Hyper Text Markup Language - HTML

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Hyper Text Markup Language - HTML

Hyper Text Markup Language - HTML
Welcome to Tizag.com's HTML Tutorial. Here you will learn how the basics of the Hyper Text
Markup Language (HTML), so that you may make your own web pages like the one you are viewing
right now.
HTML is not a programming language, but rather a markup language. If you already know XML,
then HTML will be a snap for you to learn. We urge you not to attempt to blow through this tutorial in
one sitting. We recommend that you spend 15 minutes to an hour a day practicing HTML and then
take a break, to let the information settle in. We aren't going anywhere!
Preparation for HTML
Creating an HTML document is easy. To begin coding HTML you need only two things: a simpletext editor and the dedication to follow our tutorial! Notepad is the most basic of simple-text editors and
you will probably code a fair amount of HTML with it.
If you are new to HTML and haven't read through the Beginner's Tutorial, please take a few minutes
to complete that tutorial before moving on.
Brief HTML Background
HTML has not been around for many years. November 1990 marks the day of the first web page
and back then there were little to no HTML standards to be followed. A group called the World Wide
Web Consortium was then formed and have since set the standards that are widely accepted and we
will base our teachings around them.
Web Pages
Web pages have many uses. Here are some important facts about why web pages are so useful.
A cheap and easy way to spread information to a large audience.
Another medium to market your business.
Let the world know about you with a personal website!
Words to Know
Tag - Used to specify ("mark-up") regions of HTML documents for the web browser to
interpret. Tags look like this: <tag>
Element - A complete tag, having an opening <tag> and a closing </tag>.
Attribute - Used to modify the value of the HTML element. Elements will often have multiple
attributes.
For now just know that a tag is a command the web browser interprets, an element is a complete
tag, and an attribute customizes or modifies HTML elements.
The Rest of the Tutorial
For the rest of the tutorial, you may use the menu to navigate to specific lessons, or you can
continue to learn step-by-step using the "Continue" button below. Examples and "walk-throughs" are
provided in each section.
HTML Elements
HTML elements exist on many levels. Everything you see in front of you, the paragraph texts, the
Tizag banner, and the navigation links on the left are all elements of this web page. An element in
HTML is a loose term that describes each individual piece of your web page.
An element consists of three basic parts: an opening tag, the element's content, and finally, a
closing tag.
1.
2.
3.
<p> - opening paragraph tag
Element Content - paragraph words
</p> - closing tag
Every (web)page requires four critical elements: the html, head, title, and body elements.
The <html> Element...</html>
<html> begins and ends each and every web page. Its sole purpose is to encapsulate all the
HTML code and describe the HTML document to the web browser. Remember to close your HTML
documents with the corresponding </html> tag at the bottom of the document.
If you haven't already, open up Notepad or Crimson Editor and have a new, blank document ready
to go. Copy the following HTML code into your text editor.
HTML Code:
<html>
</html>
Now save your file by Selecting Menu and then Save. Click on the "Save as Type" drop down box
and select the option "All Files". When asked to name your file, name it "index.html", without the
quotes. Double check that you did everything correctly and then press save. Now open your file in a
new web browser so that you have the ability to refresh your page and see your changes.
If you opened up your index.html document, you should be starring at your very first blank (white)
web page!
The <head> Element
The <head> element is "next" as they say. As long as it falls somewhere between your <html> tag
and your web page content (<body>), you're golden. The head functions "behind the scenes." Tags
placed within the head element are not directly displayed by web browsers. We will be placing the
<title> element here and we'll talk about the other possible elements in later lessons.
Other elements used for scripting (Javascript) and formatting (CSS) will eventually be introduced
and you will have to place them within your head element. For now, your head element will continue to
lay empty except for the title element that will be introduced next.
Here's a sample of the initial set up.
HTML Code:
<html>
<head>
</head>
</html>
As of yet, we still have nothing happening on the web page. All we have so far is a couple of
necessary elements that describe our document to the web browser. Content (stuff you can see) will
come later.
The <title> Element
Place the <title> tag within the <head> element to title your page. The words you write between
the opening and closing <title></title> tags will be displayed at the top of a viewer's browser. Here's the
html code:
HTML Code:
<html>
<head>
<title>My WebPage!</title>
</head>
</html>
Save the file and open it in your browser. You should see "My WebPage!" in the upper-left, as the
window's title.
Name your webpage as you please, just keep in mind, the best titles are brief and descriptive.
The <body> Element
The <body> element is where all content is placed. (Paragraphs, pictures, tables, etc). As the
menu on the left suggests, we will be looking at each of these elements in greater detail as the tutorial
progresses. For now, it is only important to understand that the body element will encapsulate all of
your webpage's viewable content.
HTML Code:
<html>
<head>
<title>My WebPage!</title>
</head>
<body>
Hello World! All my content goes here!
</body>
</html>
Go ahead and view your first, complete webpage.
Beginning HTML Tags!
A web browser reads an HTML document top to bottom, left to right. Each time the browser finds
a tag, it is displayed accordingly (paragraphs look like paragraphs, tables look like tables, etc). Tags
have 3 major parts: opening tag(s), content(s), and closing tag(s). Recall that a completed tag is
termed an element. By adding tags to an HTML document, you signal to the browser "Hey look, I'm a
paragraph tag, now treat me as such."
As you will learn, there are probably hundreds of HTML Tags. Tables, images, lists, forms, and
everything else being displayed on an web page requires the use of a tag or two.
HTML Code:
<openingtag>Content</closingtag>
<p>A Paragraph Tag</p>
Tags should be lower-case letters if you plan on publishing your work. This is the standard for
XHTML and Dynamic HTML. Here's quick look at some HTML tags.
HTML Tags:
<body>Body Tag (acts as a content shell)
<p>Paragraph Tag</p>
<h2>Heading Tag</h2>
<b>Bold Tag</b>
<i>Italic Tag</i>
</body>
Tags Without Closing Tags
There are a few tags that do not follow the mold above. In a way, they still have the 3 parts
(opening/closing and content). These tags however do not require a formal </closingtag> but rather a
modified version. The reason being that these tags do not really require any content. Rather some of
them just need a source URL and this is enough information for the web browser to display the tag
properly (image tags). Let's take a look at a line break tag.
HTML Code:
<br />
To tell the browser we want to place a line break (carriage return) onto the site, it is not necessary
to type <br>linebreak</br>. If every line break tag needed all three components as other do, life would
become redundant real quick. Instead the better solution was to combine the opening and closing tags
into a single format. Other tags have also been modified such as the image tag and input tag.
HTML Code:
<img src="../mypic.jpg" /> -- Image Tag
<br /> -- Line Break Tag
<input type="text" size="12" /> -- Input Field
Display:
--Line Break--
As you can see from the above image tag, your browser is completely capable of interpreting this
tag so long as we tell the browser where the image is located using the src attribute. More on attributes
in the next lesson.
HTML - Attributes
Attributes are used to amplify tags. What we mean by amplify is that when a web browser
interprets a tag, it will also search for set attributes and then display the element (tags+attributes) in its
entirety. At some point you may want to give your body element a background color or perhaps
change the width of a table. All of these things and more can be achieved using Attributes.
Many HTML tags have a unique set of their own attributes. These will be discussed as each tag is
introduced throughout the tutorial. Right now we want to focus on a set of generic attributes that can
be used with just about every HTML Tag in existence.
Attributes are placed within the opening tag and they follow a precise syntax (format).
HTML - Class or ID Attribute
The class and id attributes are nearly identical. They play no direct role in formatting your
elements but rather serve behind the scenes for scripting and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The role
of classification and identifying elements will become more apparent as your learn CSS.
The idea is that you can classify or id certain a tag and later format the tag using Cascading Style
Sheets. It becomes necessary when you have two or more of the same element on a page (like a <p>
tag) but want them to be different in appearance.
HTML Code:
<p id="italicsparagraph">Paragraph type 1 Italics</p>
<p id="boldparagraph">Paragraph type 2 Bold</p>
Classification Attributes:
Paragraph type 1 Italics
Paragraph type 2 Bold
HTML - Name Attribute
Name is much different than id and class. By allotting a name to an element, that name becomes
a scripting variable for scripting languages such as Javascript, ASP, and PHP. The name attribute is
seen most often with forms and other user-input elements.
HTML Code:
<input type="text" name="TextField" />
The Name Game:
This attribute has no effect on the display of the text field, but behind the scenes it plays a huge
identification role.
HTML - Title Attribute
This is a neat little perhaps, forgotten attribute. This attribute titles an element and adds a tiny text
pop-up to any HTML element. Much like the text pop-ups of word processing programs, these
attributes should not be forgotten. You may title an element anything you would like, the effects of this
attribute are not seen until you hover your mouse over the element for a few seconds.
HTML Code:
<h2 title="Hello There!">Titled Heading Tag</h2>
Title Attribute:
Titled Heading Tag
Hover your mouse over the display heading to see the magic of the title attribute! This provides
your web site with some user interaction which is priceless. Do not overlook the title attribute.
HTML - Align Attribute
If you wish to change the horizontal location of your elements you may do so using the align
attribute. You may align things left, right, or center. By default most elements are automatically aligned
left unless otherwise specified.
HTML Code:
<h2 align="center">Centered Heading</h2>
Display:
Centered Heading
HTML Code:
<h2 align="left">Left aligned heading</h2>
<h2 align="center">Centered Heading</h2>
<h2 align="right">Right aligned heading</h2>
Display:
Left aligned heading
Centered heading
Right aligned heading
Attribute Defaults
Many tags are assigned default attributes. This means that unless a tag attribute is specified by
you the creator, it will have some distinct attributes. For example, a paragraph tag will always align its
text to the left unless it has an align attribute in it specifying otherwise. Also elements placed within a
table are vertically centered and to the left unless otherwise specified. As you code and learn about
each of the different HTML elements, you will become aware of many of these defaults.
Generic Attributes
Attributes exist to modify HTML tags allowing for complete customization of a website. Here's a
table of some other attributes that are readily usable with many of HTML's tags.
Attribute
align
valign
Options
right, left, center
top, middle, bottom
numeric, hexidecimal, RGB
bgcolor
values
background URL
id
User Defined
class
User Defined
width
height
title
Numeric Value
Numeric Value
User Defined
Function
Horizontally aligns tags
Vertically aligns tags within an HTML element.
Places a background color behind an element
Places an background image behind an element
Names an element for use with Cascading Style Sheets.
Classifies an element for use with Cascading Style
Sheets.
Specifies the width of tables, images, or table cells.
Specifies the height of tables, images, or table cells.
"Pop-up" title for your elements.
Paragraph Tag <p>
Publishing any kind of written works requires the use of a paragraph. The paragraph tag is very
basic and a great introductory tag for beginner's because of its simplicity.
The <p> tag defines a paragraph. Using this tag places a blank line above and below the text of
the paragraph. These automated blank lines are examples of how a tag "marks" a paragraph and the
web browser automatically understands how to display the paragraph text because of the paragraph
tag.
HTML Code:
<p>Avoid losing floppy disks with important school...</p>
<p>For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school...</p>
Two HTML Paragraphs:
Avoid losing floppy disks with important school/work projects on them. Use the web
to keep your content so you can access it from anywhere in the world. It's also a quick
way to write reminders or notes to yourself. With simple html skills, (the ones you have
gained so far) it is easy.
For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school or work project to complete. Off hand,
the easiest way to transfer the documents from your house could be a 3.5" floppy disk.
