My New Favorite HTML 4.01 Reference
Written: Apr 08 '02 (Updated Apr 08 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: All 92 tags listed and explained, Plastic-ring side binding, ISO character charts
Cons: Side binding requires a little extra care
The Bottom Line: The authors of this book are webmasters who wrote this book "because it was a reference we didn't have and needed". I'm glad they did.
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| tortillaboy's Full Review: Hip Pocket Guide to HTML 4.01: An A-Z Quick Refere... |
It was actually during the writing of my last review, on Sam's Teach Yourself HTML in 10 minutes, when I realized that I should look for an HTML book for reference purposes. I am past the point of needing tutorials on how to make HTML work, but still need to have access to reference material, something that I can turn to for answers. There are several reference sites on the web that serve me well, but the fact remains, I like having a book. Many times I write code while not being online, and like the convenience of printed reference.
Well, I think I've found my new best friend in the "Hip Pocket Guide to HTML 4.01". It has a flashy nicely colored cover and plastic side binding that allows it to lie flat. This type of binding is much more user friendly than standard binding which can't lie flat and can be quite frustrating to use while trying to write code. A quick flip through this book won't impress you, seeing as it is mostly text with very few images or graphics. This fact almost made me put the book down before I gave it a real chance, but I'm glad I gave this book a few extra seconds.
Chapter 1 is a brief overview of HTML and is very informative, including a history, HTML syntax, and nesting rules. While I don't think this would be adequate for a beginner, anyone with even a little bit of hands-on experience with HTML would be able to draw from this chapter, giving them the tools to use all 92 tags (HTML standard 4.01 includes 92 tags) correctly.
All 92 tags are categorized and organized in this book with full explanations including definitions, attributes, legal context, suggested style/usage and examples. One thing I find particularly useful is the legal context. This section describes which tags the tag in question can be (legally) nested within. Following the rules for nesting is important in creating an efficient HTML document.
The user can find the tags or information he is seeking by:
Tag Name: Listed alphabetically on the front and back inside covers.
Tag Category: Tags are divided into 12 type categories (chapters 3 through 14) explained and listed in chapter 2.
Keyword: The index includes keywords and attributes to help locate the needed information.
Some of the other features in this book include:
1. Full ISO character sets and means of implementing them.
2. Appendix of attributes and elements.
3. Lists of web resources for developer's tools, plug-ins, applets, activeX resources and their list of the top 25 online resources.
The authors of this book are webmasters who wrote this book "because it was a reference we didn't have and needed". I'm glad they did.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tortillaboy
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Member: Steve
Location: Pueblo, CO
Reviews written: 72
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About Me:
I was born, I grew up, and now I write at Epinions. :^)
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