Build your first web page in an afternoon

Introduction

Everything on the web starts with a simple page. In this tutorial you will create one from scratch using only a text editor and a browser, and learn what each part does.

Main idea

A page is built from structure (HTML), appearance (CSS) and behaviour (JavaScript). Today you will focus on the first two, which is plenty for a useful result.

Practical steps

Create the structure

Create a folder and add a file named index.html. Add a heading, a short paragraph about yourself and a list of three things you enjoy. Open the file in your browser to see it.

Add some style

Create a second file named styles.css and link it from your page. Change the font, the colours and the spacing, refreshing the browser after every change to see the effect.

• Keep one idea per change.
• Refresh often.
• Use the browser's inspector to learn from other sites.

Conclusion

You now have a working page and a feel for how the web fits together. Next, try adding an image and a link to another page.