1 min read

The Return of the Multi-Headed Beast: HTML and Your Website

The Return of the Multi-Headed Beast: HTML and Your Website

Your new website is under construction and the developer is meeting with you, talking to you about HTML, scripting languages, and browsers. As usually happens when you hold these meetings, the synapses of your brain are getting a strenuous workout. You also find yourself uttering, "Uh-huh " a lot. HTML is obviously very important to your website development, but what is it?

As we discussed in last week 's blog, web jargon is similar to a multi-headed beast. ; Once you tackle one subject of web terminology, you instantly realize that you need to learn about another. HTML is one of those web terms which, when understood, compels you to confront another term inextricably connected to the first. Be brave, though, because you only need to know the basics to survive.Web jargon and terminology can often be confused with a multi-headed beast.

  • HTML, or Hyper Text Makeup Language, is a man-made language which is used to create web pages. It has codes and syntax just like any other language and it can be both written and edited by anyone who understands it.
  • The brief HTML codes which are typed into a text file are called tags, and these tags are then read by a web browser (like Firefox or Google Chrome) which translates the text (like an electronic linguist) into a visual format.
  • This is not to be confused with scripting languages, which are embedded into HTML. Scripting languages are written to generate a more dynamic website and to make it more functional - they do cooler stuff. You use a scripting language to interact with the visitor to your website. If your site has a shopping cart, for instance, some form of scripting language was used to make that cart.
  • But wait! There are numerous scripting languages, and they are not universally understood as HTML is. Your web browser must be able to translate all the scripting language on your website. Thus, matching the scripting language to your web host is vital.

Whew! Got all that? Let 's be honest, all those bullet points above are merely skimming the surface of interrelated HTML information. You almost certainly have better things to do with your time than memorize a dictionary of web based vocabulary. Seek out advice from trusted sources before you make a decision regarding choice of operating system and scripting language to use. You may also, should you choose, delegate that decision to someone on your team with far more experience in these matters.

However you proceed, remember that your website, like the synapses in your brain, will continue to change over time. So, don't stress. It will only give you a headache.


Related Posts

5 min read

Don’t be a Hostage to Ransomware: How to Prevent a Malware Monstrosity

Ransomware is a form of malware or malicious software, and the goal of it is to lock and encrypt a victim’s computer or device data, then demand payment or “ransom” to restore access. This can be...
5 min read

Hosting & Maintenance 101: Managed Hosting vs. Self Service Hosting

Have you ever done a search for self-service cloud based web hosting options (or something similar) to see if you can get your site up and running on your own? Trying to research and evaluate all of...
4 min read

Agile or Waterfall? Which Development Approach is Best for Your Goals?

This Agile vs. Waterfall decision boils down to whether you know exactly what your end goal is, or if you are open to lots of collaboration and adaptation. So, why not just use both? If only it were...
2 min read

How Do I Get Video On My Website?

If you're looking for new and successful ways of engaging your audience online, you've likely considered adding video to your website. In many cases, video can be a great way to entertain, inform, or...