However, there is an alternative. Place your documents, photos, essays, or videos onto
your web server and access them from anywhere in the world.
HTML - Paragraph Justification
Paragraphs can be formatted in HTML much the same as you would expect to find in a word
processing program. Here the align attribute is used to "justify" our paragraph.
HTML Code:
<p align="justify">For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school or work...</p>
Justified Text Alignment:
For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school or work project to complete. Off hand,
the easiest way to transfer the documents from your house could be a 3.5" floppy disk.
However, there is an alternative. Place your documents, photos, essays, or videos onto
your web server and access them from anywhere in the world.
HTML - Paragraph Centering
HTML Code:
<p align="center">For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school or work...</p>
Centered Text Alignment:
For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school or work project to complete. Off hand,
the easiest way to transfer the documents from your house could be a 3.5" floppy disk.
However, there is an alternative. Place your documents, photos, essays, or videos onto
your web server and access them from anywhere in the world.
Each line of the paragraph has now been centered inside the display window.
HTML - Paragraph Align Right
HTML Code:
<p align="right">For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school or work...</p>
Right Text Alignment:
For instance, let's say you had a HUGE school or work project to complete. Off hand,
the easiest way to transfer the documents from your house could be a 3.5" floppy disk.
However, there is an alternative. Place your documents, photos, essays, or videos onto
your web server and access them from anywhere in the world.
Every line of the paragraph above is now aligned to the right hand side of the display box.
HTML - Headings 1:6
A heading in HTML is just what you might expect, a title or subtitle. By placing text inside of <h1>
(heading) tags, the text displays bold and the size of the text depends on the number of heading (1-6).
Headings are numbered 1-6, with 1 being the largest heading and 6 being the smallest.
HTML Code:
<body>
<h1>Headings</h1>
<h2>are</h2>
<h3>great</h3>
<h4>for</h4>
<h5>titles</h5>
<h6>and subtitles</h6>
</body>
Place these lines into your HTML file and you should get what is displayed below.
Headings 1-6:
Headings
are
great
for
titles
and subtitles
Notice that each heading has a line break before and after each heading display. This is a built in
attribute so to speak associated with the heading tag. Each time you place a heading tag, your web
browser automatically places a line break in front of your beginning tag and after your ending tag
exactly the same as with <p> tags.
Essay Walkthrough
Let's tie together headings and paragraphs to form an essay. Copy(Highlight, then Ctrl C) or code
the following in the body of your page or a new page. Or make your own essay paragraphs.
HTML Code:
<h1 align="center">Essay Example</h1>
<p>Avoid losing floppy disks with important school/work projects...</p>
<p>For instance, let's say you had a
HUGE school or work project to complete. Off ...</p>
HTML Essay:
View the page in a new window.
Line Breaks
Line breaks are different then most of the tags we have seen so far. A line break ends the line you
are currently on and resumes on the next line. Placing <br /> within the code is the same as pressing
the return key in a word processor. Use the <br /> tag within the <p> (paragraph) tag.
HTML Code:
<p>
Will Mateson<br />
Box 61<br />
Cleveland, Ohio<br />
</p>
Address:
Will Mateson
Box 61
Cleveland, Ohio
We have created a possible address for a letter head. The line break tag will also come in handy
toward the end of our letter.
HTML Code:
<p>Sincerely,<br />
<br />
<br />
Kevin Sanders<br />
Vice President</p>
Closing Letter:
Sincerely,
Kevin Sanders
Vice President
HTML Horizontal Rule
Use the <hr /> tag to display lines across the screen. Note: the horizontal rule tag has no ending
tag like the line break tag.
HTML Code::
<hr />
Use
<hr /><hr />
Them
<hr />
Sparingly
<hr />
Display::
Use
Them
Sparingly
Aside from our exaggerated example, the horizontal rule tag can come in handy when publishing
work. A table of contents or perhaps a bibliography.
HTML Code:
<hr />
<p>1. "The Hobbit", JRR Tolkein.<br />
2. "The Fellowship of the Ring" JRR Tolkein.</p>
Biliography:
1. "The Hobbit", JRR Tolkein.
2. "The Fellowship of the Ring" JRR Tolkein.
As you can see, all this tag does is draw a line across your content, and used properly, its results
can be outstanding.
HTML Lists
There are 3 different types of lists. A <ol> tag starts an ordered list, <ul> for unordered lists, and
<dl> for definition lists. Use the type and start attributes to fine tune your lists accordingly.
<ul> - unordered list; bullets
<ol> - ordered list; numbers
<dl> - definition list; dictionary
HTML Ordered Lists
Use the <ol> tag to begin an ordered list. Place the <li> (list item) tag between your opening <ol>
and closing </ol> tags to create list items. Ordered simply means numbered, as the list below
demonstrates.
HTML Code:
<h4 align="center">Goals</h4>
<ol>
<li>Find a Job</li>
<li>Get Money</li>
<li>Move Out</li>
</ol>
Numbered list:
Goals
1. Find a Job
2. Get Money
3. Move Out
Start your ordered list on any number besides 1 using the start attribute.
HTML Code:
<h4 align="center">Goals</h4>
<ol start="4" >
<li>Buy Food</li>
<li>Enroll in College</li>
<li>Get a Degree</li>
</ol>
Numbered List Start:
Goals
4. Buy Food
5. Enroll in College
6. Get a Degree
Nothing fancy here, start simply defines which number to begin numbering with.
HTML Ordered Lists Continued
There are 4 other types of ordered lists. Instead of generic numbers you can replace them with
Roman numberals or letters, both capital and lower-case. Use the type attribute to change the
numbering.
HTML Code:
<ol
<ol
<ol
<ol
type="a">
type="A">
type="i">
type="I">
Ordered List Types:
Lower-Case Letters
a. Find a Job
b. Get Money
c. Move Out
Upper-Case Letters
A. Find a Job
B. Get Money
C. Move Out
Lower-Case Numerals Upper-Case Numerals
i.
Find a Job
I.
Find a Job
ii.
Get Money
II.
Get Money
iii.
Move Out
III.
Move Out
HTML Unordered Lists
Create a bulleted list with the <ul> tag. The bullet itself comes in three flavors: squares, discs, and
circles. The default bullet displayed by most web browsers is the traditional full disc.
HTML Code:
<h4 align="center">Shopping List</h4>
<ul>
<li>Milk</li>
<li>Toilet Paper</li>
<li>Cereal</li>
<li>Bread</li>
</ul>
Unordered Lists:
Shopping List
Milk
Toilet Paper
Cereal
Bread
Here's a look at the other flavors of unordered lists may look like.
HTML Code:
<ul type="square">
<ul type="disc">
<ul type="circle">
Unordered List Types:
type="square"
Milk
Toilet Paper
Cereal
Bread
type="disc"
Milk
Toilet Paper
Cereal
Bread
type="circle"
Milk
Toilet Paper
Cereal
Bread
HTML Definition Term Lists
Make definition lists as seen in dictionaries using the <dl> tag. These lists displace the term word
just above the definition itself for a unique look. It's wise to bold the terms to displace them further.
<dl> - defines the start of the list
<dt> - definition term
<dd> - defining definition
HTML Code:
<dl>
<dt><b>Fromage</b></dt>
<dd>French word for cheese.</dd>
<dt><b>Voiture</b></dt>
<dd>French word for car.</dd>
</dt>
HTML Code:
Fromage
French word for cheese.
Voiture
French word for car.
HTML - Formatting Elements w/ Tags
As you begin to place more and more elements onto your web site, it will become necessary to
make minor changes to the formatting of those elements. In our HTML Attributes lesson we discussed
ways to add some flavor with attributes and align elements within other elements. Several tags exist to
further amplify text elements. These formatting tags can make text bold, italic, sub/superscripted, and
more.
Bold, Italic and More
HTML Code:
<p>An
<p>An
<p>An
<p>An
example
example
example
example
of
of
of
of
<b>Bold Text</b></p>
<em>Emphasized Text</em></p>
<strong>Strong Text</strong></p>
<i>Italic Text</i></p>
<p>An
<p>An
<p>An
<p>An
example
example
example
example
of
of
of
of
<sup>superscripted Text</sup></p>
<sub>subscripted Text</sub></p>
<del>struckthrough Text</del></p>
<code>Computer Code Text</code></p>
HTML Formatting:
An example of Bold Text
An example of Emphasized Text
An
An
An
An
An
An
example
example
example
example
example
example
of Strong Text
of Italic Text
of superscripted Text
of subscripted Text
of
of Computer Code Text
All of these tags add a pinch of flavor to paragraph elements. They can be used with any text type
element.
HTML - Formatting Tag Usage
These tags should be used sparingly. And what we mean by that is that you should only use them
to bold or italicize one or two words in your elements at a time. If you wish to bold an entire paragraph
a better solution would involve Cascading Style Sheets, and you should consult how to do that in our
CSS Tutorial. Ultimately the decision is yours, the web developer. Being a voice of experience, keep the
use of these tags quick and sparse.
HTML Color Coding System - Color Names
There are 3 different methods to set color. The simplest being the Generic terms of colors.
Examples: black, white, red, green, and blue. Generic colors are preset HTML coded colors where the
value is simply the name of each color. Here is a sample of the most widely supported colors and their
respective name values.
The 16 Basic Colors:
Black
Yellow
Red
Maroon
Gray
Lime
Green
Olive
Silver
Aqua
Blue
Navy
White
Fuchsia
Purple
Teal
HTML Coloring System - RGB Values
We do not recommend that you use RGB for safe web design because non-IE browsers do not
support HTML RGB. However, if you plan on learning CSS then you should glance over this topic.
RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue. Each can have a value from 0 (none of that color) to 255 (fully
that color). The format for RGB is - rgb(RED, GREEN, BLUE), just like the name implies. Below is an
example of RGB in use, but if you are not using a browser that supports it, do not worry, that is just
one of the problems with HTML RGB.
Red, Green, and Blue Values:
bgcolor="rgb(255,255,255)" White
bgcolor="rgb(255,0,0)"
Red
bgcolor="rgb(0,255,0)"
Green
bgcolor="rgb(0,0,255)"
Blue
HTML Coloring System - Hexadecimal
The hexadecimal system is complex and difficult to understand at first. Rest assured that the
system becomes much, MUCH easier with practice and as a blossoming web developer, it is critical to
understand hexadecimals to be capable of using them in your own web publications. They are far
more reliable and widely compatible among web browsers and are the standard for colors on the
internet.
A hexadecimal is a 6 digit representation of a color. The first two digits(RR) represent a red value,
the next two are a green value(GG), and the last are the blue value(BB).
Here's a hexadecimal you might see in an HTML document.
My First Hexadecimal:
bgcolor="#RRGGBB"
HTML Color Code - Breaking the Code
The following table shows how letters are incorporated into the hexadecimal essentially extending
the numbers system to 16 values. Hang in there it all makes sense shortly.
Hexadecimal Color Values:
Decimal
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Hexadecimal 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
So use letters as numbers?We will answer this question as we dive into the converting
hexadecimals to regular numbers. Let's have a look at real Hexadecimal.
A Real Hexadecimal:
bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
The letter "F" is the maximum amount we can send each color and as you may deduce, this color
(#FFFFFF) represents the color white. A formula exists to calculate the numeric equivalent of a
hexadecimal.
Hexadecimal Formula:
(15 * 16) + (15) = 255
The formula is real simple. Take the first value (F) or 15 multiply it by 16 and add it to the second
value, 15. The value 255 is the maximum allowed for any primary color.
