57 lines
3.4 KiB
Markdown
57 lines
3.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Semantic HTML Elements
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---
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## Semantic HTML Elements
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Semantic HTML elements provide meaning to browsers, developers, and users of a site. In contrast to elements like `<div>` or `<span>`, semantic elements like `<header>` and `<footer>` more clearly explain the purpose of each section of a website and make the website structure easier to understand.
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### Why Use Semantic Elements?
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Developers use semantic elements to enhance the following:
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* accessibility: help assistive technologies read and interpret your webpage
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* searchability: help computers make sense of your content
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* internationalization: only 13% of the world are English native speakers
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* interoperability: help other programmers understand the structure of your webpage and separate content from display <sup>1</sup>
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### Useful Semantic Elements
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* `<header>` defines a header for the document or a section
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* `<footer>` defines a footer for the document or a section
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* `<nav>` defines navigation links in the document
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* `<main>` defines the main content of a document
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* `<section>` defines a section in the document—the spec defines this as “a thematic grouping of content, typically with a heading," so you can think of it as being like a chapter
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* `<article>` defines an article in the document
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* `<aside>` defines content aside from the page content
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* `<address>` defines the contact information for the author/owner of a document or an article
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* `<figure>` defines self-contained content, like illustrations, diagrams, photos, code blocks, etc. <sup>2</sup>
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### Lesser-known Semantic Elements
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* `<bdi>` defines a section of text that might be formatted in a different direction from other text (for instance, a quote in Hebrew or Arabic in an otherwise-English article)
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* `<details>` defines additional details that people can view or hide (like a tooltip)
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* `<dialog>` defines a dialog box or window
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* `<figcaption>` defines the caption for a `<figure>`
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* `<mark>` defines marked or highlighted text
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* `<menuitem>` defines a command/menu item that the user can select from a popup menu
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* `<meter>` defines a scalar measurement within a known range (a gauge)
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* `<progress>` defines the progress of a task
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* `<rp>` defines what to show in browsers that do not support ruby annotations
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* `<rt>` defines an explanation/pronunciation of characters (for east asian typography)
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* `<ruby>` defines a ruby annotation (for east asian typography)
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* `<summary>` defines a visible heading for a `<details>` element
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* `<time>` defines a date/time
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* `<wbr>` defines a possible line-break <sup>2</sup>
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### Sources
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1. [Lee, Michelle. "An Overview of HTML5 Semantics." *CodePen*. February 16, 2016. Accessed: October 24, 2017](https://codepen.io/mi-lee/post/an-overview-of-html5-semantics)
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2. [Bidaux, Vincent. "HTML5 semantic elements and Webflow: the essential guide." *Webflow*. December 16, 2016. Accessed: October 24, 2017](https://webflow.com/blog/html5-semantic-elements-and-webflow-the-essential-guide)
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#### More Information:
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For more information: https://codepen.io/mi-lee/post/an-overview-of-html5-semantics
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Refer to the [MDN Web Docs article](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/em).
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You might also want to check out this old school [article in Scientific American](https://www-sop.inria.fr/acacia/cours/essi2006/Scientific%20American_%20Feature%20Article_%20The%20Semantic%20Web_%20May%202001.pdf) co-authored by Tim Berners-Lee himself!
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