Understanding the Basics of HTML and CSS

In the world of web development, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are fundamental building blocks. These technologies work together to create visually appealing and well-structured websites. This article aims to provide a clear understanding of HTML and CSS, their roles, and how they complement each other.

What is HTML?

HTML is the standard markup language used to create the structure of web pages. It provides the skeleton of a webpage, allowing developers to define elements such as headings, paragraphs, links, images, and more. HTML uses a system of tags to delineate different elements, which the web browser interprets to display content.

Basic Structure of HTML

An HTML document begins with a declaration followed by the tag, which encompasses all the content on the page. Inside the tag, there are typically two main sections: the and the .




    


    <!DOCTYPE html>


    <html lang="en">


        <head>


            <meta charset="UTF-8">


            <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">


            <title>My First Webpage</title>


        </head>


        <body>


            <h1>Welcome to My Webpage</h1>


            <p>This is a simple HTML document.</p>


        </body>


    </html>

What is CSS?

CSS is a style sheet language used to control the presentation of HTML elements. While HTML defines the structure, CSS dictates how elements should look, including aspects such as color, font, spacing, and layout. By separating content from design, CSS allows for greater flexibility and control over the appearance of a webpage.

Basic Syntax of CSS

CSS rules are made up of selectors and declarations. The selector targets the HTML element(s) to be styled, while the declaration specifies the styles to be applied. Declarations consist of property-value pairs, enclosed in curly braces.




    


    h1 {


        color: blue;


        font-size: 24px;


    }

How HTML and CSS Work Together

HTML and CSS work in tandem to create aesthetically pleasing web pages. HTML provides the structure, while CSS enhances its appearance. For example, you can have an HTML structure for a navigation bar, and then use CSS to style it with colors, fonts, and hover effects.

Linking CSS to HTML

To apply CSS styles to an HTML document, you can include styles directly within the HTML file using the