Let's try another one.
Example 2:
bgcolor="#CC7005"
CC(RR - Red)
(12 * 16) + (12) = 204
70(GG - Green)
(7 * 16) + (0) = 112
05(BB - Blue)
(0 * 16) + (5) = 5
Hexadecimals are the best choice for compatible web development because of their consistency
between browsers. Even the most minor of change in color can throw your entire site out of whack, so
be sure to check your site in a number of browsers. If you want to be absolutely sure your colors will
not change, use paired hex values for color. Examples: "#0011EE", "#44HHFF", or "#117788". These
are called True Colors, since they will stay true in hue from browser to browser.
HTML - Font and Basefont
The <font> tag is used to add style, size, and color to the text on your site. Use the size, color, and
face attributes to customize your fonts. Use a <basefont> tag to set all of your text to the same size,
face, and color.
The font and basefont tags are deprecated and should not be used. Instead, use css styles
to manipulate your font. See our CSS Tutorial for more information.
Font Size
Set the size of your font with size. The range of accepted values is from 1(smallest) to
7(largest).The default size of a font is 3.
HTML Code:
<p>
<font size="5">Here is a size 5 font</font>
</p>
Font Size:
Here is a size 5 font.
Font Color
Set the color of your font with color.
HTML Code:
<font color="#990000">This text is hexcolor #990000</font>
<br />
<font color="red">This text is red</font>
Font Color:
This text is hexcolor #990000
This text is red
Font Face
Choose a different font face using any font you have installed. Be aware that if the user viewing
the page doesn't have the font installed, they will not be able to see it. Instead they will default to
Times New Roman. An option is to choose a few that are similar in appearance.
HTML Code:
<p>
<font face="Bookman Old Style, Book Antiqua, Garamond">This paragraph
has had its font...</font>
</p>
Font Face:
This paragraph has had its font formatted by the font tag!
Basefont - Set a Solid Base
With the basefont tag you will be able to set the default font for your web page. We highly
recommend specifying a basefont if you plan on using any font with HTML. Below is the correct way to
set your basefont.
HTML Code:
<html>
<body>
<basefont size="2" color="green">
<p>This paragraph has had its font...</p>
<p>This paragraph has had its font...</p>
<p>This paragraph has had its font...</p>
</basefont>
</body>
</html>
Base Font:
This paragraph has had its font formatted by the basefont tag!
This paragraph has had its font formatted by the basefont tag!
This paragraph has had its font formatted by the basefont tag!
However, the use of basefont is deprecated, which means it may not be supported sometime in
the future. The perfectly correct way to change your sites basefont is to set it with CSS. Check out our
CSS Tutorial for more information.
Attribute Review
Attributes:
Attribute= "Value"
Description
size=
"Num. Value 1-7"
Size of your text, 7 is biggest
color=
"rgb,name,or hexidecimal" Change font color
face=
"name of font"
Change the font type
Beautiful First Letter Style
Customize your fonts to achieve any of your desired looks.
HTML Code:
<p><font size="7" face="Georgia, Arial" color="maroon">C</font>ustomize
your font to achieve a desired look.</p>
Beauty:
C
ustomize your font to achieve a desired look.
HTML - Links and Anchors
The web got its spidery name from the plentiful connections between web sites. These
connections are made using anchor tags to create links. Text, Images, and Forms may be used to
create these links.
HTML - Hypertext Reference (href)
The href attribute defines reference that the link refers to. Basically this is where the user will be
taken if they wish to click this link.
Hypertext references can be Internal, Local, or Global.
Internal - Links to anchors on the current page
Local - Links to other pages within your domain
Global - Links to other domains outside of your site
HTML Code:
Internal - href="#anchorname"
Local - href="../pics/picturefile.jpg"
Global - href="http://www.tizag.com/"
HTML - Text Links
Use the <a></a> tags to define the start and ending of an anchor. Decide what type of href
attribute you need and place this attribute into the opening tag. The text you place between the
opening and closing tags will be shown as the link on a page. Use the demonstration below as a
reference.
HTML Code:
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/" target="_blank" >Tizag Home</a>
<a href="http://www.espn.com/" target="_blank" >ESPN Home</a>
<a href="http://www.yahoo.com/" target="_blank" >Yahoo Home</a>
Global Link:
Tizag Home ESPN Home Yahoo Home
HTML - Link Targets
The target attribute defines whether to open the page in a separate window, or to open the link in
the current browser window.
HTML Code:
target=" _blank" Opens new page in a new browser window
_self" Loads the new page in current window
_parent" Loads new page into a frame that is superior to where the link lies
_top"
Loads new page into the current browser window, cancelling all frames
The example below shows how you would link to ESPN.COM, a popular sports web site. The
target attribute is added to allow the browser to open ESPN in a new window, so that the viewer can
remain at our web site. Here's the example.
HTML Code:
<a href="http://www.ESPN.com" target="_blank">ESPN.COM</a>
_blank Target:
ESPN.COM
HTML - Anchors
To link to sections of your existing page a name must be given to the anchor. In the example
below, we've created a mini Table of Contents for this page. By placing blank anchors just after each
heading, and naming them, we can then create reference links to those sections on this page as
shown below.
First, the headings of this page contain blank, named anchors. They look like this.
Tizag's Own Code:
<h2>HTML Links and Anchors<a name="top"></a></h2>
<h2>HTML Text Links<a name="text"></a></h2>
<h2>HTML Email<a name="email"></a></h2>
Now create the reference links, placing the pound symbol followed by the name of the anchor in
the href of the new link.
Anchor Code:
<a href="#top">Go to the Top</a>
<a href="#text">Learn about Text Links</a>
<a href="#email">Learn about Email Links</a>
Local Links:
Go to the Top
Learn about Text Links
Learn about Email Links
HTML - Email Links
Creating an email link is simple. If you want somebody to mail you about your site a good way to
do it is place an email link with a subject already in place for them.
HTML Code:
<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Feedback" >[email protected]</a>
Email Links:
[email protected]
In some circumstances it may be necessary to fill in the body of the Email for the user as well.
HTML Code:
<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Feedback&body=Sweet site!">
[email protected]</a>
Complete Email:
[email protected]
HTML - Download Links
Placing files available for download is done in exactly the same fashion as placing text links.
Things become complicated if we want to place image links available for download. The best solution
for images is to use a thumbnail link that we discuss in the next lesson.
HTML Code:
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/pics/htmlT/blanktext.zip">Text Document</a>
Download a Text Document:
Text Document
HTML - Default Links; Base
Use the <base> tag in the head element to set a default URL for all links on a page to go to. It's
always a good idea to set a base tag just incase your links become bugged somewhere down the line.
Usually set your base to your home page.
HTML Code:
<head>
<base href="http://www.tizag.com/">
</head>
HTML Character Entities
An entity is a fancy term for a symbol. Several symbols such as copyright, trademark, or foreign
cash symbols exist outside of the ones you see on your keyboard. In order to display them. In order to
display these characters, you need to know 4 parts.
There's three parts to every entity.
HTML Code:
Each begins with a ampersand - &
Then the entities name - copy
And finally a semicolon - ;
Copyright:
Combine © to make - © - Copyright symbol.
Expect complications if you forget to include all three parts of an entity.
Additional Spaces and <>.
As you have may have learned within paragraph and heading tags, browsers will only recognize
and format 1 space between words reguardless of how many you may actually type in your coded
HTML. An entity exists for placing additional spaces.
Here's an example.
HTML Code:
<p>Everything that goes up, must come     down!</p>
Spaces:
Everything that goes up, must come
down!
In HTML we use less than and greater than characters to create tags, so to use them on your web
site you will need entities.
HTML Code:
<p>
Less than - < <br />
Greater than - > <br />
Body tag - <body>
</p>
Less than Greater than:
Less than - <
Greater than - >
Body tag - <body>
Take a few minutes to view and play with the symbols listed in the Entities Table.
Create HTML Email
Making an HTML email link on your page is quick and simple. However, you should know that
when you place your email on your website, it is very easy for computer experts to run programs to
harvest these types of emails for spamming. If you are going to put your email link on a public website,
be sure that you have anti-spam software!
Another option to allow people to send you emails without exposing yourself to massive amounts
of spam is to create an HTML form that gathers data from the user and emails it to your email account.
We recommend the HTML Form Email that usually reduces the amount of potential spam.
HTML Email Tag
There actually is not a separate HTML tag for creating an HTML email link. Instead you use a
standard HTML anchor tag <a> and set the href property equal to the email adddress, rather than
specifying a web URL. This is probably confusing and may take a little while to get used to.
HTML Code:
<a href= "mailto:[email protected]" >Email Example</a>
Email Link:
Email Example
Additional HTML Email Code
By adding a couple extra goodies onto the email address in href you can have both the SUBJECT
and the BODY of the email automatically populated for your visitors. This is great when receiving
emails from a website to an email account that handles more mail than just from that one link on your
site.
By defining a uniform subject that people will automatically have when clicking the link you will be
able to tell right away whether or not an email came from the website or from another source (as long
as your visitors don't mess with the subject that you give them).
Subject - Populates the subject of the email with the information that you provide.
Body - Populates the body of the email with the information that you provide.
HTML Code:
<a href= "mailto: [email protected]?subject=Web Page Email&body=This email
is from your website" >
2nd Email Example</a>
Complete Email:
2nd Email Example
HTML - Images
Images are a staple of any web designer, so it is very important that you understand how to use
them properly. Use the <img /> tag to place an image on your web page.
HTML Code:
<img src="sunset.gif" />
Image:
HTML - Image src
Above we have defined the src attribute. Src stands for source, the source of the image or more
appropriately, where the picture file is located. As with links described in a previous lesson, you may
use any standard URL to properly point the src attribute to a local or external source.
There are two ways to define the source of an image. First you may use a standard URL.
(src=http://www.Tizag.com/pics/htmlT/sunset.gif) As your second choice, you may copy or upload the
file onto your web server and access it locally using standard directory tree methods.
(src="../sunset.gif") The location of this picture file is in relation to your location of your .html file.
URL Types:
Local Src
Location Description
src="sunset.gif"
picture file resides in same directory as .html file
src="../sunset.gif"
picture file resides in previous directory as .html file
src="../pics/sunset.gif" picture file resides in the pic directory in a previous directory as .html file
A URL cannot contain drive letters, since a src URL is a relational source interpretation based on
the location of your .html file and the location of the picture file. Therefore something like
src="C:\\www\web\pics\" will not work. Pictures must be uploaded along with your .html file to your web
server.
Each method has its pros and cons, for instance using the URL of pictures on other sites poses a
problem if the web master(s) of the other site happen to change the physical location of the picture file.
Copying the file directly to your web server solves this problem, however, as you continue to upload
picture files to your system, you may eventually run short on hard drive space. Use your best
judgement to meet your needs.
HTML - Alternative Attribute
The alt attribute specifies alternate text to be displayed if for some reason the browser cannot find
the image, or if a user has image files disabled. Text only browsers also depend on the alt attribute
since they cannot display pictures.
HTML Code:
<img src="http://example.com/brokenlink/sunset.gif" alt="Beautiful Sunset" />
Alternative Text:
HTML - Image Height and Width
To define the height and width of the image, rather than letting the browser compute the size, use
the height and width attributes.
