What Is an HTML Clock?

A clock that appears in graphic form on a web page usually has been created using hypertext markup language (HTML), and as such, it is often referred to simply as an HTML clock. HTML is the basic coding language for the Internet. On paper, HTML codes are often unintelligible to the untrained eye, because they involve series of symbols, letters and routing identifiers. When translated by Internet browsers, however, these strings appear as recognizable images with readable text. An HTML clock is any coding sequence that creates a clock or clock-like image on a website.

There are several possible variations for an HTML clock. The most basic examples are little more than digital readouts, often fixed in the corner of a web page or in its header. Most are capable of displaying seconds as well as minutes, and they can be formatted in either 12 -or 24-hour displays. Color, size and style are all dictated by the internal coding architecture, which is based primarily on math and numeric sequencing.

More complex clocks often resemble standard analog clocks, with hands that seem to move to express the passing time. This kind of HTML clock usually is more complicated to create, because the coding must account for moving graphics as well as changing numbers. Some knowledge of geometry and visual spacing is required to create this sort of clock from scratch.

Sophisticated web users can find a lot to innovate with when it comes to working with HTML clocks. Clocks can be set up as timers, for instance, or can allow user-initiated manipulation to stop, start and reset time. Sites can be optimized to reflect wherever users are or, alternatively, they can cycle through the world’s time zones at set intervals.

Creating the code usually is the most complicated part of any HTML clock endeavor. The language and terminology that are used are nuanced and usually have to be studied carefully to be mastered. Many websites and services offer free clock coding for more novice website owners. All an owner would need to do in this case is copy and paste the pre-written sequence into the internal coding of the website. A link or reference to the source is sometimes required.

Dropping coding sequences into a website is a generally simple task, and working with HTML that has already been tried and tested is usually straightforward. The majority of web-building platforms have editing panes into which designers can enter and manipulate code. To put an HTML clock on a website’s front page, then, an owner generally must do little more than open the website design template for that block of the page, copy and paste the code, then wait for the translation.