Basic HTML

You use HTML every time you surf the web, nearly all web pages rely on HTML to display text, graphics and other web elements. HTML, which stands for Hypertext Markup Language, can be a very useful tool for any web surfer. Undoubtedly, you have already experienced a situation where you might like to bold, underline or italicize a portion of text. Maybe your email handler does not provide appropriate text editing tools, or maybe you would like to dress up your blog or forum comment. Some basic phrases of HTML can revolutionize the way you view the web.

You do not need to be able to understand HTML completely to be able to use it. HTML is simple enough that any web user can dabble with it, yet it is complicated enough that college courses are taught on how to write HTML. XP Mallorca has provided you with some simple guidelines and basic phrases to help you incorporate HTML use in your journey through the web.

Guidelines to using HTML

• Most forums, online communities, and email handlers allow some use of HTML; however, some web masters restrict the use of HTML code on their servers and websites. For instance, Flickr allows users to post comments containing HTML in their community, but not all HTML tags are accepted
• You can write HTML directly in comment boxes of forums, but some emails and blogs require you to switch to "HTML view" before typing HTML. For example, Blogger allows me to choose "Edit HTML" to type in HTML code. If I do not choose to view the HTML, then whatever HTML I type will show as text.
• If you wish to write more complicated HTML, then you should use Windows Notepad or another HTML editor
• Capitalization does not count in most HTML
  
• Spaces do not always count in HTML. Hitting the space bar twice while editing the HTML will only produce a single space
  
• The building block of HTML (it´s basic form) is the "tag". A tag is the word of HTML composed of <> and whatever comes in between
• Most tags require a closing tag.
• These guidelines are meant to help you use HTML in places around the web

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