Long opening tags can be split across several lines. Browsers treat line breaks as whitespace between attributes, so each attribute can stay clearly readable.
What You Need to Know
Keep attribute names and their values together. Quotation marks still must be balanced, and adding a line break inside a quoted value can change that value.
Example: See It in Action
This example keeps the idea small. Copy it carefully, then follow the explanation instead of guessing what the browser will do.
This is a short HTML fragment. To try it as a webpage, put it inside the body element of a complete HTML document.
<a
href="about.html"
class="nav-link"
title="About our club">
About us
</a>Let’s Understand the Example
- An a element becomes a working link when it has an href. Its visible text should tell readers where they will go.
- Href contains the destination of a link. A value starting with # points to an id on the same page.
- Class is a reusable label for styling or scripts; several elements may share the same class.
- Title adds advisory information, but it is not a substitute for readable visible labels.
The first example link points to about.html. Check whether that destination exists relative to the document. A link changes where readers go; it does not perform an action such as saving a form.
What Should You See?
The page should include “About us”. If it looks different from what you expected, open developer tools and compare the source with the elements the browser created.
Try removing one piece of markup in a scratch copy, refresh the page, and compare the behavior. This is often the fastest way to understand what that piece contributes.
Try It Yourself
- Put each anchor attribute on its own line and check that the link still works.
- Save your changes, open or refresh the page, and compare the result with the original example.
- Tell a friend what your change did. If you are not sure, undo it, refresh the page, and compare.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Accidentally inserting a newline into the middle of an unquoted attribute value.
- Avoid picking tags just for their default bold, italic or spaced appearance. Use CSS for presentation.
Key Takeaways
- Long opening tags can be split across several lines.
- An a element becomes a working link when it has an href. Its visible text should tell readers where they will go.
- Keep attribute names and their values together. Quotation marks still must be balanced, and adding a line break inside a quoted value can change that value.