# What Is HTML? Understanding HyperText Markup Language Basics

![HyperText Markup Language (HTML): The basic scripting language used by web browsers to render pages on the World Wide Web.](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/33J47lYaGMBV4nx8vdJNtHBv3cY=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/html.asp-final-86da30eff12f46f3a1394efb0b137103.png)

*— Julie Bang / Investopedia*

## What Is HyperText Markup Language (HTML)?

HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is a powerful yet easy-to-understand language utilized globally for website creation. It consists of markup symbols or codes embedded in files for Internet display, instructing web browsers on rendering text and images. Continuously evolving to meet web demands, HTML underpins navigation through its hyperlink feature, enabling seamless browsing.

### Key Takeaways

*   HTML is the foundational scripting language used by web browsers to display content on the World Wide Web.
*   HyperText in HTML allows users to navigate the web by clicking links that redirect to new pages.
*   Markup in HTML involves using tags to define how text and images are presented on a webpage.
*   HTML continues to evolve, with the HTML5 Living Standard focusing on new capabilities for multimedia and user interaction.
*   While HTML uses predefined tags for elements, XML allows users to create their own tags for greater flexibility.  
    

## In-Depth Look at HTML Functionality

HyperText Markup Language is the computer language that facilitates website creation. The language, which has code words and syntax just like any other language, is relatively easy to comprehend and, as time goes on, is increasingly powerful in what it allows someone to create. HTML continues to evolve to meet the demands and requirements of the internet under the guise of the World Wide Web Consortium, the organization that designs and maintains the language—for instance, with the transition to [Web 2.0](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/web-20.asp).

HyperText is the method by which internet users navigate the web. Clicking hyperlinks takes users to new pages. "Hyper" means users can click links to navigate the Internet non-linearly. Markup is what HTML tags do to the text inside of them; they mark it as a specific type of text. For example, markup text could come in the form of boldface or italicized type to draw specific attention to a word or phrase.

## Fundamentals of HTML Coding

At its core, HTML is a series of short codes typed into a text file. These are the tags that power HTML’s capabilities. The text is saved as an HTML file and viewed through a web browser. The browser reads the file and translates the text into a visible form, as directed by the codes that the author used to write what becomes the visible rendering. Writing HTML requires tags to be used correctly to create the author’s vision.

Tags separate normal text from HTML code. Tags, found between angle brackets, enable graphics, images, and tables to show on a webpage. Different tags perform different functions. The most basic tags apply formatting to text. To make web interfaces dynamic, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript may be used. CSS makes webpages more accessible, and JavaScript adds power to basic HTML.

## Comparing HTML and XML: Key Differences

Unlike HTML, Extensible Markup Language, or [XML](https://www.investopedia.com/business-essentials-4689832), allows users to define their own markup. With XML, one user might use a tag for a footnote, while another might choose differently.

Using HTML, only one predetermined tag can be used to denote a specific type of information. XML documents are meant to be easy to read since they contain user-defined tags and since the documents only consist of markup and content.

## What Does HTML Stand for?

HTML stands for "HyperText Markup Language".

## Who Invented HTML?

In 1980, British scientist Tim Berners-Lee proposed and made a prototype of a system for researchers at CERN, where he worked, to use and share documents. In 1989, Berners-Lee authored a memo that proposed an internet-based hypertext system. He specified HTML and wrote the browser and server software in late 1990.

## How Can HTML Be Used?

Uses for HTML include:

*   Webpage development
*   Internet navigation
*   Browser storage function
*   Web document creation
*   Game development
*   Website enrichment

## What Does the Future Hold for HTML?

The fifth and final major version of HyperText Markup Language is HTML5, released in 2008. The current specification is known as the HTML Living Standard.

Future developments for HTML5/the HTML Living Standard are thought to include:

*   Changing images’ pixel size
*   Enhanced control of video structures across webpages
*   Pluggable languages and processors
*   Incorporating cellphone cameras for improved photos and videos.

## The Bottom Line

HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the foundational scripting language for displaying content on the web. It uses markup symbols or codes within angle brackets to instruct web browsers on the presentation of text, images, and links.

HTML has evolved to accommodate the dynamic needs of modern web development, working in tandem with CSS and JavaScript to create interactive and accessible web experiences. Understanding HTML is essential for anyone looking to develop or enhance websites, as it forms the basis of Internet navigation and display.  

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  W3C. “[Information Management: A Proposal](https://www.w3.org/History/1989/proposal.html).”
>     
> 2.  GeeksForGeeks. “[Top 10 Uses of HTML in the Real World](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/uses-of-html/).”
>     
> 3.  Top Notch Dezigns. “[What Is the Future of HTML?](https://www.topnotchdezigns.com/reasons-why-html5-is-the-future-even-now/)”