HTML: Creating HTML Documents

Many factors go into creating your HTML documents, such as organization, naming conventions, and the tools it takes to create a Web page. Considering these factors before starting to develop a Web page will avoid potential problems that may occur when linking the files. Organization and naming conventions are important for linking a file referencing, and for updating the Web materials.

HTML File Structure

You can organize your Web site files such as your HTML documents and images in several ways. Organizing your files will hell you when linking to other related files within your site, thereby avoiding the possibility of broken links due to a non-systematic linking system.

Most Web Developers organize their web sites in a hierarchical, linear, or webbed format. Although all three formats are equally useful, you use of each depends on how large your Web site will be. Some Web sites are simple enough that you will only need one file to hold everything. Conversely, some Web sites are so complex that you may need to break down your files into subfolders.

• Hierarchical

A hierarchical structure is organized with all the pages branching off from the main page; in other words, sub-pages and so forth follow multiple pages. This is the structure most commonly used by Web developers.

• Linear

Linear structure organizes folders in a particular order, A visitor to your site can move from one page to the next, but cannot jump to other pages. This can be very frustrating and makes the Web site very difficult to navigate.

This type of structure might be useful if you want to provide step-by-step instructions on how to request a brochure, for example.

• Webbed

Though Webbed is a new type of structure, many Web sites have adopted it. It offers visitors several paths to a site. It is highly unorganized and not recommended unless it is necessary. However, a webbed structure is useful when a Web site is extensively cross-referenced. In other words, a user can access certain pages from multiple links or places.

The Tools of the Trade

As complex and advanced as Web design might seem the tools of the trade are rather simple. You probably have the basic tools it takes to create Web pages on your computer.

• Text Editors and Word Processors

HTML documents are simple text files. They are created in programs such as Microsoft Notepad and saved as text files. You can even create HTML files using advanced word processors such as Microsoft Word. The advantage of using the word processors is the ability to use the spellchecker utility.

• Web Editors

An HTML document can be created with HTML editors such as Microsoft FrontPage. Web editors allow you to create a Web page in a drag-and-drop environment, as it would display in a Web browser. Some Web developer prefers this since it eliminates the need to manually code every HTML command.

• Web Browser

This is the software you use to display resources and information that exists on the World Wide Web, in the form of images, text, and hypertext links. The most common browsers are Netscape and Internet Explorer. It's a good idea to keep more than one browser around for testing purposes.

• Web Server

A web server is a computer on the Internet that contains Web pages. Web pages are really that contain coding called HTML. You can use any computer, as long as you're using a Windows-based PC, a Macintosh, or a UNIX box, and it's connected to the Internet, you can set your machine up as a Web server.

• Graphic Tool

You can use any type of graphic tool that has an and edit the most preferred image on the Web, which is gif and jpg. You can use a simple graphics editor like Paint Brush up to Photoshop or Corel Draw.

Naming Files and File Extensions

Appropriate file extensions must be used for a Web Browser to organize and be able to correctly display an HTML document as a Web page. Web Browser recognizes the .htm or .html extensions. For PCs running on Windows 3.x, you will need to use the .htm extension. Windows 95 or greater uses the .html and .htm extensions. Mac users can use the .html extension. The reason we use different extensions for various platforms is that that is how the operating systems, this was changed when a later platform was released. Fortunately, your browser will allow both suffixes, resulting in a functional Web page.

When a user enters a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in the address bar in a web browser and logs on to a specific server, the server searches for the default file name and when the default file name is located, it is “served” to the viewer. The default file is typically the main page (home page) of the Web site. The home page is designed to be the entry point to every Web site, which is why you want to use your server’s default file name as your home page name. Each server has its naming conventions when it comes to the default file name. This filename is usually called “index.htm” (.html) or “default.htm” (.html).