HTML: A Beginner's Guide, Fifth Edition, 5th Edition

Book description

Essential HTML skills—made easy!

Thoroughly updated and revised, HTML: A Beginners Guide, Fifth Edition shows you, step by step, how to create dynamic websites with HTML. The book covers new HTML5 features, including video, audio, and canvas elements. Learn how to structure a page, place images, format text, create links, add color, work with multimedia, and use forms. You'll also go beyond the basics and find out how to work with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), create dynamic web content with JavaScript, upload your site to the web, and code HTML emails. By the end of the book you'll be able to build custom websites using the latest HTML techniques.

Chapters include:

  • Key Skills & Concepts--Chapter-opening lists of specific skills covered in the chapter
  • Ask the Expert--Q & A sections filled with bonus information and helpful tips
  • Try This--Hands-on exercises that show you how to apply your skills
  • Notes--Extra information related to the topic being covered
  • Tips--Helpful reminders or alternate ways of doing things
  • Self-Tests--End-of-chapter reviews to test your knowledge
  • Annotated syntax--Example code with commentary that describes the programming techniques being illustrated

Table of contents

  1. Cover 
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. About the Author
  5. Contents at a Glance
  6. Contents 
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Introduction
  9. Part I: Laying the Foundation
    1. Chapter 1: Getting Started
      1. Understand the Internet as a Medium for Disseminating Information
        1. The Anatomy of a Web Site
        2. Web Browsers
        3. Internet Service Providers
      2. Be Aware of the Current Version of HTML
      3. Plan for the Audience, Goals, Structure, Content, and Navigation of Your Site
        1. Identify the Target Audience
        2. Set Goals
        3. Create the Structure
        4. Organize Content
        5. Develop Navigation
      4. Identify the Best HTML Editor for You
        1. Which Is Best?
      5. Learn from the Pros Using the View Source Command of Popular Web Browsers
    2. Chapter 2: Document Setup
      1. Create an HTML File
        1. Naming Conventions
      2. Preview an HTML File in a Browser
      3. Describe and Apply the Basic HTML Document Format
        1. Types of Elements
        2. Types of Tags
        3. Attributes
        4. Required Tags
        5. Capitalization
        6. Quotation Marks
        7. Nesting
        8. Spacing and Breaks Within the Code
        9. Spacing and Breaks Between Tags
        10. Spacing Between Lines of Text
      4. Use Character Entities to Display Special Characters
      5. Add Comments to an HTML File
    3. Chapter 3: Style Sheet Setup
      1. Set Up Style Sheets in an HTML File
        1. Define the Style
        2. Define the Values
        3. Create the Structure
        4. Understand the Cascade
      2. Identify the Ways in Which Color Is Referenced in Web Development
        1. Hexadecimal Color
        2. RGB Values and Percentages
        3. Color Names
        4. So Which Should I Use?
      3. New and Notable Color Options
        1. RGBA
        2. Opacity
      4. Specify Document Colors
    4. Chapter 4: Working with Text
      1. Ensure Onscreen Readability of Text
      2. Markup Text
      3. Style Text
        1. Font Faces
        2. Font Sizes
        3. Font Colors
        4. Other Font Style Properties
      4. Offer Printer-Friendly Versions of Text Content
        1. PDFs
        2. Printer-Specific Style Sheets
        3. Final Tips for Printer-Friendly Pages
    5. Chapter 5: Page Structure
      1. Organize Sections of Content
        1. Identifying Natural Divisions
        2. Set the Outline
        3. Get Inspired
      2. Organize Text
        1. Paragraphs
        2. Line Breaks
        3. Quotation Blocks
        4. Box Properties
        5. Alignment
    6. Chapter 6: Positioning Page Elements
      1. Understand the Concept and Uses of Style Sheets for Page Layout
      2. Create a Single-Column, Centered, Fluid Page Layout
        1. Break Down the Code
        2. Pull It All Together
        3. Browser Support
      3. Create a Multicolumn Fluid Page Layout
        1. Break Down the Code
        2. Pull It Back Together
        3. Browser Support
      4. Other CSS Page Layouts
      5. Layer Content Within a Layout
        1. Realistic Uses of Layers in Web Pages
      6. Use External Style Sheets
        1. Link to an External Style Sheet
        2. Import an External Style Sheet
  10. Part II: Adding the Content
