HTML A Beginner's Guide | Beginner's Guide

HTML A Beginner's Guide

Authors: Wendy Willard

Published: June 2009

eISBN: 9780071611442 0071611444 | ISBN: 9780071611435

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: HTML Basics

1 Getting Started

Understand the Internet as a Medium for Disseminating Information

Be Aware of the Current Version of HTML

Plan for the Audience, Goals, Structure, Content, and Navigation of Your Site

Identify the Best HTML Editor for You

Learn from the Pros Using the View Source Command of Popular Web Browsers

Summary

2 Basic Page Structure

Create an HTML File

Preview an HTML File in a Browser

Describe and Apply the Basic HTML Document Format

Use Character Entities to Display Special Characters

Add Comments to an HTML File

Set Up Style Sheets in an HTML File

Summary

3 Color

Identify the Ways in Which Color Is Referenced in Web Development

Web-Safe Colors

Specify Document Colors

On the Horizon

Summary

4 Working with Text

Organize Sections of Text

Add Headings

Add Logical Emphasis to Sections of Text

Style Sections of Text by Changing Font Characteristics

Summary

5 Working with Links

Add Links to Other Web Pages

Add Links to Sections Within the Same Web Page

Add Links to E-Mail Addresses and Downloadable Files

Style Links

Customize Links by Setting the Tab Order, Keyboard Shortcut, and Target Window

6 Working with Images

Use Images as Elements in the Foreground of a Web Page

Specify the Height and Width of Images

Provide Alternative Text and Titles for Images

Link Images to Other Content on a Web Site

Style Foreground Images

Use Images as Elements in the Background of a Web Page

7 Working with Multimedia

Understand How Plug-ins Are Used with Web Browsers

Link to Different Types of Media from a Web Page

Embed Different Types of Media into a Web Page

8 Creating Lists

Use Ordered Lists in a Web Page

Use Unordered Lists in a Web Page

Use Definition Lists in a Web Page

Combine and Nest Two or More Types of Lists in a Web Page

Style Lists

9 Using Tables

Understand the Concept and Uses of Tables in Web Pages

Create a Basic Table Structure

Format Tables Within Web Pages

Format Content Within Table Cells

Additional Formatting Techniques

10 Developing Frames

Understand the Concept and Uses of Frames in Web Pages

Create a Basic Frameset

Format Frames Within a Frameset

Create Links Between Frames

Nest Framesets

Create Inline Frames

Accommodate Non-Frames-Capable Browsers

11 Employing Forms

Understand the Concept and Uses of Forms in Web Pages

Create a Basic Form

Provide a Way for Your Form to Be Processed

Use Additional Formatting Techniques for Forms

Style Forms

12 Positioning Page Elements

Understand the Concept and Uses of Style Sheets for Page Layout

Create a Single-Column, Centered, Fluid Page Layout

Create a Multicolumn Fluid Page Layout

Other CSS Page Layouts

Layer Content Within a Layout

Use External Style Sheets

13 HTML for E-Mail

Email Standards Project

Determine Whether HTML E-Mail Is Appropriate for Your Needs

Don't Send Spam

Identify the Necessary Tools for the Task

Code for E-Mail Readers, Not Web Browsers

Reference Guide to CSS Support in E-Mail Clients

Interactivity and Multimedia in HTML E-Mail

Test, Test, Test

Part II: Beyond HTML

14 Creating Your Own Web Graphics

Become Familiar with Graphics Software

Describe Issues That Impact Design Decisions

Recognize Graphic File Formats for the Web

Learn More

15 Web Content

Ensure Onscreen Readability of Text

Recognize Effective Links

Offer Printer-Friendly Pages

Learn More

16 Dynamic Content

Understand the Concept and Uses of JavaScript and DHTML in Web Pages

Sample Scripts

Learn More

17 Making Pages Available to Others

Select Possible Domain Names for Your Site

Determine the Most Appropriate Type of Hosting for Your Site

Search Engines and Search Directories

Prepare Your Site for Its Public Debut

Upload Your Site to a Host Computer

Test Your Site

Publicize Your Web Site

Make the Site Live!

Summary

Part III: Appendixes

A: Answers to Self Test

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Chapter 2: Basic Page Structure

Chapter 3: Color

Chapter 4: Working with Text

Chapter 5: Working with Links

Chapter 6: Working with Images

Chapter 7: Working with Multimedia

Chapter 8: Creating Lists

Chapter 9: Using Tables

Chapter 10: Developing Frames

Chapter 11: Employing Forms

Chapter 12: Positioning Page Elements

Chapter 13: HTML for E-Mail

Chapter 14: Creating Your Own Web Graphics

Chapter 15: Web Content

Chapter 16: Dynamic Content

Chapter 17: Making Pages Available to Others

B: HTML/CSS Reference Table

Generic Attributes

HTML Tags

CSS Properties

C: Troubleshooting (FAQs)

My Page Is Blank in the Browser!

All I See Is Code in the Browser!

My Images Don't Appear!

I Tried to Change the Font, but Nothing Happened!

When I Use a Special Character, It Doesn't Appear!

My Links Don't Work!

My Page Looks Great in One Browser, but Terrible in Another!

When I Link My Images, They Have Little Colored Dashes Next to Them!

I Saved My Image as a JPEG, but the Browser Says It's Not a Valid File Format!

Strange Characters Are at the Top of My Page!

I Added Internal Links to Sections of a Web Page, but When I Click Them, the Browser Launches a Brand New Window!

I Specified One Color but Got a Totally Different One!

I Need to Protect Some of My Pages from Unwanted Visitors!

I Need to Prevent People from Stealing My Images!

I Tried to Send My Web Page in an E-Mail, but the Page Looked Terrible!

I Updated My Web Page, but I Don't See the Changes in the Browser!

My Whole Page Is _____________! (Fill in the Blank)

My Page Has a White Background in Internet Explorer, but Not in Other Browsers!

I Shrank My Images, but They Still Take Forever to Download!

I Embedded a Flash File That Works Fine on My Computer, but Doesn't Work Properly on Other Computers!

My Tables Look Fine in One Browser, but Terrible in Another!

I Still Have Questions!

D: Special Characters

Standard HTML Entities

E: File Types

Index