HTML Code:
<img src="sunset.gif" height="50" width="100">
Height and Width:
Above we have defined the src, height and width attributes. By informing the browser of the image
dimensions it knows to set aside a place for that image. Without defining an image's dimensions your
site may load poorly; text and other images will be moved around when the browser finally figures out
how big the picture is supposed to be and then makes room for the picture.
Vertically and Horizontally Align Images
Use the align and valign attributes to place images within your body, tables, or sections.
1.
2.
align (Horizontal)
o right
o left
o center
valign (Vertical)
o top
o bottom
o center
Below is an example of how to align an image to the right of a paragraph.
HTML Code:
<p>This is paragraph 1, yes it is...</p>
<p>
<img src="sunset.gif" align="right">
The image will appear along the...isn't it?
</p>
<p>This is the third paragraph that appears...</p>
Image Wrap Arond:
This is paragraph 1, yes it is. I think this paragraph serves as a nice example to show
how this image alignment works.
The image will appear along the right hand side of the paragraph. As you can see this
is very nice for adding a little eye candy that relates to the specified paragraph. If we
were talking about beautiful tropical sunsets, this picture would be perfect. But we aren't
talking about that, so it's rather a waste, isn't it?
This is the third paragraph that appears below the paragraph with the image!
Images as Links
This will be a quick review of the links - image lesson. Images are very useful for links and can be
created with the HTML below.
HTML Code:
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/">
<img src="sunset.gif">
</a>
Image Links:
Now your image will take you to our home page when you click it. Change it to your home page
URL.
Thumbnails
Thumbnails are small size (Kilobytes) pictures that link to the larger, high quality picture. To make
a thumbnail save a low-quality version of a picture and make it have smaller dimensions. Now make
this low-quality picture into an image link and have it point to the the high-quality picture.
HTML Code:
<a href="sunset.gif">
<img src="thmb_sunset.gif">
</a>
Thumbnails:
HTML Gifs vs. Jpegs
Gifs are best used for banners, clip art, and buttons. The main reason for this is that gifs can have
a transparent background which is priceless when it comes to web design. On the down side, gifs are
usually larger files, not as compressed as a jpeg, which calls for slow load times and large transfer
rates. Gifs are also limited to the 256 color scheme.
Jpegs however, have an unlimited color wheel, and have a high compression rate downsizing
your load times and saving hard drive space. Jpegs don't allow for transparent backgrounds, but their
size/quality ratio is outstanding. Its best to use Jpegs for photo galleries, or artwork to allow the viewer
to catch that extra bit of detail. Avoid Jpegs for graphical design, stick to using them for thumbnails and
backgrounds.
HTML - Image Links
Using graphics will liven up that tired, bland-looking text link. To make an image link simply insert
an image within the anchor tag. If you do not know how to use the image tag, skip ahead to the image
tutorial and come back after you feel comfortable with it.
HTML Code:
<a href="http://www.espn.com" target="_blank> <img src="ahman.gif"> </a>
Image Link:
Notice that by default, many browsers add a small border around image links. This is to quickly
deceifer the difference between image links and just ordinary images on a web site. Since this default
is different from web browser to web browser it may be best to squelch this ambiguity by setting the
border attribute to zero.
HTML Code:
<a href="http://www.espn.com" target="_blank>
<img src="ahman.gif" border="0"> </a>
Image Link; No Border:
HTML - Thumbnails
Thumbnails are small size (Kilobytes) pictures that link to the larger, high quality picture. To make
a thumbnail save a low-quality version of a picture and make it have smaller dimensions. Now make
this low-quality picture into an image link and have it point to the the high-quality picture.
HTML Code:
<a href="sunset.gif">
<img src="thmb_sunset.gif">
</a>
Thumbnails:
HTML Forms
Forms are a vital tool for the webmaster to receive information from the web surfer, such as: their
name, email address, credit card, etc. A form will take input from the viewer and depending on your
needs, you may store that data into a file, place an order, gather user statistics, register the person to
your web forum, or maybe subscribe them to your weekly newsletter.
Text Fields
Before we teach you how to make a complete form, let's start out with the basics of forms. Input
fields are going to be the meat of your form's sandwich. The <input> has a few attributes that you
should be aware of.
type - Determines what kind of input field it will be. Possible choices are text, submit, and
password.
name - Assigns a name to the given field so that you may reference it later.
size - Sets the horizontal width of the field. The unit of measurement is in blank spaces.
maxlength - Dictates the maximum number of characters that can be entered.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]">
Name: <input type="text" size="10" maxlength="40" name="name"> <br />
Password: <input type="password" size="10" maxlength="10" name="password">
</form>
Input Forms:
Name:
Password:
Do not use the password feature for security purposes. The data in the password field is not
encrypted and is not secure in any way.
HTML Form Email
Now we will add the submit functionality to your form. Generally, the button should be the last item
of your form and have its name attribute set to "Send" or "Submit". Name defines what the label of the
button will be. Here is a list of important attributes of the submit:
In addition to adding the submit button, we must also add a destination for this information and
specify how we want it to travel to that place. Adding the following attributes to your <form> will do just
this.
method - We will only be using the post functionality of method, which sends the data without
displaying any of the information to the visitor.
action - Specifies the URL to send the data to. We will be sending our information to a fake
email address.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]">
Name: <input type="text" size="10" maxlength="40" name="name"> <br />
Password: <input type="password" size="10"
maxlength="10" name="password"><br />
<input type="submit" value="Send">
</form>
Email Forms:
Name:
Password:
Send
Simply change the email address to your own and you will have set up your first functional form!
HTML Radio Buttons
Radio buttons are a popular form of interaction. You may have seen them on quizzes,
questionnaires, and other web sites that give the user a multiple choice question. Below are a couple
attributes you should know that relate to the radio button.
value - specifies what will be sent if the user chooses this radio button. Only one value will be
sent for a given group of radio buttons (see name for more information).
name - defines which set of radio buttons that it is a part of. Below we have 2 groups: shade
and size.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]">
What kind of shirt are you wearing? <br />
Shade:
<input type="radio" name="shade" value="dark">Dark
<input type="radio" name="shade" value="light">Light <br />
Size:
<input type="radio" name="size" value="small">Small
<input type="radio" name="size" value="medium">Medium
<input type="radio" name="size" value="large">Large <br />
<input type="submit" value="Email Myself">
</form>
Radios:
What kind of shirt are you wearing?
Shade:
Size:
Dark
Small
Light
Medium
Large
Email Myself
If you change the email address to your own and "Email Myself" then you should get an email with
"shade=(choice) size=(choice)".
HTML Check Boxes
Check boxes allow for multiple items to be selected for a certain group of choices. The check
box's name and value attributes behave the same as a radio button.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]">
Select your favorite cartoon characters.
<input type="checkbox" name="toon" value="Goofy">Goofy
<input type="checkbox" name="toon" value="Donald">Donald
<input type="checkbox" name="toon" value="Bugs">Bugs Bunny
<input type="checkbox" name="toon" value="Scoob">Scooby Doo
<input type="submit" value="Email Myself">
</form>
Check Boxes:
Select the 2 greatest toons.
Goofy
Donald
Bugs Bunny
Scooby Doo
Email Myself
HTML Drop Down Lists
Drop down menues are created with the <select> and <option> tags. <select> is the list itself and
each <option> is an available choice for the user.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]">
College Degree?
<select name="degree">
<option>Choose One</option>
<option>Some High School</option>
<option>High School Degree</option>
<option>Some College</option>
<option>Bachelor's Degree</option>
<option>Doctorate</option>
<input type="submit" value="Email Yourself">
</select>
</form>
Drop Down Lists:
Education?
Choose One
Email Yourself
HTML Selection Forms
Yet another type of form, a highlighted selection list. This form will post what the user highlights.
Basically just another type of way to get input from the user.
The size attribute selects how many options will be shown at once before needing to scroll, and
the selected option tells the browser which choice to select by default.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]">
Musical Taste
<select multiple name="music" size="4">
<option value="emo" selected>Emo</option>
<option value="metal/rock" >Metal/Rock</option>
<option value="hiphop" >Hip Hop</option>
<option value="ska" >Ska</option>
<option value="jazz" >Jazz</option>
<option value="country" >Country</option>
<option value="classical" >Classical</option>
<option value="alternative" >Alternative</option>
<option value="oldies" >Oldies</option>
<option value="techno" >Techno</option>
</select>
<input type="submit" value="Email Yourself">
</form>
Selection Forms:
Musical Taste
Emo
Metal/Rock
Hip Hop
Ska
Email Yourself
HTML Upload Forms
First of all, to actually make the upload form function correctly you must know a scripting language
of some sort. PHP and PERL work fine, Javascript is also an option. We have an entire upload
example demonstrated here, PHP File Upload. The HTML code for the upload form does nothing more
than create an interface for the user to see and work with.
An upload form consists of three basic parts. The first being a hidden field. This hidden field does
nothing more than limit the allowed file size of our uploaded file. The second part is the input field itself.
In this field, the user has the option to type in the full local URL of the file or he/she may click the
browse button to thumb through directory after directory. HTML codes this automatically when we
place the type="file" attribute within the input tag.
HTML Code:
<input type="hidden" name="MAX_FILE_SIZE" value="100" />
<input name="file" type="file" />
Upload Form:
HTML Text Areas
Text areas serve as an input field for viewers to place their own comments onto. Forums and the
like use text areas to post what you type onto their site using scripts. For this form, the text area is
used as a way to write comments to somebody.
Rows and columns need to be specified as attributes to the <textarea> tag. Rows are roughly
12pixels high, the same as in word programs and the value of the columns reflects how many
characters wide the text area will be. i.e. The example below shows a text area 5 rows tall and 20
characters wide. Another attribute to be aware of is the wrap. Wrap has 3 values.
wrap=
"off"
"virtual"
"physical"
Virtual means that the viewer will see the words wrapping as they type their comments, but when
the page is submitted to you, the web host, the document sent will not have wrapping words.
Physical means that the text will appear both to you, the web host, and the viewer including any page
breaks and additional spaces that may be inputed. The words come as they are.
Off of course, turns off word wrapping within the text area. One ongoing line.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]">
<textarea rows="5" cols="20" wrap="physical" name="comments">
Enter Comments Here
</textarea>
<input type="submit" value="Email Yourself">
</form>
Text Area: HTML Tables
Tables may seem difficult at first, but after working through this lesson you'll see how they aren't
too bad. The <table> tag is used to begin a table. Within a table element are the <tr> (table rows) and
<td> (table columns) tags. Tables are a handy way to create a site's layout, but it does take some
getting used to. Here's how to make a table.
HTML Code:
<table border="1">
<tr><td>Row 1 Cell 1</td><td>Row 1 Cell 2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Row 2 Cell 1</td><td>Row 2 Cell 2</td></tr>
</table>
Basic Table:
Row 1 Cell 1 Row 1 Cell 2
Row 2 Cell 1 Row 2 Cell 2
Content is placed within tables cells. A table cell is defined by <td> and </td>.The border attribute
defines how wide the table's border will be.
Spanning Multiple Rows and Cells
Use rowspan to span multiple rows and colspan to span multiple columns.
Note: if you would like to place headers at the top of your columns, use the <th> tag as shown
below. By default these headers are bold to set them apart from the rest of your table's content.
