State of the standards: HTML

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the programming code used to create pages on the World Wide Web. If you want to create your own Web site, you either need to learn how to create documents using HTML codes (called tags), or you need to use an HTML editor which will automatically convert documents you create into HTML documents.

The current standard for HTML is version 3.2, and you can find information about it and proposed changes to the standard at the W3 Consortium's site, at www.w3.org/MarkUp.

The HTML standard is constantly being buffeted by the demands of users and developers for more advanced features in Web sites. The two main developers of Web browsers, Microsoft and Netscape, are continually making additions to the standard and vying to have their extensions recognised as the basis for the next standard.

The next standard, HTML 4.0, is already in the works. It provides support for advanced form design, including more interactive buttons and other form 'controls', improved frames, table enhancements including column groupings and improved border control, standards for embedding objects and scripts in Web documents, and support for style sheets.

by Rose Vines