P - Paragraph

The P element defines a paragraph. The closing tag for P is optional, but its use prevents common browser bugs with style sheets. Note that P cannot contain block-level elements such as TABLE and ADDRESS.

HTML does not specify a presentation for the P element. Visual browsers commonly use block paragraphs with no first-line indent and separated by a blank line, but some browsers allow the user to specify a different presentation. An author can suggest paragraph indentation and spacing using style sheets. The following CSS ruleset suggests a possible presentation for paragraphs:

P { margin-top: 0; text-indent: 5% }

More Information

• P in W3C HTML 4.0 Recommendation
• P in W3C HTML 3.2 Recommendation
• P in HTML 2.0 Standard
• P in WDG HTML 3.2 Reference
• P in Learning HTML 3.2 by Examples