Hypertext explained

Hypertext, also known as a hyperlink, is the association of related information with electronic connections so that the user has easy access between them. Hypertext is a feature of some computer programs that allow a user of electronic media to select a word from the text and receive additional information related to that word, such as a definition or related reference in the text. For example, in the blogs, the hypertext links during the mention of the blue whale allow the reader to access an article about this species by simply clicking on the words with the mouse. A hypertext link is usually denoted by highlighting the word or phrase in the text with a different font or colour. Hypertext links can also connect text to images, sounds, or animated sequences.

Hypertext links between different parts of a document, or between different documents, create a branched or networked structure that can be customized directly without having to jump to related information snippets without mediation. The tree-like structure of hyperlink information contradicts, for example, the linear structure of a printed encyclopedia or dictionary, the content of which is physically accessible only by static, linear entries in alphabetical order. Hypertext links are, in a sense, text references that provide instant access to target information. Such links are most effective when used for a large body of information, organized into many smaller, related pieces, and when the user needs only a small piece of information at a time. Hypertext has been most successfully used by interactive multimedia computer systems, which became commercially available in the early 1990s.