    1. Chapter 7: Working with Links
      1. Add Links to Other Web Pages
        1. Absolute Links
        2. Relative Links
      2. Add Links to Sections Within the Same Web Page
        1. Create an Anchor
        2. Link to an Anchor
      3. Add Links to Email Addresses and Downloadable Files
        1. Email Addresses
        2. FTP and Downloadable Files
      4. Recognize Effective Links
        1. Extra Credit
      5. Style Links
        1. Default Link Colors
        2. Beyond Colors
      6. Customize Links by Setting the Tab Order, Keyboard Shortcut, and Target Window
        1. Title
        2. Tab Order
        3. Keyboard Shortcuts
        4. Target Windows
    2. Chapter 8: Working with Images
      1. Locating Web Image Sources
        1. Use Stock Images
        2. Creating Your Own Graphics
      2. Become Familiar with Graphics Software
        1. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
        2. Other Options
      3. Recognize Appropriate Web Image File Formats
        1. Terminology
        2. GIF
        3. JPEG
        4. PNG
        5. Choose the Best File Format for the Job
      4. Use Images as Elements in the Foreground of a Web Page
      5. Specify the Height and Width of Images
      6. Provide Alternative Text and Titles for Images
      7. Link Images to Other Content on a Web Site
        1. Link the Entire Image
        2. Link Sections of an Image
      8. Add Figure Captions
      9. Style Foreground Images
        1. Borders
        2. Floats
        3. Padding and Margins
        4. Centering
        5. Pulling It All Together
      10. Use Images as Elements in the Background of a Web Page
        1. Extra Credit
    3. Chapter 9: Working with Multimedia
      1. Understand How Plug-ins Are Used with Web Browsers
        1. Identify the Installed Components
        2. Recognize File Types, Extensions, and Appropriate Plug-ins
      2. Link to Different Types of Media from a Web Page
      3. Embed Different Types of Media onto a Web Page
        1. Start with the audio and video Elements
        2. Customize with Attributes
        3. Specify Sources
        4. Provide Fallback Options
        5. Add Text Tracks
        6. Use embed for Non-native Multimedia Content
      4. Style Multimedia Content
    4. Chapter 10: Creating Lists
      1. Use Ordered Lists in a Web Page
      2. Use Unordered Lists in a Web Page
      3. Use Definition Lists in a Web Page
      4. Combine and Nest Two or More Types of Lists in a Web Page
      5. Style Lists
        1. Customize the Bullets
        2. Customize the Spacing
        3. Customize the Entire Layout
    5. Chapter 11: Using Tables
      1. Understand the Concept and Uses of Tables in Web Pages
      2. Create a Basic Table Structure
        1. Table Structure
        2. Cell Content
      3. Format Tables Within Web Pages
        1. Borders and Margins
        2. Width and Height
        3. Basic Alignment
        4. Colors
        5. Background Images
        6. Captions
      4. Format Content Within Table Cells
        1. Alignment
        2. Width and Height
        3. Cell Padding
        4. Colors
        5. Prohibit Line Breaks
        6. Spanning Columns
        7. Span Rows
      5. Additional Formatting Techniques for Tables
        1. Group Rows
        2. Group Columns
    6. Chapter 12: Creating Forms
      1. Understand the Concept and Uses of Forms in Web Pages
      2. Create a Basic Form
        1. Text Input
        2. Radio Buttons
        3. Check Boxes
        4. Date and Time Inputs
        5. Other Number Inputs
        6. Contact Methods
        7. Color Selectors
        8. Select Menus
        9. Disable Form Elements
        10. Hidden Fields
        11. File Uploads
        12. Buttons
      3. Validate the Form Content
        1. Using Patterns
      4. Provide a Way for Your Form to Be Processed
        1. The action Attribute
        2. The method and enctype Attributes
    7. Chapter 13: Formatting and Styling Forms
      1. Apply Tables to Forms
      2. Make Forms More User-Friendly
        1. Set Tab Order and Keyboard Shortcuts
        2. Include Labels
        3. Group-Related Controls
        4. Add Data Lists
        5. Show Progress
        6. Assist Your Users
      3. Style Forms
        1. Use Styles and Fieldsets to Eliminate the Table Layout
        2. Use Styles for Client-Side Validation
    8. Chapter 14: Beyond Static HTML
      1. Understand the Concept and Uses of JavaScript and HTML5 APIs in Web Pages
        1. Troubleshoot JavaScript
        2. Terminology
        3. JavaScript Logic
      2. New and Notable
        1. Multitasking
        2. Storage
        3. Offline
