Web Page Design - Class 1

I. Terminology

  1. Web Editor: Software used to create on-line documents.
  2. Web browser: Software used to access and view WWW documents.  Another name for a web browser is web client.
  3. Web Server: Software that provides the services to web clients. Everytime you open a page on the WWW, you access a web server.
  4. URL (Uniform Resource Locator): How you tell the web browser/client which web server you want to locate.


II. Other uses of on-line web information

  1. Hobbies
  2. Example Syllabus
  3. Hypermedia textbooks
    Physics Book
  4. On-line class readings and handouts
    Online homework example


III. Using HTML:  Hyper Text Markup Language

  1. What is HTML?
  2. Resources needed to design HTML documents


IV. Creating a Page

Word does not supply any help for editing the native HTML code. Unless you know exactly the HTML codes/tags you want to add, it is easier to use an HTML editor (PageSpinner, etc.). That aside, Word is a very nice editor. MS Word is however not an automatic road to the web, it is a different road.

There are a few limitations...

1.Tables are created with "width=623". This makes the table a fixed width, and if the browser is set smaller than 623 pixles wide, the end of the table is cut off. You can use an PageSpinner or Frontpage to edit the file.
Remove the "width=623" in the TABLE tag, leave everthing else, and with table will size itself to the size of the browser window. You can edit out the "width=623" in the edit HTML file screen of Word. However, if you then go back to the WYSIWYG screen and save, it will insert the "width=623" again.

2.When you link a graphic from a different folder than where the HTML file is stored, Word will name the graphic "image1.gif" (or imagenumber.extension) and create a local copy. This defeats the utility of having a common "graphics" folder.

3.Word allows the use of many fonts and it will create a tag for any special font (FONT="FancyFont"). The limitation is if the user of your web page does not have that particular font installed on their computer they will only see a default font. You cannot plan on users having any fonts other than default serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest using Arial and Times New Roman.  

4.Talk with me for specifics to loading the Word Internet Assistant onto your machine.

V. Basic HTML

  1. A Simple HTML Document

    <HTML>
    <HEAD>
    <TITLE>Title Here:</TITLE>
    </HEAD>
    <BODY>
    Document text goes here.
    </BODY>
    </HTML>

  2. HTML Tags