A guide to learning
html for beginners.

HTML are initials that stand for Hyper Text
Markup Language

• 
  Hyper is the opposite of linear. It used to
  be that computer programs had to move in a linear fashion. This before this,
  this before this, and so on. HTML does not
  hold to that pattern and allows the person viewing the World Wide
  Web page to go anywhere, any time they want.


• 
  Text is what you will use. English letters,
  just like you use everyday..


• 
  Markup is what you will do. You will write in
  plain English and then mark up what you wrote.


• 
  Language. Some may argue that technically
  html is a code, but you write html in plain, everyday English language.

HTML is the code behind your webpage and is
what your browser looks for to display a webpage, the way the webdesigner
intended it to look, and is a series of tags <tags>
that tells the browser where to display what. It is really a series of simple
commands that you give to the browser, just like telling your dog to sit, and
because it is in plain English it is easy to learn. For example, if you want
your text to show in a bold type, you command it <bold>
to be bold text </bold>, it really is that easy.

Keep this in mind: HTML documents must be
text only.

When you save a HTML document, you must save
only the text, nothing else. HTML browsers
can only read text. Look at your keyboard. See the letters and numbers and
little signs like % and @ and *? There are 128 in all (read upper- and lowercase
letters as two). That's text. That's what the browser reads. It simply doesn't
understand anything else.



Remember that if you are using Notepad,
Wordpad, or Simple Text, the document will be saved as text with no extra
prompting. Just choose SAVE.

If you are
going to start learning to write HTML, it is
a good idea to learn to look at other authors' HTML
pages. The actual html potion of the page behind the pretty page you see in
front of you now.

Looking at
another's html code helps you learn how things are done and you can copy the
style of pages that you like. Please do not just steal and copy the pages, but
no one will be upset if you make the style in much the same way. For example, if
you were going to build a house, you would look around to see what styles you
like before deciding on your own design. Same thing here, look around the web
and see what styles you like and apply them to your own ideas.

Here's how
you look at an HTML document (known as the "source
code")

• When you find a page
  you like, click on VIEW at the top of the
  screen.


• Choose
  SOURCE from the menu.


• The
  HTML document will appear on the screen.
  

Try it with this page.
Click on VIEW and then choose the
SOURCE.

It will look like mumbo jumbo right now, but soon it'll be readable and you'll
be able to find exactly how a certain HTML
presentation was performed.





What are HTML Tags?

HTML works in a very simple, very logical, format. It reads like you
do, top to bottom, left to right. HTML is
written with TEXT. What you use to set
certain sections apart as bigger text, smaller text, bold text, underlined text,
is a series of tags.

Think of tags as commands. For example if you want a line of text to
be bold. You will put a tag at the exact point you want the bold lettering to
start <bold>and another tag where you want the bold
lettering to stop.</bold> There you have an example of how tags make
commands and tell the browser how to display the text. Just like telling a dog
to sit. You give the command.

All tags that are opened
must correspondingly be closed, just as if you are writing a quoted statement
with those "inverted commas". A tag is closed this way
</tag> therefore we open a new tag <bold>
and close the tag </bold>

Different
tags call different functions. A full list of html tags and their functions is
provided

here.

Like to
write a page of html. C'mon, let's do it together

here.