XML was not designed to be a standardized way of coding text: in fact it is impossible to devise a single coding scheme that would suit all languages and all applications. Instead XML is formal language that can be used to pass information about component parts of a document to another computer system. XML is flexible enough to be able to describe any logical text structure, whether it be a form, memo, letter, report, book, encyclopedia, dictionary or database.

The primary goal of XML is to enable SGML-coded data to be served, received, and processed on Web in way that is as easy as that currently made possible by use of fixed SGML tag set provided by HTML. Ok, SGML means Standard Generalized Markup Language. SGML was designed in 1980's as a tool to enable technical documentation and other forms of publishable data to be interchanged between authors, publishers and those responsible for production of printed copies of data sets. By providing a formal definition of component parts of a publishable information set, SGML made it possible to verify correct transmission and receipt of interchanged data sets. It was soon found that these techniques are applicable in areas other than those directly related to publications. For example, SGML is often used as a neutral data format when moving data between databases as part of multinational projects.

XML has been designed for ease of implementation and for interoperability with both SGML and HTML. Unlike early versions of SGML and HTML, XML has been based from very start on ISO 10646 Universal Multi-Octet Coded Character Set (UCS, which includes codes that make up Unicode character set) so that it can be used in all major trading nations.

== Step 1: ==

Create a separate directory where you are going to store your file(s).

== Step 2: ==

Open your favorite text editor. I would suggest for this first file, use NOTEPAD because it loads very fast, and no matter how many copies you open, it doesn't act fussy.

== Step 3: ==

Write these two lines first, as they are visible here:

Your entire web page is going to exist within confines of these two tags. I suggest you write closing tag as soon as you write opening tag so that later on, when there are too many tags, you don't get mixed up.

At this moment, you can save file in new directory you just created. Remember while saving, if you are using NotePad, that while writing name of file, for instance, firstpage.html, you have to enclose it within quotes in order to save it as an HTML page: "firstpage.html".

NOTE: Due to character per line limitations, some of HTML text may appear broken, but when you are typing in your text editor, press enter only when you have typed closing tag, for instance,

In following two sections, you get to get your hands dirty with pure viscera of HTML.

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