1131-1133
Page 1131
Let's create a link for the word wind in the third line of the text. Maybe someone would like to learn more about wind. We can link our initial page (HTML file) to another page. To do this, we anchor the reserved word (that we want to link) with the <A> tag. The anchor would look like this:
<a HREF="wind.html">wind</a>
The paragraph will now look like this:
<p ALIGN=CENTER>Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the <a HREF="wind.html">wind</a> away. O, that that earth which kept the world in awe Should patch a wall t'expel the winter flaw! </p>
Notice that the filename is captured inside of double quotes. Also notice that the word wind is between two opening and closing operators. This tells the HTML browser to convert all occurrences of wind, in the first document, to a hyperlinked word that points to the new file, wind.html:
<html> <head> <title>Wind</title> </head> <body> <h1> All About Wind: </h1> <pre> <p> Wind - A motion in the atmosphere caused by differences in air temperature. </p> </pre> </body> </html>
Simple document linking is not really what gives the World Wide Web power. What gives the World Wide Web power is the concept of a uniform resource locator (URL) as an extension of a filename, to be able to link a file anywhere on the Web. The previous example points to an .HTML file in the same directory. But now let's link our awesome Web page with another Web site.
We will link the letter O in the third line to another Web page on a different machine. Because the reader will want to jump from the O, we will assume he wants information on Oracle. Let's link Oracle's huge Web site to our humble literary page. To do this, we just create another anchor around O.
<a HREF="http://www.oracle.com/">O</a>
This has the same format as the previous anchor we made for the word wind, except inside the double quotes is a network address on a totally different computer. Users who log in to our new Web site will enjoy what the Web promised , a movement through information on different machines, without the user needing to know where the information is physically located. Our new linked paragraph now looks like this:
Page 1132
<p ALIGN=CENTER>Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the <a HREF="wind.html">wind</a> away. <a HREF="http://www.oracle.com/">O</a> , that that earth which kept the world in awe Should patch a wall t'expel the winter flaw! </p>
Now whenever a user clicks on the highlighted letter, the user's browser will try to find the HTTP address http://www.oracle.com/. If you are editing this file with me and wondering why your link doesn't work, the answer is that you need to be logged in to an ISP, which can interface with the browser that you are testing this HTML in.
I am logged in to America Online, so when I use my Netscape browser and bring up the document and click the O, my browser will interface with the HTTP protocol and through my ISP will link to Oracle's URL on the Web and display its home page. This is the power of HTTP that was dreamed of when it was conceived. I can move the users through documents regardless of what machine they are on, and regardless of whether I own or control the documents.
This power of movement always enhances a Web pagelinks to other Web pages. It can make your page look much more sophisticated if you can interface with other resources on the Web. Don't worry about losing the user when he or she leaves your site in search of another document; the user can simply move back using a browser and return to your Web site.
HTML has many more advanced topics, such as lists, tables, and forms. These allow you to create Web pages in which users can view information and enter information (if you have the proper back-end language accepting their input). This chapter does not go into the complexities of these language features. Today, HTML is important to understand, but not necessary to master because you will probably do your Web publishing using HTML editors, which allow you to create text and graphics for a document but do the HTML code generation for you. In a few years , HTML will be a layer-like assembly language, which is something that will need to be addressed only for advanced topics in Web publication.
HTML Editors
You might be thinking that there has to be a simpler way than entering these arcane commands of HTML in your text. You're right. I mentioned the HTML editors in the last section. Programmers began working on tools that would translate regular text and word-processing formats into HTML. These products are called HTML editors or translators.
A good HTML editor will have a GUI (graphical user interface) that will allow you to type your Web text into a white canvas, allow you to drag forms and buttons and pictures onto the
Page 1133
page, and allow you to create quick links to other documents. If you are using the tool that is right for you, you will never have to see the character < again!
Oracle has supplied HTML editors and related Web authoring tools since 1995. Microsoft added the Internet Assistant for the new version of Microsoft Word. This means that as you click text and font styles, all of the commands that you just learned are being automatically added to your HTML document. Microsoft also offers FrontPage, which is designed specifically for building Web pages. Most major software companies and many free Internet sites offer very good HTML editors. Just search for HTML editor when you are next surfing the Web, and in a few minutes you will be able to download one for free.
Because an HTML editor will save you a great deal of time, it is a vital tool. If the editor does not have all the features of HTML or you don't feel comfortable using it, your Web site will not be what you could make it. Choosing an editor that is comfortable for you and that gives you the most powerful features is one of the most important decisions of Web publishing.
HTML Style and Design Considerations
Just because you know all the HTML tags and can do all the "techy" HTML tricks in the book does not mean that you will produce a great Web page. A Web page needs to be clear and easy to use. Advanced features of HTML can sometimes tempt a Web publisher to actually make his Web pages too complex.
Structure of Pages
Now that you know how easy it is to put up text and graphical Web pages, the temptation would be to rush over to your new URL and create an amazing Web page overnight. I am not here to discourage you from doing that; but remember, your page is an image of you, and there are a number of style considerations, which, if followed, will make pages easier for the average user to navigate through. Also, if you follow a methodology, it will make Web publishing go faster in terms of your creative effort.
As a user and Web surfer, I don't like Web sites that are difficult to navigate. I like standards. If I see that your page is using the same kind of buttons and menus that I just saw on a previous Web page, I won't hold it against you. I also don't like getting deep into a Web page and finding myself in an endless tangle of links that ultimately say nothing or repeat themselves . I like logical structures that make sense. Sure, the graphics can be awesome, but is the underlying structure of your Web page logical?
Some Web sites might look fun to surf, but the unpredictable links can make you wipe out on the board. You should always map out all the different links and pages in your Web site. If your diagram looks something like the one in Figure 51.3, maybe you should reconsider your design.
EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 391