Green Allegheny Assignment Three
Writing Basic Webpages
In class on Monday, February 12, we will begin learning enough HTML to write basic webpages.
Looking at Simple Pages | Writing Our Own | Assignment | Resources
Looking at Simple Pages
- In the browser, use VIEW SOURCE to examine the coding of any page on the web
- In IE, the page will come up in Notepad
- In Netscape, the page will come up in a special source file. CUT and PASTE into Notepad or other program.
- Basic Page One
- Simple page with Headers and Lists.
- Basic Page Two
- More or less the same simple page using FONT and COLOR attributes to emphasize text
- Basic Page Three
- Linking
- Basic Page Four
- Inserting Images.
UltraEdit
The machines in Murray 117 and around campus are supplied with a basic programming editor UltraEdit.
Download a trial version from their site http://www.ultraedit.com/
Use a simple text editor
- On Windows machines, use Notepad or Wordpad.
- Save your file with an .HTM or .HTML extension. Either one, but be consistent.
- Caution: When writing for the web, it's important to know what type of file you are working with.
- ENABLE your Windows program to show you the file extensions.
- MY COMPUTER > VIEW > FOLDER OPTIONS > Tab marked VIEW
- Check Display Full Path in Title Bar
- Under Hidden Files, Check Show All Files
- Do NOT Hide File Extensions
- Watch out for Notepad quirks.
- Make sure it is set to find Files of All Types *.*, not just .TXT files.
- Hit SAVE AS and add the .HTML extensions yourself
- Notepad will NOT launch a new window automatically. A NEW document will open in the old window (and you will lose your earlier document)
- To have two files open simultaneously, launch a new copy of Notepad by going to START > PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES
Textbooks
- Elizabeth Castro, Chapters 1-3.
- Check out her examples online. http://www.cookwood.com/
- Non-Designer's Web Book.
- Parts of Chapter 3.
Put together your own small website using the coding that we've just learned. Include at least two pages, linked to each other.
Upload your site onto the server and email me the link.
Web Authoring Software
WYSIWYG programs allow you to work with pages according by how they look (What You See Is What You Get). You don't have to know HTML code, but the programs don't leave you much control, and usually stick in all kinds of little things that may actually cause trouble.
On the other hand, well-written software relieves you of boring and repetitive programming tasks, and gives you help with more complicated functions like JavaScript Mouseovers, etc.
Most web authors use a combination of programs that allow them the help and control they need. This class proceeds on the premise that you must know some HTML code in order to understand why webpages work as they do. After you've learned the basics, choose your software according to what gives you the best results. Some suggestions and cautions follow:
- Home Site, by Allaire Corp
- The software I use, and the preference of most designers who do a lot of hand-coding and want lots of control over basic pages. This software is widely distributed because it used to come bundled with other developer programs.
- HomeSite is up to version 4.5. Only supported on the Windows platform. Cost is listed as $99.
- Download a trial version that is good for 60 days. This could get you through most of the semester.
- Dreamweaver, by Macromedia
- The best of the all-round programs. Recent versions make it easy to move back and forth between WYSIWYG and code-viewing interaces. Wonderful integration with other utilities like Flash. This is the program available in the Art Computer Lab.
- You can take classes in Dreamweaver with our Computing Services.
- Current version is 4.0. Available for Mac and Windows platform.
- You can download a 30-day Trial Version of Dreamweaver. This might be a useful way to get the software on your home computer, but time your 30 days carefully!
- Other programs are available, and you might find ones that you like.
- See the list of HTML Editors at WebDeveloper
- To be avoided Microsoft Word offers the option of saving your document as an HTML file.
- Looks easy, but it may be more trouble than it's worth. There are so many bugs in these files that they require lots of correction. It will probably be easier just to code them yourself in the first place.
- If you're desperate to transfer a document into HTML, place formatted text in between the <PRE> and </PRE> tags.
- To be avoided Many programs are so idiosyncratic and messy in terms of adding extraneous code that they should just be avoided.
- My personal list starts with FrontPage.
- Make-your-own-homepages online usually limit your options severely AND force you to include their advertising.
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