Ever wondered how a web application works, but haven't done anything more complicated on the web than adding a product to your Shopping Cart? Then you're in the right place. The goal of this post is to teach you with the basics of HTML, CSS, and one of the most common programming languages, JavaScript.
The basic three Web Languages
There are many web languages available, however, we’re just going to look at three of them. They are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and they are considered to be the backbone of the web. When it comes to web development there is front-end web development and back end-web development. These three languages are for front-end web development and are responsible for what you can see and do on a website. They are referred to as client-side languages as they run in the browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.) of your computer. The browser translates these languages and the result of this translation is the visual web page. It’s important to note HTML and CSS are not considered to be programming languages. HTML is a markup language and CSS is a styling language. JavaScript, however, is a programming language. Hence, they are all web languages, but they perform different jobs.
Relationship between Human Body and a Website
To make this easy to understand, I’m going to refer to these three web languages as different aspects of the human body. We’re going to look at the body itself as a sort of command center; the accessories that are worn on the body as a way of representing personal style; and then the actions that the body is capable of as a way of animating ourselves. So for the purpose of this discussion, HTML will be referred to as the physical body, CSS will be the body’s accessories and JavaScript is the body’s ability to talk or move. All of these ‘bodily aspects’ need to work together to form a functional, visually appealing, interactive website.
HTML
The Body HyperText Markup Language (HTML) Content and basic structure Describes and defines Made up of tags Tells the browser what to display HyperText Markup Language (HTML) can be broken down into HyperText, which is what grants access to other texts through links, and Markup which outlines the basic structure and appearance of raw text. What this means is that HTML describes and defines the content and basic structure of the website. It does this through a means of special tags or codes which tell the browser what to do. HTML is the bare basics of a website. An HTML only website can be compared to a functioning human body. Note, I didn’t say fully-functional. An HTML only website has all of its body parts, although it doesn’t offer much to look at because it doesn’t have any accessories or personal style. At this stage, it’s also a body that is not capable of moving or speaking. This is where CSS comes in.
CSS
The Accessories Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) Gives style and structure to the content Link the CSS file to the HTML Tells the browser how to display A Cascading Style Sheet is the website’s accessories. It’s responsible for outlining the colors, font, and positioning of the content on a website. It adds some style and structure to the content. In order to make use of the CSS capabilities, it needs to be linked within the HTML content so that style can be added to the website. CSS will tell the browser how to display the existing HTML. CSS can be compared to adding personal style to the body. When you link CSS to HTML, it’s like dressing up the body. For example, you can choose a specific color shirt and match it with a specific color pair of trousers. On a website, you can choose the color of the background or the font size of a heading, and much more. It’s important to note that CSS cannot live without HTML as there would be nothing to style. Just like clothes or shoes would be pointless without someone to wear them. So by now, you should have an understanding of how structure and style are constructed on a website. However, you can’t help but notice that something is missing. The web page is lacking certain functions like a search box or options to comment. Right now the body, with all its accessories, looks more like a mannequin in a store window than a real human being. That’s where JavaScript comes in.
JavaScript
The body’s ability to perform actions JavaScript is not Java The behavior of the website Used for interactive functionality Allows for the user to interact with the browser JavaScript can be compared to the body’s ability to perform actions such as walking or talking. So when you add JavaScript to HTML and CSS, it transforms the body from being a beautifully dressed mannequin into a real-life walking talking human being. It animates the body, giving it lifelike qualities. JavaScript can also be compared to a fully functional body that has the ability to interact. As we all know, having an interactive website is critical, otherwise, it's just a boring page filled with information. If you look at this example of Facebook, JavaScript allows you to like a post, share a post, comment and more.
Final Thoughts
So if you’re thinking about web development, there are three important languages you need to learn. Learning how to use these three web languages is how to start front-end web development and it’s important to understand how these three languages work together. The hardest part of coding is getting started - but once you learn the basics, it'll be easier to learn more topics. So get out there, and start creating a website!