QUESTION: What is HTML?
ANSWER: HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is a language and file format that describes text and graphics. It is used mainly for displaying Web pages. The information you are reading now is in HTML format.
If you want to learn how to write HTML code, you can do so without attending any classes or buying any books, because there is lots of free information about creating HTML on the Internet. Just use your favorite search engine to search for "Web development" — you'll get lots of hits.
You don't need special software to write HTML code — you can use any text-editing application or word-processing application. For example, if you're working on a Windows computer, you can use Notepad or Microsoft Word. Just make sure you save your HTML files in plan-text (ASCII) format. You'll also want to give your files an .html or .htm filename extension, because software that deals with HTML files (such as Web browsers and Web servers) expects them to be named that way.
However, you can also use software that is specifically designed for creating HTML code. If you do this, you'll enjoy some advantages such as color coding that distinguishes code from comments, automatic indentation of nested HTML elements, automatic detection of syntax errors, and more. HTML Kit is an example of an HTML editor. The Notepad+ application that comes free with recent versions of Windows also works well for HTML editing.
If you're going to be creating a lot of HTML code, you might want to use a "Web-development tool." Wix and WordPress are two examples. Such software lets you create HTML code by clicking, dragging, and dropping. The software generates HTML code automatically, behind the scenes, so you don't have to write the code yourself. The software also allows you to create special visual effects and audio effects more quickly and more easily than you could if you were writing the HTML code yourself.
See also What is an HTML form?