HTML Code:
<table border="1">
<tr>
<th>Column 1</th>
<th>Column 2</th>
<th>Column 3</th>
</tr>
<tr><td rowspan="2">Row 1 Cell 1</td>
<td>Row 1 Cell 2</td><td>Row 1 Cell 3</td></tr>
<tr><td>Row 2 Cell 2</td><td>Row 2 Cell 3</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3">Row 3 Cell 1</td></tr>
</table>
Colspan and Rowspan:
Column 1
Column 2 Column 3
Row 1 Cell 2 Row 1 Cell 3
Row 1 Cell 1
Row 2 Cell 2 Row 2 Cell 3
Row 3 Cell 1
Cell Padding and Spacing
With the cellpadding and cellspacing attributes you will be able to adjust the white space on your
tables. Spacing defines the width of the border, while padding represents the distance between cell
borders and the content within. Color has been added to the table to emphasize these attributes.
HTML Code:
<table border="1" cellspacing="10"
bgcolor="rgb(0,255,0)">
<tr>
<th>Column 1</th>
<th>Column 2</th>
</tr>
<tr><td>Row 1 Cell 1</td><td>Row 1 Cell 2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Row 2 Cell 1</td><td>Row 2 Cell 2</td></tr>
</table>
Cellspacing and Padding:
Column 1
Column 2
Row 1 Cell 1 Row 1 Cell 2
Row 2 Cell 1 Row 2 Cell 2
And now we will change the cellpadding of the table and remove the cellspacing from the previous
example.
HTML Code:
<table border="1" cellpadding="10"
bgcolor="rgb(0,255,0)">
<tr>
<th>Column 1</th>
<th>Column 2</th>
</tr>
<tr><td>Row 1 Cell 1</td><td>Row 1 Cell 2</td></tr>
<tr><td>Row 2 Cell 1</td><td>Row 2 Cell 2</td></tr>
</table>
Cell Pads:
Column 1 Column 2
Row 1 Cell 1 Row 1 Cell 2
Row 2 Cell 1 Row 2 Cell 2
The value you specify for padding and spacing is interpreted by the browser as a pixel value you.
So a value of 10 is simply 10 pixels wide. Most attributes that use numeric values for their
measurements use pixels.
HTML Color - bgcolor
The bgcolor attribute is used to control the background of an HTML elmement, specifically page
and table backgrounds. Bgcolor can be placed within several of the HTML tags. However, we suggest
you only use it for your page's main background (<body>) and in tables. For additional background
styling, check out CSS Backgrounds. The HTML to change the background color is simple:
Syntax
<TAGNAME bgcolor="value">
Quick and dirty, here is how to change the background of your web page. Just use the bgcolor
attribute in the <body> tag and you are golden.
HTML Code:
<body bgcolor="Silver">
<p>We set the background...</p>
</body>
Paragraph Bgcolor:
We set the background of this paragraph to be silver. The body tag is where you
change the pages background. Now continue the lesson to learn more about adding
background colors in your HTML!
Adding Color to Your Tables
This example shows how to add a background color for an entire table using generic values of
color.
HTML Code:
<table bgcolor="lime" border="1"><tr>
<td>A lime colored table background using color names.</td>
</tr></table>
<table bgcolor="#ff0000" border="1"><tr>
<td>A red colored table background using hexadecimal values "#FF0000".</td>
</tr></table>
<table bgcolor="rgb(0, 0, 255)" border="1"><tr>
<td>A blue colored table background using RGB values "rgb(0, 0, 255)".</td>
</tr></table>
Table Bgcolors:
A lime colored table background using color names.
A red colored table background using hexadecimal values "#FF0000".
A blue colored table background using RGB values "rgb(0, 0, 255)".
Adding Color to Table Rows & Columns
Here's a few common examples of "bgcolor" and font color
HTML Code:
<table>
<tr bgcolor="#FFFF00"><td>This Row is Yellow!</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#AAAAAA"><td>This Row is Gray!</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#FFFF00"><td>This Row is Yellow!</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#AAAAAA"><td>This Row is Gray!</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#FFFF00"><td>This Row is Yellow!</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#AAAAAA"><td>This Row is Gray!</td></tr>
</table>
Alternating Colors:
This Row is Yellow!
This Row is Gray!
This Row is Yellow!
This Row is Gray!
This Row is Yellow!
This Row is Gray!
Background Color and Font Color Together!
Check out this "Scoreboard" we made with the use of font color and bgcolor!
HTML Code:
<table bgcolor="#000000">
<tr><td bgcolor="#009900">
<font color="#FFFF00" align="right">Green Bay</font></td>
<td><font color="#FFFFFF">13</font></td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#0000FF">
<font color="#DDDDDD" align="right">New England</font></td>
<td><font color="#FFFFFF">27</font></td></tr>
</table>
Scoreboard:
Green Bay 13
New England 27
HTML Code:
<table bgcolor="#777777">
<tr><td>
<p><font face="Monotype Corsiva, Verdana" size="4" color="#00FF00">
This paragraph tag has...
</font></p>
</td></tr>
</table>
Colored Paragraph:
This paragraph tag has a gray background with green
colored font. You should see Monotype Corsiva font if you have
it installed, or Verdana as the backup. Both fonts are widely
accepted as standard fonts.
HTML - Background
Images can be placed within elements of HTML. Tables, paragraphs, and bodys may all have a
background image. To accomplish this, we use the background attribute as follows.
HTML Code:
<table height="100" width="150"
background="http://www.tizag.com/pics/htmlT/background.jpg" >
<tr><td>This table has a background image</td></tr>
</table>
Background Image:
This table has a
background image
HTML - Background Repeat
In the first example we happen to be lucky because our image and our table had exactly the same
size pixel dimensions. Everything looks great. When your HTML element is larger than the dimensions
of your picture, the image simply begins to repeat itself.
HTML Code:
<table height="200" width="300"
background="http://www.tizag.com/pics/htmlT/background.jpg" >
<tr><td>This table has a background image</td></tr>
</table>
Repeating Background:
This table has a background image
It is obvious this is often not the desired outcome, however, it can also be quite useful as you will
see in the following example.
HTML - Patterned Backgrounds
Repeating a generic image as a background doesn't have much practical use. We either need to
find an image to fit exactly as our background or have an image editing program to adjust the
dimensions of our image.
From a different angle, we can use this default attribute to our benefit say if we wanted to have
some sort of pattern as our background. In an image editing program such as Adobe Photosop, or
Paint Shop Pro, we could create a very small (perhaps 4X4 pixels) and create a couple of basic
patterns.
4x4 Image:
Now here is the same image set as the background to our same table.
HTML Code:
<table height="100" width="150"
background="http://www.tizag.com/pics/htmlT/pattern.jpg" >
<tr><td>This table has a background patterned image</td></tr>
</table>
Pattern:
This table has a
background patterned
image
This technique is definitely one for the pros.
HTML - Transparent Background
Another great techinique, along the same lines as the patterned images, is that of transparent,
colored backgrounds. Most image editors have some sort of transparency device to create images that
appear see through. We're not going to cover how to do this with every single program, however, most
of the time all you need to do is fill your canvas with the color you would like and then set the opacity to
something below 100%. Then make sure you save your file as a gif not a jpeg, and all systems should
be go.
Now that you have had the crash course on creating transparent files, you place them onto your
websites the exact same way as you would a repeating background.
HTML Code:
<table background="http://www.tizag.com/pics/htmlT/transparent.gif" >
<tr><td>This table has a red transparent background image</td></tr>
</table>
Transparent:
This table has a red transparent background image
HTML Color Chart
Below is the hexadecimal representation for an array of HTML background colors. The
hexadecimal value that you see displayed in each box represents the value to get the background
color of that cell.
If you would like more information about using HTML color, check out our HTML Background Color
lesson.
#000000
#003300
#006600
#009900
#000033
#003333
#006633
#009933
#000066
#003366
#006666
#009966
#000099
#003399
#006699
#009999
#0000CC
#0033CC
#0066CC
#0099CC
#0000FF
#0033FF
#0066FF
#0099FF
#00CC00
#00FF00
#00CC33
#00FF33
#00CC66
#00FF66
#00CC99
#00FF99
#00CCCC
#00FFCC
#00CCFF
#00FFFF
#330000
#333300
#336600
#339900
#33CC00
#33FF00
#330033
#333333
#336633
#339933
#33CC33
#33FF33
#330066
#333366
#336666
#339966
#33CC66
#33FF66
#330099
#333399
#336699
#339999
#33CC99
#33FF99
#3300CC
#3333CC
#3366CC
#3399CC
#33CCCC
#33FFCC
#3300FF
#3333FF
#3366FF
#3399FF
#33CCFF
#33FFFF
#660000
#663300
#666600
#669900
#66CC00
#66FF00
#660033
#663333
#666633
#669933
#66CC33
#66FF33
#660066
#663366
#666666
#669966
#66CC66
#66FF66
#660099
#663399
#666699
#669999
#66CC99
#66FF99
#6600CC
#6633CC
#6666CC
#6699CC
#66CCCC
#66FFCC
#6600FF
#6633FF
#6666FF
#6699FF
#66CCFF
#66FFFF
#990000
#993300
#996600
#999900
#99CC00
#99FF00
#990033
#993333
#996633
#999933
#99CC33
#99FF33
#990066
#993366
#996666
#999966
#99CC66
#99FF66
#990099
#993399
#996699
#999999
#99CC99
#99FF99
#9900CC
#9933CC
#9966CC
#9999CC
#99CCCC
#99FFCC
#9900FF
#9933FF
#9966FF
#9999FF
#99CCFF
#99FFFF
#CC0000
#CC3300
#CC6600
#CC9900
#CCCC00
#CCFF00
#CC0033
#CC3333
#CC6633
#CC9933
#CCCC33
#CCFF33
#CC0066
#CC3366
#CC6666
#CC9966
#CCCC66
#CCFF66
#CC0099
#CC3399
#CC6699
#CC9999
#CCCC99
#CCFF99
#CC00CC
#CC33CC
#CC66CC
#CC99CC
#CCCCCC
#CCFFCC
#CC00FF
#CC33FF
#CC66FF
#CC99FF
#CCCCFF
#CCFFFF
#FF0000
#FF3300
#FF6600
#FF9900
#FFCC00
#FFFF00
#FF0033
#FF3333
#FF6633
#FF9933
#FFCC33
#FFFF33
#FF0066
#FF3366
#FF6666
#FF9966
#FFCC66
#FFFF66
#FF0099
#FF3399
#FF6699
#FF9999
#FFCC99
#FFFF99
#FF00CC
#FF33CC
#FF66CC
#FF99CC
#FFCCCC
#FFFFCC
#FF00FF
#FF33FF
#FF66FF
#FF99FF
#FFCCFF
#FFFFFF
HTML Frames
Frames allow for multiple ".html" documents to be displayed inside of one browser window at a
time. This means that one page has no content on it, but rather tells the browser which web pages you
would like to open. With the addition of CSS and PHP, frames have become outdated, but if you wish
to use them, read on.
Frames - A Generic Frame Page
Frames are most typically used to have a menu in one frame, and content in another frame. When
someone clicks a link on the menu that web page is then opened on the content page. Here is a
classic example of a basic "index" frameset with a menu on the left and content on the right.
HTML Code:
<html>
<head>
</head>
<frameset cols="30%,*">
<frame src="menu.html">
<frame src="content.html">
</frameset>
</html>
Frame Set:
Here's the example: Frame Index
frameset - The parent tag that defines the characteristics of this frames page. Individual
frames are defined inside it.
frameset cols="#%, *"- Cols(columns) defines the width that each frame will have. In the
above example we chose the menu (the 1st column) to be 30% of the total page and used a
"*", which means the content (the 2nd column) will use the remaining width for itself.
frame src="" -The location of the web page to load into the frame.
