Web Design SEO Glossary H

HTML – Hypertext Markup Language
A text and layout-formatting standard controlled by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) used to create and interpret web pages on all computer platforms. HTML code dictates the placement, treatment and interpretation of such web page elements as animation, audio, frames, graphic images, headings, hyperlinks, and paragraphs.

HTML5
HTML5 is the latest version of Hypertext Markup Language, the code that describes web pages. It’s actually three kinds of code: HTML, which provides the structure; Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which take care of presentation; and JavaScript, which makes things happen.

HTTP – Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
The international standard or set of rules setting forth how text and image files are sent over the Internet from an HTTP server program and received by a web client program, such as a browser.

Half-leading
In CSS, half-leading splits the leading (distance between lines of type) equally between the top and bottom edges of the element’s content-area.

Headings
In HTML and XML, a dominant element on a web page acting as a title or headline and subtitles on a webpage. There are 6 levels of headings, with h1 being the largest and most prominent, both in the text and in the estimation of the search engines. Headings are used to maintain a logical structure in the web content and allow for fast scanning of content.

Hexadecimal
A numbering system which uses a base of 16, the numbers 0 – 9 and letters A -F used in HTML and CSS, and other computer coding applications. Hexadecimal numbers are used to define colors used on a web page. The color hex code begins with an octothorpe (#) – use that word in a sentence today – and is followed by three pairs of alphanumeric characters that correlate to red, green, and blue colors (#RRGGBB). An example of a color code is #ffffff that stands for white. In CSS a shorthand is used where if the pairs repeat, so the color #ff22cc may be rendered #f2c.

Hierarchy
In web design, hierarchy is the organizational configuration of the web pages making up a web site. At the top page of the hierarchy is the home page.

Horizontal Scrolling Bar
The horizontal scrolling appears when a website or a window in a website is too wide for the framework it is in, which may be defined by the dimensions of the website itself, the browser window or the width of a viewer’s monitor. In general, horizontal scrolling should be avoided if possible, which is why many websites use a width of 750 pixels based on the idea that most monitors are 15″ screens.

Hue
The name of a distinct color, such as red yellow or blue.

Hits
Hits are the individual requests a server receives from a web client computer to send all the files related to constructing a single Web page. The number of times a web page or image is downloaded by web denizens. A web page itself and each of the image files used on the page are separate hits.

Home Page
The home page is the first page of a web site, usually is usually named “index.html” in deference to the way servers and Google search for a home page. The home page is treated by the search engines as a directory of a website. AKA opening, start or main page.

Hosting
The action taken by a computer operating as web server that is connected to the Internet. A web hosting server stores website files and serves up a site’s web pages as requested to a website’s visitors. Hosting services usually employ a network of servers to store website files and include a level of firewall security as well as reserve power sources for continuous operation in case of a local power outage.

HTML Editor
A software application, such as BBEdit or Adobe’s Dreamweaver, that edits HTML pages. Although any text editing program can be used as an HTML editor, serious applications like Dreamweaver provide the ability to edit the HTML code; easily add elements like bulleted lists, tables, layout, and font attributes; add web content like a word processor; and check the HTML page as it would be exhibited on the web.