Opening index.html without linking to the JavaScript file should render a completely blank webpage in a browser.

This means that the required table, described below, must not appear inside index.html. The HTML side of things is basically non-existent and everything is done via DOM manipulation instead. Also, please use JavaScript to add any styles. This is not a normal real-world scenario (though there may be instances where this does occur - the professional world is full of weird situations) but it gives you great practice at DOM manipulation which is very common. It's mostly designed to get your feet wet with the topic and to really have you wade around in it so you become more comfortable. That's why it's restricted to no HTML in any manner (other than the basic tags that say "here's my page, it's an HTML doc").