Introduced in 1965, the concept of hypertext described documents with a non-linear structure. Typically, hypertext is a collection of several texts that are related to each other and have nodes of transition from one text to another. In computer terminology, hypertext is a text formed using a special markup language. Its distinctive feature is the presence of links.
One of the most prominent examples of the use of hypertext are web pages. They are documents generated using HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). Web pages contain information, including text, with links to other web pages or graphic, audio and other elements. Hypertext is any text that contains links to any other fragments. A hypertext system is an information system that stores data in electronic form and is also capable of establishing links between elements. The essence of hypertext is as follows. There is a database that stores objects. The objects are text sections describing a specific question. Through special mechanisms, links are established between text fragments. It is also possible to set new links - by a user or a program. From the point of view of computer technology, the formation of hypertext is the generation of information for databases. Not only text, but also audio and video files, graphic data can act as elements of hypertext. Hypertext technology is the process of creating, maintaining, expanding, viewing text presented in the form of a network. Applications working with this technology are based on four functions of hypertext: substitution, links, notes, queries. Due to the substitution, it is possible to replace any piece of information when viewed in a graphic file or another part of the text. Links are the most important function. With their help, you can organize connections, which are the hallmark of hypertext. Notes work like regular marginal notes. With their help, you can associate information with any fragment. With the help of queries, it is possible to analyze the text from different positions. Queries allow you to search in hypertext.