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Web Pages

Here is the simple 7-step plan to become a web guru:

  1. Locate a text editor.
  2. Create your first page!
  3. Learn the basics of HTML tags.
  4. Check out the sampler page to learn more tags.
  5. Practice using tags yourself!
  6. For even more information, check out the HTML Primer.
  7. Decide where to put your page.

The alternative is to use a WYSIWYG web-design program, such as FrontPage, Dream Weaver, HotMetal, or Arachnophilia. There are hundreds available, and most are easy to learn. However, it certainly helps to understand basic HTML, so you can correct the mistakes these programs sometimes make. And, as the learning guide states, you may need to dig into the HTML to fulfill all of the requirements for this lesson.

Note: Some of the larger ISP's, such as AOL and Earthlink, have their own website creation tools. These tools usually allow you to select options from a list, and create a "fill-in-the-blank" page. Try to avoid these systems. They do not allow you to edit the HTML directly, so you will not be able to complete all of the requirements for the assignment.

Why do all the tags show when viewing my pages?

This can happen if you are using Word to write the page, and then save using the "Save as Web Page" option. Word wants to translate everything you have typed so that it appears on the web exactly the same as it appears in Word. It translates your tags so the web browser does not think they are tags. For example, if you write <HTML lang="EN">, it becomes: 
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>&lt;HTML lang =
&quot;EN&quot;&gt; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
Pretty messy, but it is a simple translation. The code &lt; produces a < on a web page, &quot; produces a quote mark, etc.

To stop Word from making this translation, don't use the "Save As Web Page" feature. Instead, use the normal "Save As", and make sure the "Save As Type" is set to "text only". This way, Word won't try to convert your document to anything; it will leave it just the way it is. Better yet, don't use Word to create web pages.

Why won't my images show up?

First, make sure the images are in the same directory as the web pages. While it is possible to store your images in another directory, it is easiest if everything is in the same place. When you upload your pages to the web server, you must move the images as well. Again, they should be placed in the same directory. 
<img src="myPicture.jpg alt="My favorite picture">

In the code above, there is a missing quote after the name of the picture. This could be causing the problem.

Another possibility is that the name of the picture is not exactly the same as the name in the IMG tag. In the code above, I used "myPicture.jpg", while the name of the file may be "myBabyPicture.jpg". It is easy to use the wrong text when you have an image name, an alt property, and possibly other text inside a link. If the names are the same, double-check the capitalization. It must be exactly the same, or the image will not load.

Why are the A106 pages blue and grey, even though there are no font tags?

The A106 pages use another feature of HTML called a "style sheet". This is similar to the styles you used in your word processor assignments. One style sheet controls the colors and fonts for all of the A106 pages, except the sampler page. Each page contains a reference to the style sheet in the head section. You can look at the style sheet if you like.