Week 3
This week, I learned what HTML stands for — HyperText Markup Language. The HyperText part refers to the ability to create links from one page to another, while Markup describes the way users can annotate text. (Reference: HTML & CSS – John Duckett).
I also explored the Web Standards Model framework, which outlines the four layers involved in creating a webpage:
- Content – includes text, images, videos, and audio.
- Structure – defines how the content is organised.
- CSS – controls the appearance and presentation of the content.
- Behaviour – makes the webpage come alive using JavaScript.
Through using markup language, I began to understand the importance of giving meaning to text. For example, using the <h1> element defines a title, while <h2> represents a subheading. I also realised it’s essential not to guess the meaning of text when referencing a book, but to check how the content is actually structured. Additionally, I learned that <!DOCTYPE HTML> tells the browser to use the latest version of HTML.
This week’s task was to create a four-page website using only HTML. Through this, I learned how to organise files and folders so that they are clear and easy to navigate. I also practised linking pages together to make navigation accessible to the user.
During this process, I explored three types of lists for structuring links:
- Ordered lists (<ol>) – numbered lists, often used for step-by-step instructions.
- Unordered lists (<ul>) – bullet-point lists, which I used for my navigation menu.
- Definition lists (<dl>) – used to define words or terms, similar to a dictionary format.