View Full Version : Free Web Site lessons
Vodstok
11-22-2006, 07:20 AM
Okay, I have another thread going where i am teaching programming in C# (http://www.horror.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26249), and i was wondering, If i teach soem basic HTML, web design, amybe even some more advanced stuff, would anyone be interested?
VampiricClown
11-22-2006, 08:10 AM
Aye, I'm up for really anything like this.
Vodstok
11-22-2006, 08:12 AM
Aye, I'm up for really anything like this.
:)
i will probably stick to the same format with this one, theory will be optional and in dark green. I will start with things that are basic, but cool.
Vodstok
11-22-2006, 08:46 AM
Well then, let's start shall we?
now, for absolutely basic HTML, you actually only need a plaintext editor. If you use windows, notepad works fine.
Pretty much every HTML book on earth says this, so i will too: Don't use so-called "rich-text" editors like Word or Wordpad for coding html. They add all kinds of weird formatting that doesnt really jive with HTML.
So try this, creat a text file, and name it "page.htm". If you get prompted about changing the file extension, click yes. Right click it and select "Open with", and if it asks you if you want to select a program or search the web, choose select a program and then click ok. In the list you are presented with, select notepad and then ok.
now, we need to type something. This is the most basic standard for a web page. It is NOT necesarry to format everything 100% correctly, almost all web browsers are very forgiving when interpreting HTML. if you could see how awful some of the code is on many (if not most) professional pages was, you would laugh.
here we go:
<html>
<head></head>
<body></body>
</html>
Notice that all tags have an opening and closing tag. its not really allthat different from UBB code or the Vb code the forum uses. You see the head and body tags? how they sit inside the HTML tags? that is called nesting. Remember that, because it is important later on.
Now, any of these can be left out and the page will work just fine. BUT, there is this little thingout there called "best practices". These groups of really smart people sit down and hash out sets of guidelines, which are base don the most efficient, and usually easy to read ways of doing things. i am a big fan of using best practices because it keeps things consistent and easy to read. My first pro web job had me going through 2000 files, getting rid of the 98% that werent necesarry, and giving a consistent look and feel to the ones that were left over. I have many many emotional scars from this.
Anyway, you probably want to know how to do something fun.
we have our basic code, now make it look like this:
<html>
<head>
<title>My Page</title>
</head>
<body>
This is the body.
</body>
</html>
save it, and open the file in your web browser. look at the title bar, it should say "MY Page", and the window itself should say "This is the body."
Congradulations. You just made a web page.
Vodstok
11-22-2006, 08:48 AM
okay, here is where i make life easier. we are going to use a web developement tool. They format the code and generally make life easier than looking at everythign in black and white, plus come with cool little auto-fill and WYSIWYG editors (What You See Is What You Get, an appropriate but inaccurate term.)
First off, my prefered developement tool right now is this:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/3/7/F37A458C-5C66-48AD-B5CA-9C7C542AE11D/vwdsetup.exe
again, it is a Microsoft program that requires a .net passport. Again, they won't eat your soul, they are just a software company.
Register it. It makes life easier.
Oh, and it requires this:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856EACB-4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5&displaylang=en
if you dont already have it, get it and install it first. okay.
Vodstok
11-22-2006, 04:46 PM
This ne is getting a lot fo hits too... :)
kpropain
11-22-2006, 05:52 PM
This is a great thread Vod... I've really wanted to get into understanding html better, so anything you can give here is def appreciated :)
Shady
11-22-2006, 05:59 PM
Im in the process of making a website and it will be up in a month or two. It would be up in a week but im writing a review on every horror movie I have seen so thats going to take forever. I finally finished my main layout and so far its looking good, cant wait to get it up. I will be sure to post it when it is done. Im using some HTML when Dreamweaver doesnt cut it.
<img src="Buttons/Home.jpg" alt="spacer pic" width="93" height="18"
I cant even tell you how many times Ive had to use that code.
Shady
11-22-2006, 06:32 PM
My main layout is finished. Tell me what you think, anything I should change?
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r228/HorrorMovieCentral/layout.jpg
kpropain
11-22-2006, 06:35 PM
My main layout is finished. Tell me what you think, anything I should change?
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r228/HorrorMovieCentral/layout.jpg
That's pretty cool, I like that design...
Shady
11-22-2006, 06:37 PM
That's pretty cool, I like that design...
Thanks, appreciate it.
Spallalala
11-23-2006, 02:02 AM
Well I would love to learn . So imma copy and paste it and read it slowwwwly ahah. Thanks vod :)
Vodstok
11-23-2006, 06:57 AM
Well I would love to learn . So imma copy and paste it and read it slowwwwly ahah. Thanks vod :)
No problem. it may be a few days befor ei add anything of substance, but i will make the next addition a doozey :)
Spallalala
11-23-2006, 09:10 AM
No problem. it may be a few days befor ei add anything of substance, but i will make the next addition a doozey :)
Yeah I think I can get the hang of this stuff. My first page will go out to you. hehe