A good rule of thumb is to call the page which contains this frame information "index.html"
because that is typically a site's main page.
Adding a Banner or Title Frame
Add a row to the top for a title and graphics with the code as follows:
HTML Code:
<html><head></head>
<frameset rows="20%,*">
<frame src="title.html">
<frameset cols="30%,*">
<frame src="menu.html">
<frame src="content.html">
</frameset>
</html>
frameset rows="#%, *"- rows defines the height that each frame will have. In the above example
we chose the new title (the 1st row) to be 20% of the total page height and used a "*", which means
that menu and content (which are the 2nd row) will use the remaining height.
FrameBorder and FrameSpacing
You probably noticed those ugly gray lines that appear between the frames. It is possible to
remove these and manipulate the spacing between frames with frameborder and framespacing. These
attributes appear within the frameset tag.
Note: Framespacing and border are the same attribute, but some browsers only recognize one or
the other, so use both, with the same value, to be safe.
frameborder="#" - A zero value shows no "window" border.
border="#"- Modifies the border width, used by Netscape.
framespacing="#" -Modifies the border width, used by Internet Explorer.
Here's an example of the same frameset without the borders.
HTML Code:
<html><head></head>
<frameset border="0" frameborder="0" framespacing="0" rows="20%,*">
<frame src="title.html">
<frameset border="0" frameborder="0" framespacing="0" cols="30%,*">
<frame src="menu.html">
<frame src="content.html">
</frameset>
</html>
Frame Borders:
Here's a visual:Visual
Frame Name and Frame Target
How nice would it be to make each menu link load into the content page? We do this by naming
each frame and setting the correct base target inside menu.html.
HTML Code:
<html><head></head>
<frameset rows="20%,*">
<frame name="title" src="title.html">
<frameset cols="30%,*">
<frame name="menu" src="menu.html">
<name="content" src="content.html">
</frameset>
</html>
HTML Code:
<html>
<head>
<base target="content">
</head>
...
</html>
Frame Target:
Here's the Visual: Visual
We first named the content frame "content" on our frame page and then we set the base target
inside menu.html to point to that frame. Our frame page is now a perfectly functional menu & content
layout!
Noresize and Scrolling
It's possible to further customize the <frame> tag using the noresize and scrolling="" attributes.
HTML Code:
<html><head></head>
<frameset border="2" frameborder="1" framespacing="2" rows="20%,*">
<frame src="title.html" noresize scrolling="no">
<frameset border="4" frameborder="1" framespacing="4" cols="30%,*">
<frame src="menu.html" scrolling="auto" noresize>
<frame src="content.html" scrolling="yes" noresize>
</frameset>
</html>
Noresize and Scrolling:
Here's the Visual: Visual
noresize - Do not let the frames be resized by the visitor.
scrolling="(yes/no)"- Allow scrolling or not inside a frame.
We set the scrolling for our content frame to yes to ensure our visitors will be able to scroll if the
content goes off the screen. We also set the scrolling for our title banner to no, because it does not
make sense to have a scrollbar appear in the title frame.
HTML - Layout
HTML layout is very basic. Not many options exist with the body tag alone. Tables on the other
hand are the bread and butter of HTML layouts. Any element may be placed inside of a table including
tables themselves.
HTML Code:
<table id="shell" bgcolor="black" border="1" heigh="200" width="300">
<tr><td>
<table id="inner" bgcolor="white" heigh="100" width="100">
<tr><td>Tables inside tables!</td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr></table>
Tables inside tables:
Tables inside
tables!
The white table (identified as inner) exists inside of the (shell) table, the black one. A light bulb
should be going off inside of your head as you explore how this system will allow for the creation of
limitless layouts.
HTML - Standard Layout
A fairly standard layout consists of a banner near the top, navigation, and your content or display
box. These are the backbone to any great website.
HTML Code:
<table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0" border="0"
bgcolor="black" id="shell" height="250" width="400">
<tr height="50"><td colspan="2" bgcolor="white">
<table title="Banner" id="banner" border="0">
<tr><td>Place a banner here</td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
<tr height="200"><td bgcolor="white">
<table id="navigation" title="Navigation" border="0">
<tr><td>Links!</td></tr>
<tr><td>Links!</td></tr>
<tr><td>Links!</td></tr>
</table>
</td><td bgcolor="white">
<table title="Content" id="content" border="0">
<tr><td>Content goes here</td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr></table>
Basic Layout:
Place a banner here
Links!
Links!
Links!
Content goes here
This approach is basic yet organized. Often times websites become too complex for the viewer to
follow. The code becomes complex rather fast, you will need to be sure to properly assign height and
width values to your tables as well. The more specific you are about heights and widths, the less
debugging you will have to perform.
HTML Code:
<table id="shell" title="Shell" height="250" width="400"
border="0" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0">
<tr height="50"><td bgcolor="white">
<table title="banner" id="banner">
<tr><td>Banner goes here</td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
<tr height="25"><td bgcolor="white">
<table title="Navigation" id="navigation">
<tr><td>Links!</td>
<td>Links!</td>
<td>Links!</td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="white">
<table title="Content" id="content">
<tr><td>Content goes here</td></tr>
</table>
</td></tr></table>
Basic Layout 2:
Banner goes here
Links! Links! Links!
Content goes here
The code is quite a lot to look at, break it up and organize it in your own way to make things easier
for you.
HTML - 
A comment is a way for you as the web page developer to control what lines of code are to be
ignored by the web browser.
There are three main reasons you may want your code to be ignored.
Writing notes or reminders to yourself inside your actual HTML documents.
Scripting languages such as Javascript require some commenting.
Temporarily commenting out elements especially if the element has been left unfinished.
Use the last example place text inside your code and documents that the web browser will ignore.
This is a great way to place little notes to yourself or to remind yourself what pieces of code are doing
what.
HTML Code:

<img src="http://www.tizag.com/pics/tizagSugar.jpg" height="100" width="200" />
Comment to self:
As you can see comment syntax may be a little complicated, there is an opening and a closing
much like tags.

As a web developer often times you may have many works in progress, or elements that aren't
quite finished. In this case you may comment out an element until it is 100% ready for the site. Below
we have commented out an input form element since we are not quite ready to receive input from our
users.
HTML Code:

Now when we are ready to display that element, we can simply remove the comment tags and our
browser will readily display the element.
HTML Code:
<input type="text" size="12" />
Input Field:
Comment out elements and bits of code that you may want to recall and use at a later date.
Nothing is more frustrating than deleting bits of code only to turn around and recode them.
HTML - 
Scripting languages such as Javascript and VBScript must be commented out as well. You will
learn that once they are placed within the <script> tags, only then does the browser correctly execute
the scripts.
HTML Code:
<script>
<!-document.write("Hello World!")
//-->
</script>
With this example we are jumping far ahead, just be sure you understand when to use comments
and where to look for them. They are a very useful tool for any large project.
Enter Comments Here
Email Yourself
Also note that any text placed between the opening and closing textarea tags will show up inside
the text area when the browser views it.
HTML Meta Tags
Meta tags are used to supply information for search engines that will not be seen by the web
surfer unless they were to view your web site's HTML. In the past, meta tags were a primary way for
your site to be recognized by web spiders, but the internet community abused the meta tags to
artificially increase their ranking in the search engine databases. Nevertheless, you should still include
meta for those search bots that do recognize them, allow your site to be included in their search
engine.
Keywords Meta Tag
Keywords or phrases are placed in this meta tag's content attribute. You should specify the most
popular search terms you believe someone would use to reach your web site. A few years back, you
could spam this meta tag with any and every keyword possible to gain ranking on search engines.
Repeated words, or words that do not pertain to the content of the site will not benefit you or those
using a search engine. Here's an example of proper usage for a site.
HTML Code:
<head>
<meta name="keywords" content="keyword, key keywords, etc" />
</head>
name defines what type of meta tag being used. Note that the keywords are separated by
commas.
An example of the keywords meta tag for Tizag.com would be as follows.
HTML Code:
<head>
<meta name="keywords" content="HTML, XHTML, CSS, tutorials, tizag" />
</head>
Description Meta Tag
As you might have guessed, this tag will show a brief description of the web page to a search
engine. Your description should be a sentence or two about your web site. Keywords that appeared in
the keyword meta tag should appear here as well.
HTML Code:
<head>
<meta name="description" content="Tizag contains webmaster tutorials." />
</head>
Description and Keywords tags are very similar, and they should be. As mentioned above if they
do not match, you may be ignored or blocked by some search engines. Be careful.
Revised Meta Tag
The revised meta tag records when the last update was done to the site.
HTML Code:
<head>
<meta name="revised" content="Happy New Year: 1/1/2003" />
</head>
Refresh Page and Redirect
Later down the road, you may need to redirect traffic to another domain. A common reason might
be that you have just purchased a better domain name and would like to retain your old visitors, yet
still use your new domain. With the refresh meta tag you will be able to redirect visitors to the web site
of your choice.
HTML Code:
<head>
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="10; url=http://www.tizag.com" />
</head>
Above shows refreshing Tizag's home page every 10 seconds. A quick refresh may be necessary
for news, stocks, or any other time-sensitive information. The most common use for this type of meta
tag, however, is redirection. To redirect a viewer automatically, just change the URL to the new site as
shown below. This code will send your visitors to espn.com after being at your site for five seconds.
HTML Code:
<head>
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=http://www.espn.com" />
</head>
HTML Scripts
There are two very popular scripts that are commonly used in HTML to make web pages come
alive. HTML javascript and HTML vbscript are very useful scripting languages to know, if you have the
time.
With HTML scripts you can create dynamic web pages, make image rollovers for really cool menu
effects, or even validate your HTML form's data before you let the user submit. However, javascript
and vbscript are very complicated compared to HTML. It may be simpler just to download someone
elses scripting code and use it on your web page (if they have given you permission to do so, of
course!).
HTML Javascript Code
If you want to insert javascript code into your HTML you are going to use the script tag. If you
would like to know more about javascript, check out our Javascript Tutorial. Below is the correct code to
insert embedded javascript code onto your site.
HTML Code:
<script type="text/javascript">

</script>
For javascript you set the type attribute equal to "text/javascript", which is similar to the process of
specifying CSS. We also include a comment around the javascript code. This will prevent browsers that
do not support javascript or have had javascript disabled from displaying the javascript code in the web
browser.
HTML Vbscript How To
To insert vbscript code onto your website you must once again make use of the script tag. Below
is the correct code to insert vbscript code onto your site.
HTML Code:
<script type="text/vbscript">

</script>
For vbscript you set the type attribute equal to "text/vbscript", which is similar to specifying CSS. We
also include a comment around the vbscript code. This will prevent browsers that do not support
vbscript or have had vbscript disabled from displaying the vbscript code in the web browser.
HTML Music Codes
Inserting music onto a web page is relatively easy. In the past multiple tags had to be used
because browsers did not have a uniform standard for defining embedded media files. However, I am
glad to announce that this is a problem of the past and you will have a much easier time then
webmasters of the past.
HTML Embed
Music is inserted onto a web page with the use of the embed tag. There are other ways to link to
music, but embed is now considered the standard for inserting media. Below is an minimalist example
of the embed tag using the src attribute to define the media file's location.
HTML Code:
<embed src="beethoven.mid" />
<p>Above is an embedded media player. To stop the music press stop/pause.</p>
Depending on what kind of media software you or your visitor has installed, the above example
will appear slightly different. To make your embedded player display properly change the attributes
associated with display.
