editor that lets you look at the page you have written. It's usually called "view", or looks like a picture of an eyeball or something like that. Each time you change the tags, or the variables within the tags, just view your page to see what changed.

Always save your page, of course. It will have a file extension of either .htm or .html.

I was just as clueless!
really - the reason I started this page is because I was so lost at first. Check my LINKS page for the sites that helped me out.

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Disclaimer: I'm still learning, and all I know is what works for me...some of this may not be exactly perfect. So if there's an error, email me, and I'll fix it! :)