        4. Geolocation
        5. Canvas
      3. Sample Scripts
        1. Add the Current Date and Time
        2. Format a New Window
        3. Create a Dynamic Navigation Bar
        4. Display a User’s Location on a Map
      4. Learn More
        1. Online References and Scripts
  11. Part III: Going Live
    1. Chapter 15: Publishing Pages
      1. Select Possible Domain Names for Your Site
      2. Determine the Most Appropriate Type of Hosting for Your Site
        1. Personal Site Hosting
        2. Business Site Hosting
      3. Prepare Your Site for Its Public Debut
        1. Update Meta Content
        2. Troubleshoot the Code
        3. Validate the Code
        4. Preview on Mobile Devices
        5. Preview in Other Browsers
      4. Upload Your Site to a Host Computer
        1. Desktop FTP Programs
        2. Web-Based FTP
      5. Test Your Published Site
      6. Publicize Your Web Site
        1. Marketing Tips
      7. Make the Site Live!
    2. Chapter 16: HTML for Email
      1. Email Standards Project
      2. Determine Whether HTML Email Is Appropriate for Your Needs
        1. The Purpose of Email Is to Communicate
        2. The End-User Display Is Unknown
        3. Plain-Text Email Is Safer and Smaller
        4. But … HTML Email Marketing Works
      3. Don’t Send Spam
        1. Email the Right People
        2. Always Provide a Way to Opt Out
        3. Adhere to Other FTC Rules
      4. Identify the Necessary Tools for the Task
        1. Send Live Web Pages with a Personal Email Account
        2. Using an Email Service Provider
      5. Code for Email Readers, Not Web Browsers
        1. Absolute Paths
        2. Images
        3. Tables for Layout
        4. Inline CSS
      6. Reference Guide to CSS Support in Email Clients
      7. Interactivity and Multimedia in HTML Email
        1. Video in Email
        2. Flash
        3. Forms
      8. Test, Test, Test
        1. Spam Test
  12. Part IV: Appendixes
    1. Appendixes A: Answers to Self Tests
      1. Chapter 1: Getting Started
      2. Chapter 2: Page Setup
      3. Chapter 3: Style Sheet Setup408
      4. Chapter 4: Working with Text
      5. Chapter 5: Page Structure
      6. Chapter 6: Positioning Page Elements
      7. Chapter 7: Working with Links
      8. Chapter 8: Working with Images
      9. Chapter 9: Working with Multimedia
      10. Chapter 10: Creating Lists
      11. Chapter 11: Using Tables
      12. Chapter 12: Creating Forms
      13. Chapter 13: Formatting and Styling Forms
      14. Chapter 14: Beyond Static HTML
      15. Chapter 15: Making Pages Available to Others
      16. Chapter 16: HTML for Email
    2. Appendixes B: HTML/CSS Reference Table
      1. Generic Attributes
        1. Group Type: Core
        2. Group Type: Events
        3. Group Type: Intl
      2. HTML Tags
      3. CSS Properties
    3. Appendixes C: Troubleshooting (FAQs)
      1. My Page Is Blank in the Browser!
      2. All I See Is Code in the Browser!
      3. My Images Don’t Appear!
      4. I Tried to Change the Font, But Nothing Happened!
      5. When I Use a Special Character, It Doesn’t Appear!
      6. My Links Don’t Work!
      7. My Page Looks Great in One Browser, But Terrible in Another!
      8. When I Link My Images, They Have Little Colored Dashes Next to Them!
      9. I Saved My Image as a JPEG, But the Browser Says It’s Not a Valid File Format!
      10. Strange Characters Are at the Top of My Page!
      11. I Added Internal Links to Sections of a Web Page, But When I Click Them, the Browser Launches a Brand New Window!
      12. I Specified One Color, But Got a Totally Different One!
      13. I Need to Protect Some of My Pages from Unwanted Visitors!
      14. I Need to Prevent People from Stealing My Images!
      15. I Tried to Send My Web Page in an Email, But the Page Looked Terrible!
      16. I Updated My Web Page, But I Don’t See the Changes in the Browser!
      17. My Whole Page Is _____________! (Fill in the Blank)
      18. My Page Has a White Background in One Browser, But Not in Others!
      19. I Shrank My Images, But They Still Take Forever to Download!
      20. I Embedded a Flash File That Works Fine on My Computer, But Doesn’t Work Properly on Other Computers!
      21. My Tables Look Fine in One Browser, But Terrible in Another!
      22. I Still Have Questions!
    4. Appendixes D: Special Characters
      1. Standard HTML Entities
    5. Appendixes E: FileTypes
  13. Index

Product information

  • Title: HTML: A Beginner's Guide, Fifth Edition, 5th Edition
  • Author(s): Wendy Willard
  • Release date: April 2013
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
  • ISBN: 9780071809283