10 Mistakes in HTML Code You Need to Avoid
Nowadays, online traffic is at an all-time high. Especially due to the global lockdown, people spend a lot more time on their computers. Naturally, this leads to web development needs rising accordingly.
To keep up with the demand and make your work easier, we would like to outline 10 mistakes that are best avoided when working with HTML code.
As every web developer knows, there is a great variety of content management systems that are geared to ease one’s job. The help of these programs ensures that the website creation process and maintenance can become as simple as possible. However, it is also true that websites are becoming ever more nuanced, intricate and feature all types of customizations. Usually, content systems are great for dealing with simpler challenges, but it can be hard to find a program that caters to advanced web development needs. On the other hand, if you have good knowledge of how HTML code works – all doors are open. It should be noted that HTML is a programming language, but a markup language. It allows you to make complex websites, maintain them, and even create full-fledged games like Mr. Bet Slots. The opportunities are endless when you have HTML code basics. However, this type of coding is pretty intricate, and you are bound to make mistakes on your path to mastery. Even professionals do, so it is nothing to be ashamed of. Surely, it is best to minimize mistakes right from the start of your coding journey. To get some footing, you need to understand what practices are best avoided when practicing HTML coding. We would like to give you a list of the 10 most common errors that are easily avoided when you know what to look out for. Let’s dive into the list and go through each mistake one by one.
HTML Code Guide – 10 Mistakes to Avoid
Not Closing the Tag
When you’re working in your HTML code notepad, it may seem like a simple enough thing to write <html> rather than <html/>. After all, both will seemingly do the same thing, whether the slash is included or not. This is a common pitfall that beginners tend to make. If you end up with a very long code, not closing your tags can become a big problem. Especially if you will have to look for any errors. When one leaves a <head> tag open to a <body> tag, it renders the whole part of the code useless. The browser will take this as a direction to put the whole of the code together. You should always check the tags that require opening and closing, as well as their corresponding counterparts. It is best to try and structure your whole language to have a way to navigate quickly between all your tags. A great way to achieve this is the use of indentation.
Thinking That Working with an IDE Will Give You the Best Results
IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment. These are software solutions that are meant to make web development easier due to the integrated HTML code editor, debugging tools, and automation tools. They are indeed somewhat overhyped. IDEs do not make your code special in any way but simply aim to make the process easier. If you are a beginner, they may work against you. Integrating IDE’s into your workflow comes at a later stage when you have the basics down. Otherwise, the plethora of additional features will needlessly complicate your workflow. HTML code can be written in Notepad or Notepad++, and that is where any beginner should start. Contrary to popular opinion, an IDE HTML code preview function is not necessary to check whether your website works. One can execute the code via a website hosting service or a server, which will work just as fine for HTML code testing purposes. Novices should keep things as simple as possible in the beginning stages.
Spending Time on Text Editor Choices
You may find that there is a lot of debate about which text editor is better than another. This should not be much of a concern. Any decent option will do the job right when dealing with basic HTML syntax. The only important thing is that you save your HTML code in the right format, which should always be file.html. There are text editors that do make your life easier by highlighting syntax, like Notepad++. This is useful when you have to sift through your code for errors.
Using JavaScript and CSS in the Same File
Another common rookie mistake is to use JavaScript, HTML code, and CSS all in the same final file. You will most likely have to go through the coding to fix errors, and a conglomeration of coding languages will make it harder than it needs to be. The main problem will be that you won’t find the fault error is because all code is integrated into the same single end file. The alternative is to have each code saved in a different file. If you need to, always import the files through <link> tags, located in the <head> element. This should be done through external CSS. It will make finding errors easier. However, as a beginner, it is best to keep your HTML code without CSS in the same final file.
Thinking Comments are not Important
Oftentimes comments are thought to be unnecessary. This is not the right way to go about things, as it will make understanding <div> functions difficult once your code becomes long. On top of that, if others will have to work with the file, it will prove to be very inconvenient for them. It is best to keep things neat and add comments to keep track of all the tags you use, as well as what role they play in your web development process. Overall, comments will make finding errors much simpler in the long run, either for you or for someone who has to sift through the file. Keep your comments short, and on point, as long comments can also make things inconvenient.
Being Inconsistent with Naming
One of the most important things that will help the HTML code be tight overall is staying consistent in your naming process. Class, ID, and variable names should be meaningful and kept the same throughout your whole code. This is very important to keep your HTML code output articulate and understandable, especially if you send it out to programmers. It is best not to get creative with your naming conventions, as these play a big role in being able to find errors down the line. A correct and concise naming process will also aid you to understand HTML fundamentals better when you extend your code.
Not Paying Attention to Your Page Structure
HTML coding is not exactly simple from the get-go. You will have to spend a lot of time to perfect your code, and it is a shame when things do not work out because of a poor structuring process. We see rookies make this simple mistake, but it can be easily avoided. Be sure to learn where tags belong, and keep the standard structure at all costs. Things like <span> and <div> can seemingly work in very similar ways, but it is paramount to know where they belong in the structuring process and the subtle ways in which they differ. Learning your tags and structure is like knowing your spelling. It is best to make sure you understand them right from the start of your coding journey.
Exclusively Using HTML in your Design Process
It is not recommended to view HTML code as your main tool for the design process. It is best used for basic designing, but when it gets too intricate, artistic designs – always choose CSS. Simple things such as making text bold or italic can easily be accomplished with HTML, but when it comes to stylized fonts, CSS is the right way to go. CSS can be applied to achieve virtually any styling you want by using HTML code. Templates to help achieve this can be found on the web, thus making the design process fairly simple. External CSS sheets are always easier to keep track of, maintain, and configure to your specific requirements. As mentioned previously, having different files for your coding extensions will end up doing the search for errors a lot simpler.
Defining Lists with a Line Break
In case you have to implement lists, note that it is not necessary to put line break tags after every single item you put into your HTML code (example: <br/>). The conventional way to make lists is with <ul> or the <ol> tags. If you use these, there is no need to break each consecutive line, as it will be done automatically. Putting a break after every single line is the wrong use of the tag. In case you use the <ul> or <ol> variants, note that every single item needs to be defined in the list by using the <li> tag. Each item in your list, located in between the <li> and </li> will be fit into a new line without you having to do anything else.
Using Multiple Line Breaks
To make the use of line breaks clear, a <br/> tag should only be used when there is a long paragraph of text, and you need to put a word into the next line. It is a common mistake to use the line break to create gaps between a series of elements in the HTML code. The correct way to insert gaps is to divide your text into multiple paragraphs and use CSS to manage the appropriate margin. If you want to achieve this in the right manner, it is best to use a <p> tag, which will ensure clean and correct paragraph spacing.
Conclusion
When one deals with HTML code, there are bound to be errors of some kind. Unless you are a full-fledged pro, mistakes are apt to happen. To minimize the errors in your HTML code, it is crucial to order your code well and make sure that you can navigate it easily. Especially if you are a beginning web developer, make sure you spend some time learning how to keep your coding tidy. HTML is only the beginning, but once you start integrating JavaScript, CSS, PHP, and XML, your codes will get longer and more complex. If you follow the tips on this blog, you will avoid the most common novice mistakes. As time goes by, all the coding rules become standard procedure. Like with everything, practice will make you perfect. If you have any HTML code, XLM, CSS, or any other web development related advice, we would appreciate if you share your thoughts in the comments below. Best of luck in your coding endeavors!
