Want to learn html?? Here's where to start!
Written: Jun 19 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It's free and easy
Cons: none - if you're using it for html
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| gym-378's Full Review: Microsoft Notepad |
So...you want to design the next great webpage, eh? You bought your screaming PIII 700, you've hooked up your scanner, you signed up for a web provider that gives you gigabytes of transfer each month and a shopping cart.
"So what's next?" you ask me.
And I respond by saying "Step 1 - Open up Notepad."
"Wait a minute!!" you exclaim! "Notepad! Isn't that the cruddy little free word processor wannabe that came with Windows 95 and was replaced by WordPad in Windows 98?"
"You betcha it is!" I respond. "...and it is going to be your friend until you have learned the ins and outs of html."
You see, in these days of code generators and authoring programs like Dreamweaver, FrontPage, and NetObjects, the simple learning opportunity offered by Notepad has been sorely overlooked. Imagine you wanted to be a race car mechanic, only you didn't really know anything about engines. You certainly wouldn't start learning about engines by buying an Indy sprint car and tearing it apart. Instead, you would go out to the local junkyard, buy a Ford Pinto and learn the basics of how the internal combustion engine works. Notepad is very similar. If you want to learn how to build great webpages, you need to understand the simple language that all webpages use.
Too often, however, I see people designing their webpages using advanced authoring tools and when a glitch in their pages arises, they have no clue how to fix it because they don't understand the html language that is the basis of their page.
Leaning html with Notepad allows you to build pages using only the html code itself. No advanced menus, no behavior boxes, only RAW HTML and the edit, cut, copy, save, etc... menus that are basic to all windows applications. Essentially, you will write pages that look like a bunch of gobbledegook in your Notepad file, but turn out great when viewed by your browser.
Only then, after you have written several pages using Notepad, will you understand why it is so important to understand the various html tags, table settings, and document relationships. It can be a little frustrating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's not that tough. Additionally, once you understand how html works, building and tweaking pages in an advanced authoring program is all that more easy.
If you are beginning your journey into website design and really want to do it right, buy yourself a good beginners html book and sit down with Notepad and learn the basics. Once you've gotten the hang of it, then move on to a code generator or authoring software.
Good Luck!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gym-378
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Location: Kansas City, MO
Reviews written: 198
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