HTML – Hard Coded Prepared by: Marvin De Leon

Lesson 2 Creating HTML Documents

Many factors go into creating you 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 problem
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 you 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 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 you 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
instruction 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

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 HTML – Hard Coded Prepared by: Marvin De Leon

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. In fact, 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 crated 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
HTML document can be created with HTML editors such as Microsoft
Front Page. 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. In
fact, 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 files 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 nay type of graphic tool that has the capability to open and
edit the most preferred image on the Web, which is gif and jpg. You can

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 HTML – Hard Coded Prepared by: Marvin De Leon

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 in order 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 because that is
how the operating systems, this was changed when later platform were
released. Fortunately, you 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 you home page name.
Each server has its own naming conventions when it comes to the default file
name. This file name is usually called “index.htm” (.html) or “default.htm”
(.html).

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