Embed Attributes - Related to Display
To customize the appearance of the embedded media player be sure to set the following
attributes.
width - the width of the media player.
height - the height of the media player
hidden - if this value is true then the media player will not be displayed. We recommend using
this attribute only if you know that your visitors will not want the option to stop the music that is
playing on your web page. (Values are true/false)
HTML Code:
<embed src="beethoven.mid" width="360" height="165" />
Embedded Music:
Usually, you do not want to mess with the width and height of the media player as it can cause the
media player to look rather distorted.
Embed Attributes - Related to Functionality
To customize the functionality of the embedded media player be sure to set the following
attributes.
autostart - choose if the media file will start automatically
loop - sets the media file to repeat or not
volume - set the volume of the media file. The range is 0-100.
HTML Code:
<embed src="beethoven.mid" autostart="false" loop="false"
volume="60" />
Customize Your Code:
Controls Attribute
The attribute controls sets which controls for the media player will be displayed.
autostart - choose if the media file will start automatically
loop - sets the media file to repeat or not
volume - set the volume of the media file. The range is 0-100.
HTML - Video Codes
Videos can be embedded into your html documents (web pages) two different ways. One method
is to use the <embed /> tag to display your media file. The embed tag does not require a closing tag. In
fact, it works much like the image tag. A src attribute must be defined by the correct URL (local or
global) in order for the video file to be displayed correctly. Here is a look at the embed tag with a global
URL, feel free to use this URL while you practice.
HTML Code:
<embed src="http://www.tizag.com/files/html/htmlexample.mpeg"
autostart="false" />
Mpeg Movie:
You may start and stop your movie files by either pressing the buttons at the bottom of the object
or by single clicking (stop) on the object and double clicking your mouse (continue/play).
You may also simply place the URL of your media files into the href attribute of an anchor tag,
much like the concept of "thumbnailing" images.
HTML Code:
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/pics/flash/motiontween1easy.swf">
motiontween1easy.swf</a>
Flash Media:
motiontween1easy.swf
HTML - Video Media Types
Flash movies (.swf), AVI's (.avi), and MOV's (.mov) file types are supported by the embed tag.
.swf files - are the file types created by Macromedia's Flash program.
.wmv files - are Microsoft's Window's Media Video file types.
.mov files - are Apple's Quick Time Movie format.
.mpeg files - set the standard for compression movie files created by the Moving Pictures
Expert Group.
The listings above are the most commonly used formats for the internet. ".mpeg" files and
Macromedia's .swf files are the most compact and widely used among the internet. Stick to any of the
file types above for use with your web pages.
HTML - Embed Attributes
Along with the previously discussed src attribute, there are some unique attributes available to the
<embed /> tag including: volume, autostart, hidden, and loop.
autostart - controls the media's ability to start without prompting. Values are true or false.
hidden - controls whether or not the play/stop/pause embedded object is hidden or not.
Values are true or false. (Hide your embeded media if you just want background noise).
loop - A true value means the media will continuously loop, false means no looping.
playcount - Setting a playcount means the media will repeat itself x number of times instead of
continuously as with the loop attribute above. (playcount="2" will repeat the video twice).
volume - set a numeric value for the loudness of your media. (0-100).
HTML - Google Video
Google video has recently gained popularity as a source for sharing movies on the internet. At
Google Video it is possible to search for any type of movie. Google allows you to download and display
these movies on any of your own html pages.
As you search through videos there Google has provided a text area with an embed tag inside of it.
Copy this text area to your own HTML pages to embed Google videos onto your own pages.
HTML Code:
<! -- Google Video HTML Code -- >
<embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback"
align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%
2F%2Fvp.video.google.com%2Fvideodownload%3Fversion%3D0%26
secureurl%3DvgAAAG7ggqAHSiJjpW0D3w4aYTUFW9M-NghJgbJjy8mhm
cEoPD-qcpQj2i1OD9xJ6RseUKhCxEKqxhx0jnEJlzf04o-E7gUJc5z_Ur
OEGJAZeqGJwm5u3VIm_6cNAj34Tj_GwI13lu4V8_s49xIsqh8GGFa2yKI
pP3DN-u3fZclxMdm3EKZKMqwjROPGPOcl1AMH17kgA5XA503H4WS0Gefm
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dJGakwLdDs6uXBefAsAxQMQDls%26begin%3D0%26len%3D3569%26doc
id%3D8734085858581743191&thumbnailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvi
deo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer%3Fapp%3Dvss%26contentid%
3Dbc66969d46ff8d61%26second%3D0%26itag%3Dw320%26urlcreate
d%3D1147452288%26sigh%3DhQlKmBGLA2yrYhrTGpU029bCEHA&p
layerId=8734085858581743191" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain"
quality="best" bgcolor="#ffffff" scale="noScale"
wmode="window" salign="TL" FlashVars="playerMode=embedded">
</embed>
<! -- End of Google Video HTML Code -->
It is a messy code above, but once you put it into your HTML documents you get a great video clip.
Embed Google Video:
HTML - Body
As we mentioned, the body tag serves as the element containing all the content for the website.
Tables, Lists, Forms, Paragraphs, everything must be placed within the body element to be displayed
on your site.
HTML - Body Margins
Unique Attributes
leftmargin
Sets a lefthand margin for your body element.
topmargin
Sets a margin along the top of your body element.
A unique set of margin attributes are available to the body tag. These attributes work much like
those of a word processing program, allowing you set a pixel value margin for the left, right, top, or
bottom of your website. Setting these attributes means that all the content you place within your body
tags will honor the preset margin.
HTML Code:
<body topmargin="50">
<body leftmargin="50">
Margin Examples:
Top Margin
Left Margin
HTML - Base Text
The text attribute sets the text color of all text contained within the body tags. Think of it as a
means to set the color of your text 'unless otherwise noted'. Basically you set a base color scheme and
then you may use other means to modify the text color as needed in your site.
HTML Code:
<body text="red" >
or
<body text="rgb(255,0,0)" >
HTML - Base Links
Along the same lines, we may also specify base colors for visted or unvisted links. This method
has deprecated, we recommend using Cascading Style Sheets instead.
HTML Code:
<body link="white" vlink="black" >
or
<body link="rgb(255,255,255)" vlink="rgb(0,0,0)" >
Setting a baselink is a great way to ensure your viewers will not receive that annoying error
message that occurs with broken links.
HTML - Div Element(s)
The <div> tag is nothing more than a container for other tags. Much like the body tag, Div
elements are block elements and work behind the scenes grouping other tags together. Use only the
following attributes with your div element, anything else should be reserved for CSS. (CSS Tutorial)
id
width
height
title
style
For the purpose of this example, we have included the style attribute in order to color our div tag in
order to bring a stronger visualization for our viewers.
HTML Code:
<body>
<div style="background: green">
<h5 >SEARCH LINKS</h5>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com">Google</a>
</div>
</body>
HTML Div Element:
SEARCH LINKS
Google
Above is a great visual about how a div plays the role of a container for other HTML elements,
applying a background color/image is the only real way to visualize your div tags.
HTML - Div Layouts
When HTML first began, web creators only had two choices. A table layout, or frames. The div
element provides a 3rd alternative, since a div can contain any/every other type of html element within
its beginning and ending tag.
HTML Code:
<div id="menu" align="right" >
<a href="">HOME</a> |
<a href="">CONTACT</a> |
<a href="">ABOUT</a>
</div>
<div id="content" align="left" bgcolor="white">
<h5>Content Articles</h5>
<p>This paragraph would be your content
paragraph with all of your readable material.</p>
</div>
HTML Div Layout:
HOME | CONTACT | ABOUT
Content Articles
This paragraph would be your content paragraph with all of your readable material.
Advanced web developers find div elements to be far easier to work with than tables, adding more
content or more links to our previous example might demonstrates why a div is simpler to work with.
Let's add a "LINKS" page to our menu, and another article of content below the existing content.
HTML Code:
<div id="menu" align="right" >
<a href="">HOME</a> |
<a href="">CONTACT</a> |
<a href="">ABOUT</a> |
<a href="">LINKS</a>
</div>
<div id="content" align="left" >
<h5>Content Articles</h5>
<p>This paragraph would be your content
paragraph with all of your readable material.</p>
<h5 >Content Article Number Two</h5>
<p>Here's another content article right here.</p>
</div>
HTML Div Layout II:
HOME | CONTACT | ABOUT | LINKS
Content Articles
This paragraph would be your content paragraph with all of your readable material.
Content Article Number Two
Here's another content article right here.
HTML - Bold
Creating bold text can be accomplished through the use of the <b> bold tag.
HTML Code:
<b>This text is entirely BOLD!</b>
Bold:
This text is entirely BOLD!
Place the bold tag inside other elements to highlight important words and give feeling to your text.
HTML Code:
<p><b>Don't</b> touch that!</p>
More Bold:
Don't touch that!
You may also use it to separate words from their meaning in a dictionary fashion.
HTML Code:
<p><b>Cardio:</b> Latin word meaning of the heart.</p>
Dictionary:
Cardio: Latin word meaning of the heart.
The idea here is to use the bold tag in quick formatting situations. It is not a good idea to bold
entire paragraphs or other elements simply because you want the text to be larger or fatter. Use
Cascading Style Sheets for font styles and sizes.
HTML - Italic(s)
The italics tags should be used to highlight a key word or phrase. These tags are not intended to
to stylize or shape your font face. Rather, use them to emphasize text or words.
HTML Code:
Italic <i>tag</i>!
<em>Emphasized</em> Text!
Create a <blockquote>blockquote</blockquote>!
Format your <address>addresses</address>!
HTML Italics:
Italic tag!
Emphasized Text!
Create a blockquote!
Format your addresses!
Each of the above tags is generally interpretted by the browser in a similar way. The two
commonly used tags to place italics onto a website are <em> and <i>. They are short and sweet.
HTML Code:
<b>HTML</b>
<i>Hyper Text Markup Language</i>
or
<b>HTML</b>
<em>Hyper Text Markup Language</em>
HTML Dictionary:
HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language
or
HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language
As you can see, the output is the same regardless of what tag we used to emphasize our
definitions.
HTML Bold and Italics
Both the <b> and the <i> tags can be placed within other elements to format your texts. They can
also be used together to bold and italisize words or phrases. Nothing fancy here, just be sure you open
and close the tags in the same order.
HTML Code:
<p>Phillip M. Rogerson <b><i>MD</i></b></p>
Display:
Phillip M. Rogerson MD
This is brilliant when placing text links directly inside your paragraphs as a reference to the user.
HTML Code:
<p>Include several external
links throughout your texts as references to your viewers,
we will discuss
<a href="" target="_blank" title="Tizag Links">
<b><i>HTML Links</i></b>
</a>
in a later lesson.</p>
Format Links:
Include several external links throughout your texts as references to your viewers, we
will discuss HTML Links in a later lesson.
As you can see, the code becomes quite complex as you begin to place more and more tags on
the board. Be assured that once you learn Cascading Style Sheets the code will become simpler.
HTML - Code <code>
The code tag allows you to specify some of your text as computer code. This simply changes the
font face, size, and letter spacing to give the text the feel of being computer code.
You may have noticed that nearly all of our examples thus far use the computer code tag when
displaying each HTML Code example.
HTML Code:
This text has been formatted to be computer <code>code</code>!
Computer Code:
This text has been formatted to be computer code!
