HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) was developed in the year 1991. This language is used to write scripts to construct the Web pages. Though, today we have a lot of tools that are used for scripting to help in web designing the history of HTML goes back to 1991 when this was the only language for scripting to develop a Web page. The language could also be used to share documents online. This idea of sharing documents and pages was proposed by Tim Berners Lee. He is still eulogized for introducing HTML tags, which were responsible for initiating the Internet ride, ultimately helping in better communication. Initially, 22 elements were introduced in HTML, out of which 9 elements have been frozen due to upgradation. Now, we have the fourth version of HTML, which is referred to as HTML Four. The initial version of HTML Four consists of 13 elements.
HTML has its origin from SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). SGML is a little heavy on the technical side, but it’s good to know it because it initiated the whole project of W3-World Wide Web. An SGML is usually described as a Meta language, which gives you the liberty to make use of a range of markup languages. Initially, when HTML originated, SGML tagging was used in the basic HTML, however, in the advanced stages, SGML tagging was not given any preference, as HTML could never be an appropriate SGML document.
If you wish to learn the HTML scripting, it can be learned easily and is very interesting. Continuing with the history, Lee HTML was withdrawn and a new HTML was created by the IETF. This was described as the HTML working group, which brought about a formation of HTML 2.0 version. For a difference 2.0 is the version number, which is given to this. But this 2.0 is not up to the mark for the development of a web environment, which is suitable to everyone and gives a better result. This addition requires some changes. Earlier in this 2.0 version changes were done under the guidance of IETF. In 2000 a version was released by W3C that is well known, as it possess those international standards the same as version 4.0. Presently HTML 5.0 is in demand in the market. HTML has come a long way since 1991 and it has launched many versions in the past years and from every version users have received something new to exhibit. When HTML came up with its final version, users found this version more easily applicable as compared to any other programming language, which is used for web designing.
Yesterday while surfing the net, an unusual observation made me wonder about a few things. Namely, how easy it was to establish communication to transfer our data. What used to take something like ages in the past is now done in minutes. With technology growing rapidly, people seem to have been able to make things simpler for everyone to grasp. Definitely getting information, being able to communicate with a pal somewhere and also applying for a job has become easier thanks to the net. But have you ever wondered who/what is the mastermind behind all this. Well it is ‘programming’ and it is as simple as that. It’s the human mind which is the centre for such easy communication and no miracle thankfully.
When Tim-Berners Lee wished to share documents between two computers, he did some programming and created a language which enabled him to share the documents. This language, he called HTML tags which were but simple a design then. With time, the HTML drafts by Lee and his team faded away. IETF, a new team on the block, worked on these dead drafts and got a whole new HTML developed which became the version 2.0. This version was made in the year 1995. Over the years from 1991 to 1995 a whole team worked day and night to come up with something good for technology. But version 2.0 was not the end of HTML. During the period between the version 2.0 and the building of the other versions a request was sent by IETF for comments on various factors like form based file upload, client side image maps, tables and internationalization. All this was given to the IETF in the year 2000. A certain Dave Raggett of the IETF, came up with the version 3.0 which contained all the elements mentioned in his proposal like tables, text flow around figures, and the display of complex mathematical elements. At the time it came into existence, it was too complicated from an implementation point of view and so nobody took the project ahead. But the interesting fact is that instead of proposing a 3.1 version, a 3.2 version was proposed and many of the features of version 3.0 were removed due to the complexity. Now at the time when 3.2 came into existence, IETF had closed down and it became officially declared the W3C. After this, HTML 4.0 came into existence straight away in the year 1997. This version contained certain flavours which were strict, transitional and frameset. It adopted browser specific attributes and removed some that were of no use. In 1998 the version 4.0 was re-released with some minor additions. This version too contained the same flavors but had some more additions. Version 4.01 came into existence in the year 1999. The latest version released in 2008 is the version 5.0. This shows that HTML particularly has undergone a lot many changes in the period of 17 years. Yet, it has survived in spite of its initial dismissal.
