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TIPS, HINTS, REFERENCES AND LINKS

HELPFUL HINTS & TIPS

I would like you to enjoy these lessons, so don't get too frustrated if something doesn't seem to work for you. I urge you to read through your code pages carefully, especially if you are new to coding in HTML. Most of the questions I am asked are covered in the tutorials. Now, I don't mind clarifying points that may be difficult to grasp, but a little more reading will often give you the answer. It may even help to print out the page from Notepad or whatever text editor you are using, then go over it line by line.

If you are really stuck just go to the Help page (bottom of each page). Try to be precise with the problems you are experiencing. Just "the page looks funny" is really not enough! If I need to see your "problem" page/s, I will make private arrangements with you via email. If your site is already on the web, you can send me the URL.
    >>  If your page won't load properly or looks odd, go back over your code, line by line. Something as small as an opening or closing tag omitted can make everything go haywire or give you a blank page. Tables are especially vulnerable to errors so check them carefully. Another thing to double check is the quote marks around images, etc.

    >>  Strive for cross-browser compability.

    >>  Some word processing and DTP programmes will allow you to convert your work to HTML to create a web page. If you prefer to do this, have a good look at the code - I guarantee you will find it full of small errors and/or redundant code. Aren't you glad you learned HTML!

    >>  You must use the American spelling for tags such as COLOR and CENTER.

    >>  Keep your site as simple as possible. Just because you can do something clever doesn't mean you HAVE to. Most people do NOT have fast cable connections and will not wait around for complex sites to load.

    >>  Don't use fancy stuff on your web pages that requires a viewer to download a plug-in. They will go elsewhere, believe me.

    >>  Put some text first if using large graphics or photos. It will load quickly and give your viewers something to look at while they wait. Use thumbnails where possible with a link to a larger version on its own page.

    >>  To find the web address (URL) of any underlined link, hold your mouse over it and read the address in the status bar at the bottom of the page.

    >>  Look at the source code for any page by clicking on "View | Page Source" (Netscape) or "View | Source" (IE) in your browser window. This works in most cases. (Click the X - top right - to get out of it.) If the page is in a frame you will have to open the frame separately before you can see the code.

    >>  If a link doesn't seem to work, hit your "BACK" button to return to where you came from. You can also RIGHT click on the Back button to choose a destination you've already visited in the current session.

    >>  Try using a HTML validator to check your code for errors. You'll be amazed at what it picks up. See Links below for a decent freebie. And PLEASE check your spelling, too. NoteTab has an excellent spell checker.

    >>  Use Geocities, Bravenet or Trident for your free web site.

    >>  It can be annoying to be "trapped" in someone's frame while you visit their links. Put a "breakout" message on your own site in case it appears in someone's links. This is the code to use:

      <A HREF="http://www.yourpage.com" TARGET="top"> CLICK HERE </A> to break out of frames.
    >>  Keep in mind what every successful author knows - "The essence of writing is rewriting." So draft and redraft until you are satisfied. Then do it again. Before posting a page on the Web, reread it a few times to make sure the words flow smoothly. Get some friends to view and read it and listen to their advice.

    >>  For all sorts of freeware and shareware, buy one or other of the monthly PC magazines from your local bookshop, drugstore or newsagent. They usually have bonus CDs which are a great source for updates of popular programmes, add-ons and patches to save you download time. They usually have the latest copy of Netscape and Internet Explorer, too.

USEFUL LINKS

There are thousands of useful links around, but the ones I have chosen here have been around for a long time and are not likely to disappear in a hurry. They all offer either freeware or shareware programmes, advice, free hosting and other services.
    NoteTab  (http://www.notetab.com)  My favourite Notepad replacement. It offers so much I can't begin to describe its wonders. It comes in three flavours, Light (free), Standard (US$10) and Pro (US$20). See the Downloads page for more details.

    IrfanView  <(http://www.irfanview.com)  FREE. An amazingly powerful image viewer, now with thumbnail creation, slideshow, batch file operations and plugins for almost every image, movie and music formats. Customise to suit yourself. See the Downloads page for more details.

    Bravenet Web Services  (http://www.bravenet.com)  Free web hosting, counters, guestbooks and much more. Lots of resources and HTML codes for web page creators.

    JPEG Optimiser  (http://www.xat.com) . As the name says, this programme will optimise your JPG files. You can choose the amount of compression for quicker loading on the web. (Free version has small ad, easy to live with.)

    CSE HTML Validator   (http://htmlvalidator.com)   Download the Light (free) version of this programme to check your HTML code for errors. Often on PC mags free CDs. (Free version has small ad, easy to live with.)

    GeoCities   (http://www.geocities.com)   Free web page hosting with a massive 10MB allowance. Free email, counters, guestbooks and chat, too. Great if you have heaps of photos or music files.

TRAINING REFERENCES

OTHER TRAINING RESOURCES
    Adobe Photoshop Tutorials  (http://www.adobe.com/products/tips/photoshop.html)   If you are a Photoshop fan or just a beginner, this is the place to get the lowdown. I have found their "Classroom in a Book" series to be the best around.

    My Janee Photoshop Tutorials  (http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/tutlist.htm)  Some of the best and most detailed Photoshop tutorials

    Vecpix  (http://www.vecpix.com/tutorials/fireworks/)  Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and other vector and raster graphic designing tutorials.

    IDM Dreamweaver Tutorial  (http://www.intranetjournal.com/articles/200002/dream_index.html)  This will get you started with Dreamweaver™, not easy to start learning but well worth the effort.

 
This is where I say goodbye. I have tried to pass on as much as possible to get you on the path to learning HTML. You can create some wonderful pages with what you have learned to this point. The more advanced stuff, like secure sites, ASP and XHTML, is currently beyond the intention or scope of this tutorial, but there are hundreds of resources on the web if you want delve further into the creative process.

I can only hope this has been an enjoyable learning experience for you. Your feedback and comments are always welcome, even if it is just to tell me of an error somewhere in the tutorials. (See, I told you I wasn't perfect.) For Help, Feedback or Comments, please use the Help Form.

Best wishes to all

Toni

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