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HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the standard language used to create and design web pages. Among the various elements in HTML, the <base> tag plays a crucial, yet often overlooked role. This article aims to demystify the <base> tag, explaining its purpose, functionality, and providing a practical example to illustrate its use.
What is the <base> Tag?
The <base> tag in HTML specifies the base URL/target for all relative URLs in a document. There are two attributes that can be used with the <base> tag:
- href: This specifies the base URL for all relative URLs on the page.
- target: This sets the default target for all hyperlinks and forms on the page.
This tag must be placed inside the <head> element of an HTML document. It’s important to note that a document can have only one <base> element, and if it’s used, it must have either an href attribute, a target attribute, or both.
Purpose of the <base> Tag
The <base> tag is particularly useful in scenarios where a web page contains many relative links. Without the <base> tag, the relative links would be resolved using the URL of the current page as the base URL. By using the <base> tag, you can redefine the base URL, which can be very helpful in managing links, especially in large websites or web applications.
Example of Using the <base> Tag
Let’s consider a practical example to understand how the <base> tag works.
Imagine you have a webpage located at https://www.example.com/folder/page.html, and this page contains several relative links. Without a <base> tag, these links would be resolved relative to the current page URL. However, suppose you want all these links to be resolved relative to the root of the domain https://www.example.com/. You can achieve this using the <base> tag as follows:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Example Page</title>
<base href="https://www.example.com/" target="_blank">
</head>
<body>
<p>This is an example page.</p>
<a href="folder/another-page.html">Another Page</a>
</body>
</html>In this example, the <base> tag has an href attribute set to https://www.example.com/. This means that the relative link in the <a> tag (folder/another-page.html) will be resolved as https://www.example.com/folder/another-page.html instead of https://www.example.com/folder/folder/another-page.html.
Additionally, the target="_blank" attribute in the <base> tag means that all hyperlinks on the page will open in a new browser tab or window by default.
Conclusion
The <base> tag is a powerful HTML element that helps in managing the base URL and target for all relative URLs in a web document. Its proper use can significantly simplify the maintenance of hyperlinks in large websites and web applications. As with any HTML element, it’s important to use the <base> tag judiciously to ensure it aligns with your web development goals and strategies.
