stonepaste tiles, islamic c. 1700s.
'Goblin Market and Other Poems' by Christina Georgina Rossetti, illustration by Dante Gabriel Rossetti . 1862
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are the core technologies for creating web pages. HTML provides the structure of the page, while CSS defines its style and layout. This guide aims to equip beginners with the essential knowledge to start building and designing web pages.
HTML and CSS are fundamental skills for web development. Whether you're looking to create personal websites, start a career in web development, or enhance your current skill set, understanding these technologies is crucial. They form the basis for more advanced languages and frameworks like JavaScript, React, and Angular.
To get started, you need a text editor and a web browser. Popular text editors include Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, and Atom. Browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are excellent for viewing and testing your web pages.
HTML documents have a basic structure composed of various elements and tags. Here’s a simple example:
html
Copy code
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My First Web Page</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to My Web Page</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph of text on my web page.</p>
</body>
</html>
: Declares the document type and HTML version.
: The root element of an HTML page.
: Contains meta-information about the document.
: Connects the HTML to an external CSS file.
: Contains the content of the web page.
HTML uses various tags to define different parts of a web page:
to : Headings of different levels.
: Paragraph of text.
: Anchor tag for hyperlinks.
: Embeds images.
: Defines divisions or sections.
: Inline container for text.
Follow these steps to create a simple HTML page:
Open your text editor.
Write the basic HTML structure as shown above.
Add a heading with the tag.
Add a paragraph with the tag.
Save the file with a .html extension (e.g., index.html).
Open the file in your web browser to view your web page.
CSS is used to style and layout HTML elements. It can be included within the HTML file using the <style> tag or in a separate .css file linked with the <link> tag.
CSS consists of selectors and declarations. Here’s an example:
css
Copy code
h1 {
color: blue;
font-size: 24px;
}
Selector (h1): Specifies the HTML element to be styled.
Declaration Block: Contains one or more declarations, each consisting of a property and a value.
To style your HTML elements, you can use different selectors:
Element Selector: Styles all instances of an element.
Class Selector: Styles elements with a specific class.
ID Selector: Styles a single element with a specific ID.
Example:
html
Copy code
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Styled Page</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
<h1 class="main-heading">Hello, World!</h1>
<p id="intro">This is an introduction paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
In the styles.css file:
css
Copy code
.main-heading {
color: green;
text-align: center;
}
#intro {
font-size: 18px;
color: grey;
}
CSS provides several layout techniques to design complex web pages:
Box Model: Defines the structure of an element’s content, padding, border, and margin.
Flexbox: A layout model for arranging items within a container, making it easier to design flexible responsive layouts.
Grid Layout: A two-dimensional layout system for more complex layouts.
Example of Flexbox:
css
Copy code
.container {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-around;
}
.item {
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
background-color: lightblue;
}
Semantic HTML: Use HTML tags that describe their meaning clearly (e.g., , , ).
Clean Code: Indent nested elements and use comments for better readability.
Validation: Use tools like the W3C Markup Validation Service to ensure your HTML and CSS are error-free and standards-compliant.
Accessibility: Make sure your website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, by using proper HTML tags and attributes.
W3Schools: Comprehensive tutorials and references.
MDN Web Docs: Detailed documentation and guides for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Codecademy: Interactive courses on web development.
FreeCodeCamp: Extensive curriculum covering HTML, CSS, and more.
Khan Academy: Lessons on computer programming and web development.
Q: What is HTML and CSS? A: HTML (HyperText Markup Language) structures web pages, while CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) styles and layouts the web pages.
Q: Why should I learn HTML and CSS? A: Learning HTML and CSS is essential for creating websites, understanding web development frameworks, and progressing to more advanced programming languages.
Q: Do I need prior experience to learn HTML and CSS? A: No prior experience is required. HTML and CSS are beginner-friendly and easy to learn.
Q: How long does it take to learn HTML and CSS? A: The time varies depending on your learning pace. With consistent practice, you can grasp the basics in a few weeks.
Q: Can I create a website using only HTML and CSS? A: Yes, you can create a basic website. For more complex functionality, you'll need to learn JavaScript.
Q: What tools do I need to start learning HTML and CSS? A: You need a text editor (e.g., Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text) and a web browser (e.g., Google Chrome, Firefox).
Q: Are there free resources available to learn HTML and CSS? A: Yes, there are many free resources available online, including W3Schools, MDN Web Docs, Codecademy, FreeCodeCamp, and Khan Academy.
When I was in my teens, I used to make an entire magic system with 360+ unique spells, ordered in magic schools and categories, and it boggles my mind that I basically reinvented DnD mechanics, even down to metamagic.
I wanted to make a wiki about it but I don't have time for it.
The point was to try to encompass every "superpower" I could think of into a magic system.
I even got lore related to it all, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna simply reuse it all for OC worldbuilding. Ngl the fun part was naming all the spells, symbols and coming up with the logic of it all.
artwork carried by pioneer 10, the first spacecraft to leave our solar system. the vessel carried "messages for other worlds," including this drawing by linda salzman sagan representing humanity, 1972.
bingewatching will never come close to bingereading. there is nothing like blocking out the entire Earth for ten hours to read a book in one sitting no food no water no shower no bra and emerging at the end with no idea what time it is or where you are, a dried-up prune that's sensitive to light and loud noises because you've been in your room in the dark reading by the glow of a single LED. it's like coming back after a three-month vacation in another dimension and now you have to go downstairs and make dinner. absolutely transcendental
Andrei Rublev (1966) Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
Kiel, Germany 1920s
Boomers can navigate screens like THIS no problem in order to slurp down the next utter bullshit right-wing-tinged AI slop but can't manage to understand that waving a card in front of the screen (not the card reader) without having pressed the giant "pay now" button on a streamlined self-checkout system will not, in fact, mean they have paid for their items. And then they will be rude to you about it