Annabella's HTML Help .... EZ PRINT!

BASICS

For the full version of this page, go to http://www.annabella.net/basics.html

BRACKETS

All HTML tags are enclosed within < > brackets.
Anything this is written between the < and > brackets will be invisible, and not appear on your page.

CASE SENSITIVE?

HTML tags are NOT case sensitive.
So, <center> is the same as <CENTER> is the same as <Center>.

EXCEPT: image filenames... the filename should be written exactly as it appears. For example,<img src="pink.gif"> is not the same as <img src="pink.GIF">

OPENING & CLOSING TAGS

Almost all HTML commands have an opening and a closing tag. For example, the opening tag, <center> causes all text and graphics that appear after the tag to be centered in the page. Everything will remain centered until the closing tag </center> is used.
The / is the command to close that particular function.

FORMAT

All HTML documents should follow the same basic format - otherwise some commands may not function properly.
The basic format for all HTML documents should be:

<html>
<head>
<title>
</title>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>

Head: Head tags surround the title and the introductory text.
Title: This should describe the content of the page. It should be descriptive, but less than 64 characters. Bookmarks pick up on your page title. An example of a poor title would be "Recipes". A better title would be "Low cholesterol recipes"
Body: The main part of your page goes between the <body> and </body> tags.
Closing tags: You must remember your closing tags. In some browsers, the document will still function without some of them. With others, it will not.

DIFFERENT BROWSERS

Not all HTML tags are supported by all browsers. If a tag is not recognised by a browser, it will simply ignore it. Some browsers are text only and will not support images, some will not support tables or frames.

VIEW/SOURCE

Have you ever seen a page you liked and wondered "how do they do that?"
To find out, simply click on the VIEW option of your browser toolbar and then select SOURCE or DOCUMENT SOURCE. This will open a window that shows you the actual HTML code that was used to create the page you are looking at. You can then scroll through and find out the exact coding that you need.

Note: Please do NOT copy whole chunks of someone else's HTML codes. I think that using this option for finding out HOW to do something is fine, but to use it to COPY someone else's work is wrong!

SPACING

HTML documents take no notice of any line breaks or paragraphs that you type into your text. You have to write a specific command for line breaks and for paragraphs.

LINE BREAKS

 
This starts a new line. NO closing tag is needed.

PARAGRAPHS


This misses one line and starts a new line. NO closing tag is needed.
Note: In some documents you will see the closing tag used. Some HTML editors insert this automatically. You do not need to use it.

If you add  to the tag, then it will make the text form on the right hand side of the page.

INDENT A PARAGRAPH or LEAVE A SPACE

This seems to me to be a common enough thing to want to do. I have searched and asked several times, but cannot find out a basic tag to do it! Here are several options:

1. Use an "empty" image, and insert it where you want the indent to be.

2. Insert a string of letters the same color as your background, (the text will be invisible). For example,
..........And then your paragraph.
The only problem is some browsers may not recognise your font color and show the string of letters instead!

3.  
This is a non-breaking space tag. If you use five of these in a row,
      Then you will get a space this wide.

The only problem with this tag is that some on-line editors will always convert that into no space at all when you next go to edit any page where it is used. It means you will always have to remember to put them back in EVERY time you edit that page!
If you create your pages off-line and FTP them, then the tag will work just fine for you.

BOLD LETTERS


This tag causes the letters to be bold. You must always close with the tag.

ITALICS


This tag causes the letters to be italicised. You must always close with the  tag.

HORIZONTAL LINES

<hr>
This tag makes a very fine shaded horizontal line such as is used throughout my homepages. NO closing tag is needed.
You can also control the thickness, length and alignment of the line, by combining the following attributes:

Width is expressed as a % of the width of the page.
For example, <hr width=50%>
Size is (thickness) expressed as a number (of pixels).
For example, <hr width=50% size=10>
Align can be left or right. If not specified, it will default to the center.
For example, <hr width=50% size=10 align=right>
Noshade You can make the line dark by specifying noshade.
For example,<hr width=50% size=10 align=right noshade>

TO CENTER TEXT OR IMAGES

<center>
This will cause whatever follows to be centered in the next line in the page. You must always close with the </center> tag.

BLINK

<blink>
This tag causes the text to BLINK. You must always close with the </blink> tag. Beware of over-using the blink. It can be very annoying!
Note: <blink> does not work with I.E.

MARQUEE

<marquee>
This causes your line of text to scroll across the screen from right to left. You must always close with the </marquee> tag.
Note: <marquee> does not work with Netscape.
The <marquee> tag has many attributes. This is discussed in detail on the Marquee page at http://www.annabella.net/marquee.html

COMBINING BLINK AND MARQUEE

Marquee works in IE but not Netscape. Blink works in Netscape but not IE.

So... combine the two tags so that your text will do something in either browser!

<marquee>
<center><blink>Using marquee and blink tags together! </blink></center>
</marquee>
Note: The <marquee> tag has many attributes. This is discussed in detail on the Marquee page at http://www.annabella.net/marquee.html