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/ January, 1997 / version 3.0.1 / version history /

About this Tutorial


WRITING HTML WAS CREATED to help teachers create learning resources that access information on the Internet. Here you will be writing a lesson called Volcano Web. However, this tutorial may be used by anyone who wants to create web pages.

By the time you have reached the end of this tutorial you will be able to construct a series of linked web pages for any subject that includes formatted text, pictures, and hypertext links to other web pages on the Internet.

Curious? Then peek at what you will create in this tutorial by completing the Basic Level (lessons 1-14) or the Advanced Level (lessons 1-23).

For faster performance, you can download an archive of all files used in this tutorial. Most of the lessons can be done off-line.

Now available in Spanish!

Why Create Web Pages?


BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS? Wrong!

The World Wide Web allows you to access not only textual information but also pictures, sounds, or videos from across the world.

With its explosive growth, the web is becoming an integral part of our working (and playing) world. You cannot spit anymore these days without hitting a URL. (If you do not know what a URL, you will find out here)

Objectives


THIS TUTORIAL COVERS the steps for writing HTML files and provides illustrative examples for creating web pages. In these lessons you will:
  • identify and use different HTML formatting conventions.
  • create and modify HTML documents using a simple text editor.
  • write a series of web pages that present information, graphics, and provides hypertext links to other documents on the Internet.

What is HTML?


PUT MOST SIMPLY, HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the format that tells a web browser how to displays a web page. The documents themselves are plain text files (ASCII) with special "tags" or codes that a web browser knows how to interpret and display on your screen.

Getting Ready...


THIS TUTORIAL ASSUMES you have a basic knowledge of how to use your web browser's menus, buttons, and hypertext links. For more about the Web, see the WWW Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) or any of the many items available from our own WWW InfoPage

You will also need a text editor program capable of creating plain text files i.e. SimpleText for the Macintosh or NotePad for Windows. We strongly urge that you use the most basic text editor while you learn HTML and then later you can explore some of the many HTML "editors" available. If you use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect then you must save your files as plain ASCII text format. You should also be familiar with switching between multiple applications as well as using the mouse to copy and paste selections of text.

If you download the tutorial files, you can do nearly all of the lessons off-line.

We suggest that you proceed through the lessons in the listed order, but at any time you can return to the index to jump to a different lesson. At times you may want to print a page-- It's easy! Just select Print from the File menu of your web browser.

For convention, all menu names and items will be shown in bold text. All text that you should enter from the keyboard will appear in typewriter style.

Within each lesson, you can compare your work to a sample HTML file for that lesson.

Keep in Mind...


EVERYTHING YOU CREATE in this tutorial is designed to run from any desktop computer; i.e. it does not depend upon access to a web server or specialized computer programming. It is all "self-contained."

Here are some other pointers that may help you out:

  1. Use the Favorites or Bookmark feature of your web browser to mark the lesson index page so you can easily navigate to other lessons.
  2. We've aimed to write instructions generic to (almost) any web browser; sometimes the menu names or features may not match the web browser you are using.
  3. This tutorial will show you how to create web pages that can see outward to the world. It will not tell you how to let the world see them; to do this you need to locate an Internet Service Provider that provides web server space.
  4. Creating pages is onething, designing web sites is another. We cannot highly enough recommend the Yale C/AIM WWW Style Manual. Sun Microsystem's Guide to Web Style, and the Sevloid Guide to Web Design.
  5. When you are ready for the big time, visit web pages like you have ever seen web pages at Dave Siegel's Casbah and High Five sites. Trudge on over to his Web Wonk to get the details. It will amaze you.
  6. Refer to the HTML tag summary page as a reference. You can get to it by following its hypertext link at the top of every lesson page.
  7. If you are having trouble, see the Writing HTML FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) before writing us for help. We get lots and lots of e-mail. Too much.

Who did this?


THIS IS A PROJECT of the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI). Writing HTML was developed by Alan Levine, instructional technologist at the Maricopa Community Colleges. Our intern, Tom Super, provided invaluable instructional design support. Many others have given helpful suggestions, corrected typos, and expressed their thanks!

Once your web pages become available on the Internet, please list them on our Writing HTML Alumni page using our registration form.

Time to Get Started!


IF YOU ARE READY, go to the index of lessons or go directly to the first lesson.

Happy Webbing!

And have fun.


Writing HTML
©1995, 1996 Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI)
Maricopa County Community College District, Arizona

The Internet Connection at MCLI is Alan Levine --}
Comments to levine@maricopa.edu

URL: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tut/