By Jerry Ruppel, RunTheWeb.com
HTML is Hyper Text Markup Language. It is the coding used to tell web
browsers how to display text and graphics or how to create working
hyperlinks. It also tells the browser some information on the web page
itself.
The basics of creating html coding are easy. To view the html coding of
any web page, select "source" if you are using Internet Explorer,
or select "document source" from the "view" pull down
menu if you are using Netscape.
The html coding consists of commands called html tags. Html tags are the
commands that are enclosed with the < > symbols. Generally there are
two parts to a command the first part is the opening tag which starts a
command, and the second part that completes the command < / > is the
closing tag. These tags tell the browser not to disply the commands and what
to do with the text between the opening and closing tags.
Every web page begins with:
<html>
<head>
<title>
</title>
</head>
<body>
And ends with:
</body>
</html>
The <html> tag starts every page. This lets the browser know it is
a html file.
Next, is the <head> tag. This can include many items. For now, we
are only concerned with one item. That is the <title> tag. After the
<title> tag you enter the title you wish to call your page. This does
not appear on your web page, it appears in the uppermost left hand part of
your browser window.
And finally
</title>
</head>
To complete or close the title and head.
The next part of your html document will be your body tag:
<body>
This contains all of your document. After your body, you must complete or
close the body and html code with:
</body>
</html>
All of this code can be created in any text or word processor. There are
also html editors available which make creating and editing html files
easier. Two popular html editors you may wish to check out are called Hotdog
and Homesite.
Formatting Text
If you stick with the default text, you do not have to worry about
setting the style, size or color. It looks like the text you are reading.
Here's how to change it;
<b>This makes your text bold</b>
This makes your text bold
<i>This makes your text italic</i>
This makes your text italic
To Change the size of text, you have to start with <font size="desired
size"> and end with </font>
<font size="1">This is size 1</font>
This is size 1
<font size="2">This is size 2</font>
This is size 2
<font size="3">This is size 3 </font>
This is size 3
<font size="4">This is size 4</font>
This is size 4
<font size="5">This is size 5</font>
This is size 5
To Change the color of text, you have to start with <font color="desired
color">, and end with </font>. Where the desired color
is red, blue, green, yellow, teal or some other popular colors.
<font color="red">This is Red</font> This
is Red
<font color="blue">This is Blue</font> This
is Blue
<font color="green">This is Green</font> This
is Green
Only some of the basic colors can be created this way. Another way to
create colors is to specify a numerical value of the color called
hexidecimal codes. They look like <font color="FF0000">,
which is the code for red
<font color="FF0000">This is Red </font> This
is Red
I am mentioning these hexideciamal codes so you know they exist. You
should be able to get away without using them.
Here is a easy way to size headlines:
<h1>Headline size 1</h1>
Headline size 1
<h2>Headline size 2</h2>
Headline size 2
<h3>Headline size 3</h3>
Headline size 3
Unless specified, your text will line up on the left side of the page.
To get your text centered you have to enter it between <center>
</center>
<center>This text is centered</center>
This text is centered
Text will keep flowing without the paragraph spaces your return or enter key
gives you. So you have to force the text to move down a line. We do this
with the break return tag <br> , and the paragraph tag <p> . The
<br> will start the next line of text. The <p> will skip a space
to start a new paragraph.
So if you want to see:
Today is Monday
I should have stayed home today
Please call me back tomorrow
I’ll be much better then.
You have to enter:
Today is Monday
<p>
I should have stayed home today<br>
Please call me back tomorrow
<p>
I’ll be much better then.
Without the tags it would look like this:
Today is Monday I should have stayed home today Please call me back
tomorrow I’ll be much better then.
These two tags are two of the few that do not require a closing tag
</>
Here is another tag that does not require a closing tag: <hr>
This draws a line across the page, often used as a divider after a headline.
So if you enter:
Get Your Free Web Space Now <hr>
It will look like:
Get Your Free Web Space Now
To indent your text on both sides of the page, you need to enter it
between <blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>This will indent text like this</blockquote>
This will indent text like this
It is handy for quotes and to break up the look of your page.
Creating Links
To create a hyperlink to another webpage you must enter it in this code:
<a href="webpage URL">Any Text</a>
So if you want to add a link to this URL address:
http://www.runtheweb.com/
You have to enter it like this:
<a href="http://www.runtheweb.com/ ">Click Here To Visit
Run The Web</a>
Click Here To Visit Run The Web
To add a link to your email address, enter in this command:
<a href="mailto:email address">Any Text</a>
Like This:
<a href="mailto:support@runtheweb.com">Click Here To
E-Mail Us</a>
Click Here To E-Mail Us
There you have it. The basics of creating html. There are many sources to
learn more about html. One great website by John C. Gilson. He has a whole
site full of tutorials. Click
Here to visit his site.
Good luck with your web page creations.
Soon You will be making web sites all night long.
Don't Just Surf the Web,
Learn How To Take Control and Run The Web