What is HTML?
The abbreviation HTML stands for HyperText
Mark-up Language, and is the name for the
language containing the commands that can be included in a text file to instruct an Internet
browser how to display text, images and other web page elements.
Browsers
The two most used browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and
Firefox. They are both just as good at displaying web pages, but they each have additional features
that may make one or the other more suitable. There are other
web browsers available free.
Advantages
The principal advantages of HTML is that it has been designed to work on different platforms (Windows, Mac etc.) and it allows you to include hyperlinks to other documents on any web site. It is easy to use and of course allows access and exchange of information worldwide.
Disadvantages
The flexibility of HTML means that slight variations in the way that different browsers
interpret the code can lead to pages displaying differently.
HTML code is accessible to anyone who is browsing a web site, so it is very easy for people to
poach your work, and copy your text and images.
HTML Authoring
Some desktop publishing packages have web conversion utilities. If you have Microsoft Word you can create web pages using the Word Web Authoring update (see your Word Help menu). But you can create the code manually with Microsoft "Notepad" or the Mac "Simple Text" program. If you are using Netscape Navigator browser you will find Netscape Composer included. No matter how you decide to write your web page you should still find this information useful.
- There is more information about some popular HTML editing software.
Mobile Web
Conventional HTML pages can not be read by most mobile device mini-browsers in mobile phones and
PDA's, they need pages written following the
Wireless Access Protocol
Throughout this web site a few conventions are used to help make the information easier to read:
- HTML tags are shown in this typeface: <html>.
- Examples of code are shown in a box like this:
<tag attribute="value">Visible text</tag>
- A row of dots like this: ... signifies that something else may be added or has been omitted for clarity.
- Text shown like this: example is to highlight an HTML code attribute or other special word.
You can follow the topics in order using the links in the left margin, and navigate between pages in each topic using the links at the top of each page.
To give you a head start there are some simple web page templates that have the basic items already typed in.
Disclaimer:
Information and links concerning products and services are given in good faith. Inclusion of any
product does not imply any form of endorsement. Opinions expressed about any product are based on
my own experience, but your view may differ. Many of the external links were verified on 3 October
2007, however if you do find a broken link you are welcome to
e-mail me.
Footnote:
Based on overall statistics for 2007 of web sites I design, browser usage was: MS Internet
Explorer 82.3%, Firefox 8.5%, Unknown/Others 9.2%.
