What is HTML 5 and Why It Should Be Learned?
In simple words, HTML 5 is the latest standard of something called HyperText Markup Language which is nothing more than one of the fundamental technologies that define the basic structure and presentation of websites across the internet. It is a standard of the industry, so for those individuals that are interested in making a career in website design, HTML 5 becomes a crucial tool that needs to be mastered as soon as possible in order to combine it with other powerful tools or languages such as CSS 3 or JavaScript.
The difference between HTML 5 and other previous releases is:
- It is possible to make more interactive and dynamic websites and applications.
- There is a considerable upgrade over previous versions in terms of website capabilities.
- In HTML 5 it is possible to store data locally on the browser without having to rely on the controversial “Cookies”.
- Security and consistency are improved over previous standards.
Learning HTML 5 in 5 Simple Steps
Learning HTML 5 is extremely simple (when compared to other difficult technologies and languages) as it is a markup language that relies on the usage of “tags” to make changes or define structures in a website, that is one of the main reasons why HTML 5 is recommended for beginners, as it proves to be a great starting point. Follow the next 5 steps to master one of the basic yet fundamental tools of website design.
Step #1: Understand the Concepts of Tags
HTML 5 consists of the usage of multiple tags to make changes on the website, there are tags to define structures, make changes to the font, tags to add buttons, horizontal rulers, tables and so much more! Getting used to at least the most important ones will be crucial for the rest of the adventure.
Step #2: Hierarchy of HTML 5 and Document Layout
A professional HTML 5 document or file has certain tags that lay out the content correctly by dividing the code into certain areas. Also, there are certain “meta tags” that might not change many things in the website, but it sure helps the web browser on making the website more notorious and appealing to the rest of the internet.
Learn about the basic structure of HTML 5 files, and discover the head, header, body, footer, and Html tags and their importance in order to be ready for the future when you decide to make the jump to CSS or JavaScript.
Step #3: Learn about the Heading Hierarchy and the Correct Usage of Text Styles
It is important to learn about the reasoning behind the usage of higher or lower-level headings as well as why not every part of the text is covered with italicized or bold, this might not sound important but it is actually a crucial part of learning website design as in the future User Experience will be important.
Step #4: Images and Videos in HTML 5
One of the best things about HTML 5 is the fact that it is possible to add images and videos to websites without any issue, in fact, it just requires the usage of specific tags. However, it is crucial to learn more about the width and height attributes as well as the src or “source” attribute which is from where the image or video will be loaded.
Step #5: Discover Links and How HTML 5 Connects with CSS and JavaScript
At this point, all that is left is learning how to link other pages, which is extremely simple as only an “anchor” tag will be needed. Links are important as these will be the main connector between other files or pages, and it is how CSS and JavaScript can be connected with HTML 5 structure. After learning HTML 5, it would be wise to go with CSS 3 and then with JavaScript, but take time into mastering HTML as it will be absolutely worth it.