A technical definition of XML or Extensible Markup Language is “a document markup language for defining structured information”. But that is a bit abstract, so let’s take it step-by-step.
When you write text in a Word processor, you are actually writing more than just the words on the screen. You are also including information about how that text looks, even if you do nothing but start typing:
CSS was first developed in 1997, as a way for Web developers to define the look and feel of their Web pages. It was intended to allow developers to separate content from design so that HTML could perform more of the function that it was originally based on – the markup of content, without worry about the design and layout.
CSS didn’t gain in popularity until around 2000, when Web browsers began using more than the basic font and color aspects of CSS. And now, all modern browsers support all of CSS Level 1, most of CSS Level 2, and some aspects of CSS Level 3.
Web Designers that don’t use CSS for their design and development of Web sites are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. And it is arguably as important to understand CSS as it is to know HTML – and some would say it was more important to know CSS.
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the language that writes the Web. If you are interested in building Web pages, then you should learn to write HTML. HTML is easy to learn and with these free classes and tutorials you can’t lose.