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# System prepended metadata

title: HTML introduction

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#This week we cover alot about Html, history, tags, structure and element. 

**Topic:** History, Concepts, and Structural Definitions

**Author:** Damak James JOseph

**Date:** January 2026

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## 1. The History of HTML

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) was invented by **Sir Tim Berners-Lee** in **1991** at the CERN research facility.

It was created so scientists could easily share documents and "link" them together using clickable text.
 It started with just 18 basic tags. Over the years, it evolved through several versions (HTML 2.0, 3.2, 4.0) until reaching **HTML5** in 2014. HTML5 is the modern version that allows for high-quality video, audio, and mobile-friendly websites.

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## 2. The Meaning of the Exclamation Point (`!`)

The `!` in `<!DOCTYPE html>` marks it as a **Declaration**, not a standard tag.

* **In Layman's Terms:** It acts like a "Whistle-Blow." It signals to the web browser to wake up and follow the **Modern Standards** of the web.
 Without that exclamation point and the declaration, the browser might enter "Quirks Mode," which makes your website look like a broken page from the 1990s.

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## 3. The `<html>` Tag

The `<html>` tag is known as the **Root Element**.

* **The Concept:** Think of it as the **Container** or the "House" that holds everything else.
It tells the computer where the web document starts and where it ends. Every single piece of content (text, images, links) must live inside these boundaries.

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## 4. Key Terms and Definitions

* **Tag:** The individual instruction markers (like the labels for paragraphs or headings).
* **Element:** The complete unit, including the opening instruction, the content in the middle, and the closing instruction.
* **Attribute:** Extra settings or details added inside a tag (like defining a color or a link destination).
* **Nesting:** The act of placing one element inside another (like putting a bold word inside a paragraph). This creates a "Parent-Child" relationship between pieces of code.
* **Void Element:** A special type of tag that stands alone and does not need a "closing" partner (like an image or a horizontal line).

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## 5. Common Tags Cheat Sheet

* **`<h1>` through `<h6>`: Used for **Headings**. `<h1>` is the most important (the main title).
* **`<p>`**: Used for **Paragraphs** of regular text.
* **`<a>`**: The **Anchor** tag used to create hyperlinks to other pages.
* **`<img>`**: The **Image** tag used to display pictures.
* **`<div>`**: A **Division** tag used as a box or container to group things together.
* **`<hr>`**: A **Horizontal Rule** used to create a thematic break or line across the page.
* **`<ul>` and `<li>`: Used for **Unordered Lists** (bullet points).

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## 6. The "Box Model" Concept

In HTML style, every element is treated like a box.

* **Border:** The frame around the content (like the colored frames in our project).
* **Padding:** The space between the text and the border (the "breathing room" inside).
* **Margin:** The space outside the border that pushes other elements away.
