Course: Text Encoding and the TEI, Topic: Unit I: Markup languages: their history and uses

Text encoding and the Text Encoding Initiative
This course introduces the theory and practice of text encoding using the Guidelines of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), providing an overview of text encoding in general as well as core concepts of the TEI. The course covers concepts such as text modelling, markup languages, and the importance of standards for making metadata usable and searchable. The course also explores the history and approaches to text encoding. The course is divided into three units which are displayed on the left hand menu and can be used to navigate the content.
- Introduction Page
- Announcements Forum

Unit I: Markup languages: their history and uses
This unit is divided into four lessons:
- Markup Languages and Text Modelling introduces the history of markup languages. You will learn how to distinguish features and characteristics of markup languages, and limitations and advantages of making text machine readable.
- What is Text Really? discusses the concept of 'text', and how it is understood from a text encoding perspective. The theory of the OHCO Model (Ordered Hierarchy of Content Objects) is discussed. It describes a rationale for issues common to SGML-based markup languages, as well as a broader understanding of what constitutes text in the digital age.
- Modelling With XML and Modelling with TEI explores the history of XML and TEI, their characteristics, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of markup languages. This introduces the building blocks of XML: elements and attributes.