HTML Primer

The Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), used to create basic Web pages, is not normally included as a topic in an intro-
duction to programming textbook, such as this one.With just a modest introduction to the subject, however, the range of
programs we can create increases dramatically. For example, with the help of a server (or ServerSim), we can move away
from the dreaded black box known as the console and:

Create nicely formatted output including tables, lists, fonts and colors—capabilities that take months of study to
understand when created in a standalone Windows environment

Write programs that incorporate sophisticated form-based interfaces

Incorporate graphic objects into our programs

Begin to develop an appreciation for the thought processes associated with the design of client-server and
distributed applications
For this reason we take a brief detour and introduce the basics of HTML. Fortunately, HTML basics are relatively easy to
learn. Just an hour or two of time will prove sufficient for most readers (assuming the reader is not already familiar with it).
A1.1: CREATING SIMPLE HTML PAGES
An HTML document is a text file that contains two basic types of information:
1. Text that is to be displayed in the browser window.
2. Instructions to the browser on a wide variety of topics, such as how the text should be formatted, what other
types of objects should be displayed (e.g., graphics), links to other pages, and so forth.
Instructions to the browser take the form of tags, and are always contained within < and > characters. When a browser
encounters a tag it knows, it follows the instructions in the tag. If it encounters a tag it cannot interpret, it ignores it.