Empty elements in HTML, also known as self-closing tags, are elements that don't require a closing tag. These elements are written in the format of <element />, with the slash indicating that the element is self-closing. Some examples of empty elements in HTML include the <br> line break and the <img> image tag.
Empty elements are used to add non-textual content to a web page, such as images, line breaks, and horizontal lines. They are also commonly used to add meta information to a web page, such as the <meta> tag for setting the page's character encoding or the <link> tag for linking to an external stylesheet.
It's important to note that while empty elements don't require a closing tag, they still require an opening tag. Additionally, some older versions of HTML and XHTML require that the closing slash be included in the tag, while newer versions of HTML5 do not.
Empty elements are a useful tool for web developers because they allow for efficient and clean code. They also make it easy to add non-textual content to a web page without having to worry about closing tags or other syntax issues.
Some examples of empty elements in HTML are:
- <br> - This element is used to add a line break in text.
- <hr> - This element is used to add a horizontal line to a web page.
- <img> - This element is used to add images to a web page. It requires the "src" attribute to specify the image source.
- <input> - This element is used to create form controls like text fields, checkboxes, and buttons. It requires the "type" attribute to specify the type of form control.
- <link> - This element is used to link to an external stylesheet. It requires the "href" attribute to specify the link and "rel" attribute to specify the relationship.
- <meta> - This element is used to add metadata to a web page, such as the character encoding or keywords for search engines. It requires the "name" or "http-equiv" attribute to specify the metadata.
- <param> - This element is used to define parameters for an <object> element. It requires the "name" attribute to specify the parameter and "value" attribute to specify the value.
- <source> - This element is used to specify media sources for the <picture>
In conclusion, Empty elements, also known as self-closing tags, are a type of HTML element that do not require a closing tag. They are useful for adding non-textual content to a web page, and they help create efficient and clean code.