The building blocks
HTML & CSS
HTML gives a page its structure and content. CSS controls its layout, colors, spacing, and appearance on different screen sizes.
JavaScript
JavaScript adds browser interactions, such as checking a quiz answer, without necessarily needing a backend server.
Two ways to serve static content
- Managed static hosting: upload the website files to a service that handles serving the content. Object storage can also provide static website hosting.
- A virtual server: install and configure web-server software on a virtual machine, then place the website files in its document directory.
Static does not mean motionless. A static website can still have interactive buttons and quizzes. Its files are served without generating each page on a backend server.
Keep navigation portable
Relative links connect pages and assets within this website. Keeping the same directory structure makes it easier to move the site between hosting services.
Next: scaling & elasticity →