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Tags

As you have learned, tags are the instructions that tell the web browser where to put things and how to make them look. Each tag begins with a left angle bracket ( < ) and end with a right angle bracket ( > ) Inbetween the angle brackets, place the tag name like this:

left angle bracket red arrow <html>right angle bracket

tag name

That tag is called a starting tag, and usually each starting tag has a closing tag like this:

</html>

Notice that all you had to do to make the ending tag is add a backslash ( / ) to the starting tag.

Are you wondering what this pair of tags will tell your browser to do? It is pretty simple. The starting tag, <html>, tells your Web browser that "Hey, here is the start of a file that contains HTML coded information." And the ending tag, </html>, tells your Web browser that "Okay, here is the end of my HTML file."

There are many different tags that you can use to tell your browser what to do. Just remember that tags are always enclosed in angle brackets.

Keep this in mind! All the letters in tag names should be lower case. At one time, it didn't matter whether you typed them in upper or lower case. Now, it does. Most web browsers will still read upper or lower case tag names, but in the near future, having mixed case tag names may cause a problem. So don't write <HTML> or <Html> or <hTmL> just use all lower case letters like so, <html>.

Think you're getting the hang of HTML? Let's check out a few more tags and see what they do.

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This resource originally created by Deborah Dunk.
Revised and edited by Michael Galloway in 2005 & in 2006.

Updated on 11 Jun 2009

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The Internet Public Library is a public library for the world wide web.
Students from a consortium of colleges and universities with programs in information science develop and maintain the IPL!
Here are some of the partners in the IPL Consortium. A complete list is found on the IPL Consortium page.

The Internet Public Library is hosted by The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology,
with major support from the College of Information at Florida State University.



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KidSpace Home Librarians' Internet Index Library Locator Subjects Reference The World Computers Health & Nutrition Reading Zone Math & Science Art & Music Sports & Rec. Fun Stuff Features Science Fair Stately Knowledge Learning HTML Orca Search Poison Prevention Author Page Culture Quest Story Hour Say Hello U.S. Presidents	Have a question? *Ask an IPL Librarian!* (Use our Contact Us form for questions/suggestions about our site.) Tags As you have learned, tags are the instructions that tell the web browser where to put things and how to make them look. Each tag begins with a left angle bracket ( < ) and end with a right angle bracket ( > ) Inbetween the angle brackets, place the tag name like this: left angle bracket<html>right angle bracket tag name That tag is called a starting tag, and usually each starting tag has a closing tag like this: </html> Notice that all you had to do to make the ending tag is add a backslash ( / ) to the starting tag. Are you wondering what this pair of tags will tell your browser to do? It is pretty simple. The starting tag, <html>, tells your Web browser that "Hey, here is the start of a file that contains HTML coded information." And the ending tag, </html>, tells your Web browser that "Okay, here is the end of my HTML file." There are many different tags that you can use to tell your browser what to do. Just remember that tags are always enclosed in angle brackets. Keep this in mind! All the letters in tag names should be lower case. At one time, it didn't matter whether you typed them in upper or lower case. Now, it does. Most web browsers will still read upper or lower case tag names, but in the near future, having mixed case tag names may cause a problem. So don't write <HTML> or <Html> or <hTmL> just use all lower case letters like so, <html>. Think you're getting the hang of HTML? Let's check out a few more tags and see what they do. Previous\| Home \| Next This resource originally created by Deborah Dunk. Revised and edited by Michael Galloway in 2005 & in 2006. Updated on 11 Jun 2009
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