Use this tag to separate any computer code you wish to display on your website. It is not always
necessary, but the tag exists if you so desire.
HTML - Code Links
Another use may be to separate links on your page and give them a unique look. This tag
provides a very quick way to accomplish this.
HTML Code:
<p>Feel free to search <a href="http://www.google.com" target="_blank">
<code>Google</code>
</a> for
anything you wish to find on the internet.</p>
Code Links:
Feel free to search Google for anything you wish to find on the internet.
HTML - <pre> Preformatting
A web browser interprets your html document as being one long line. Sure, you may have tabs
and line breaks in notepad aligning your content so it is easier to read for you the web master your
browser ignores those tabs and line breaks.
We showed you one way to get around this by using the ltbr /> tag. Tabs and spacing are quite
different, and absolutely annoying at times. One simple solution might be to use the <pre> tag,
standing for previously formatted text.
Use the <pre> tag for any special circumstances where you wish to have the text appear exactly
as it is typed. Spaces, tabs, and line breaks that exist in your actual code will be preserved with the pre
tag.
HTML Code:
<pre>
Roses are Red,
Violets are blue,
I may sound crazy,
But I love you!
</pre>
Preformatted Text:
Roses are Red,
Violets are blue,
I may sound crazy,
But I love you!
HTML - <sup> Superscript
Superscripted text can be placed onto your website using the <sup> tag. You may id these tags
for use with Cascading Style Sheets.
HTML Code:
<p>This text is <sup>superscripted!</sup></p>
Superscript:
This text is
superscripted!
HTML - Exponents
We may use the superscripting technique to express exponential expressions.
HTML Code:
2<sup>3</sup> = 8
14<sup>x</sup>
Exponents:
23 = 8
14x
HTML - Footnotes
You may have come across several texts where a referencing, superscripting directs your
attention to the bottom of the page. These footnotes can also be created with the superscript tag.
HTML Code:
<p>"It was a lover's tryst<sup>1</sup>."
<hr />
1. Secret meeting between lovers
Footnotes:
"It was a lover's tryst1."
1. Secret meeting between lovers
HTML - Subscript
Use the subscript tags to place subscripted text onto your websites.
HTML Code:
<p>This text is <sub>subscripted!</sub></p>
Subscripted:
This text is
subscripted!
HTML - Chemical Compounds
This tag allows for the creation of chemical compounds.
HTML Code:
<p>H<sub>2</sub>0 - Water
<p>O<sub>2</sub> - Oxygen
<p>CO<sub>2</sub> - Carbon Dioxide
Chemical Compounds:
H2O - Water
O2 - Oxygen
CO2 - Carbon Dioxide
HTML - Strikethrough
To place text onto your site that appears to be crossed out, we use the <del> tag.
HTML Code:
<p>This text is <del>scratched</del> out!</p>
Strikethrough:
This text is out!
HTML - Check Off Tasks
Here's an example of a web developer checking off tasks as they are performed.
HTML Code:
<ol>
<li>Clean my room</li>
<li><del>Cook Dinner</del></li>
<li><del>Wash Dishes</del></li>
</ol>
To Do List:
Clean my room
HTML - Input Tags
Input fields come in several flavors including checkboxes, text fields, radios, and form submission
buttons. The <input /> tag does not require a closing tag and is thus an "all in one" tag.
HTML - The Type Attribute
To specify one type of input tag from another we set the type attribute to one of the following
values.
"text"
"password"
"checkbox"
"radio"
"submit"
"reset"
HTML - Text Fields and Password Fields
You have seen many of these types of input forms throughout the internet.
HTML Code:
<input type="text" />
<input type="password" />
Text Fields and Passwords:
HTML - Checkboxes
Checkboxes allow the user to select multiple choices for a single question. A type of "check all
that apply" question is best answered using a checkbox.
HTML Code:
<input type="checkbox" />
<input type="checkbox" /><input type="checkbox" />
Checkboxes:
HTML - Radios
Radios are best used in "multiple choice" type quizzes and questionaires. Where the user is only
permitted to select one answer to a question.
HTML Code:
<input type="radio" />
<input type="radio" /><input type="radio" />
Radios:
HTML - Submit Buttons
Setting an input type to "submit" specifies a very unique button. When pressed, the button
activates the action of the form whatever that may be. Most often times this is some sort of server side
scripting file or a javascript function.
Since we are creatting a submission button. We need to introduce a new attribute, the value
attribute. Anyword(s) specified as the value will be displayed on our button. Often it is best to stick with
"Submit" or "Continue". Boring, yet effective.
HTML Code:
<input type="submit" value="Submit" />
<input type="submit" value="Continue Please!" />
Submit Buttons:
Submit
Continue Please!
HTML - Reset Buttons
The final type of input is the reset button. Setting the type to reset will place a button within your
form to reset each field when clicked. Users enjoy having a "start over" button such as the reset button
in case they begin filling out the wrong information in a major way.
HTML Code:
<input type="reset" value="Reset Fields" />
<input type="reset" value="Start Over" />
Reset Buttons:
Reset Fields
Start Over
HTML - User Input
Input from the user is critical to the development of your websites and applications. Without the
use of a scipting language such as PHP or Javascript, you will find HTML Input to be very limiting. Our
PHP From Example offers a step by step guide to mastering HTML/PHP forms. Feel free to copy any
code you may find useful in that example.
The following lessons take a deeper look at each individual type of input field including those not
mentioned: textareas, selection forms, and upload forms.
1.
2.
3.
HTML - Text Fields
Text fields are small rectangles that allow a user to simply input some text and submit that
information to the web server.
This information is usually then processed through a server side scripting language such as PHP,
PERL, or ASP.
HTML - Text Field Size
We can control the size of the text area by specifying the size attribute. The example below
provides 3 different sizes for your text fields. The default size is around 20 characters long.
HTML Code:
<input type="text" size="5" />
<input type="text" size="15" />
<input type="text" size="25" />
Text Fields:
Changing the size attribute changes the size of the display of the text field on our site.
HTML - Text Field Maxlength
Without specifying a maxlength attribute, the viewer is able to type as many characters as they
wish into the text field (even if you specify a size). To limit the number of characters a user can type
into your fields, always specify a maxlength, generally this should match the size of your field.
HTML Code:
<input type="text" size="5" maxlength="5" />
<input type="text" size="15" maxlength="15" />
<input type="text" size="25" maxlength="25" />
Maxlength Attribute:
HTML - Text Field Value
Using the value attribute, we could pre-populate our text fields with some information. Later on as
you develop your skills with a scripting language such as PHP, this will become more useful as you will
be able to pre-populate text fields for returning users through the use of session variables.
HTML Code:
<input type="text" size="5" maxlength="5" value="55555" />
<input type="text" size="15" maxlength="15" value="Corndog" />
<input type="text" size="25" maxlength="25" value="Tizag Tutorials!" />
Text Field Values:
55555
Corndog
Tizag Tutorials!
HTML - Password Fields
Password fields are a special type of <input /> tag. All that we need to do is change the type
attribute from text to password.
HTML Code:
<input type="password" size="5" maxlength="5" />
<input type="password" size="15" maxlength="15" />
<input type="password" size="25" maxlength="25" />
Password Fields:
The only difference between these fields and the normal text fields is that when you type into them,
the browser hides the characters being typed; replacing them with dots, stars, or boxes.
Also, beaware that these fields are not encrypted and therefore are unsafe. Encryption occurs
through the use of a scripting language.
HTML - Checkbox Forms
Checkboxes are another type of <input /> form. We set the type attribute to check and we also
must set a name and value attribute for them to be at all helpful.
HTML Code:
<p>Please select every sport that you play.</p>
Soccer: <input type="checkbox" name="sports" value="soccer" /><br />
Football: <input type="checkbox" name="sports" value="football" /><br />
Baseball: <input type="checkbox" name="sports" value="baseball" /><br />
Basketball: <input type="checkbox" name="sports" value="basketball" />
Checkboxes:
Please select every sport that you play.
Soccer:
Football:
Baseball:
Basketball:
Checkboxes are used for instances where a user may wish to select multiple options, a sort of
check all that apply question.
HTML Checkboxes Selected
It is possible to precheck the input boxes for your viewers using the checked attribute. Simply set
the checked attribute to yes or no.
HTML Code:
<p>Please select every sport that you play.</p>
Soccer: <input type="checkbox" checked="yes"
name="sports" value="soccer" />
<br />
Football: <input type="checkbox"
name="sports" value="football" />
<br />
Baseball: <input type="checkbox"
name="sports" value="baseball" />
<br />
Basketball: <input type="checkbox" checked="yes"
name="sports" value="basketball" />
Checked Checkboxes:
Please select every sport that you play.
Soccer:
Football:
Baseball:
Basketball:
HTML - Radio Forms
Radios are types of input forms that allow a user to pick an either/or type of selection. In order to
achieve this, we must properly name each radio button selection accordingly. These types of forms
must be named.
HTML Code:
Italian: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Greek: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Chinese: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Radios:
Italian:
Greek:
Chinese:
By naming these three radios "food" they are identified as being related by the browser and we
achieve this either or effect (only being able to make one selection).
We can further expand this idea and name two different sets of radios.
HTML Code:
Italian: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Greek: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Chinese: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Male: <input type="radio" name="gender" />
Female: <input type="radio" name="gender" />
Multiple Radios:
Italian:
Greek:
Chinese:
Male:
Female:
Here we have two sets of radio selections contained within the same form.
HTML - Radio Checked
By using the checked attribute, we can tell our form to automatically "check" a default radio.
HTML Code:
Italian: <input type="radio" name="food" checked="yes" />
Greek: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Chinese: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Default Italian:
Italian:
Greek:
Chinese:
HTML Code:
Italian: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Greek: <input type="radio" name="food" checked="yes" />
Chinese: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Default Greek:
Italian:
Greek:
Chinese:
HTML Code:
Italian: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Greek: <input type="radio" name="food" />
Chinese: <input type="radio" name="food" checked="yes" />
Default Chinese:
Italian:
Greek:
Chinese:
HTML - Textareas
Textareas retrieve "blog" type information from the user. Paragraphs, essays, or memos can by
cut and pasted into textareas and submitted. Textareas have an opening and a closing tag, any words
placed between them will appear inside your text area.
HTML Code:
<textarea>Text Area!</textarea>
Default Textarea:
Text Area!
HTML - Text area Cols and Rows
Adjusting the size of the appearance of the text area requires two attributes, cols and rows. Use a
numeric value for each attribute and the larger the value the larger the field will appear.
HTML Code:
<textarea cols="20" rows="10">Text Area!</textarea>
<textarea cols="40" rows="2">Text Area!</textarea>
<textarea cols="45" rows="5">Text Area!</textarea>
Bigger Text Areas:
Text Area!
Text Area!
Text Area!
A text area could take up an entire page if required.
HTML - Textarea Wrap
The wrap attribute refers to how the text reacts when it reaches the end of each row in the text
field. Wrapping can be one of three settings:
soft
hard
off
Soft forces the words to wrap once inside the text area but when the form is submitted, the words
will no longer appear as such (Line breaks will not be added).
Hard wraps the words inside the text box and places line breaks at the end of each line so that
when the form is submitted it appears exactly as it does in the text box.
Off sets a textarea to ignore all wrapping and places the text into one ongoing line.
HTML Code:
<textarea cols="20" rows="5" wrap="hard">
As you can see many times word wrapping is often the desired
look for your textareas. Since it makes everything nice and
easy to read.
</textarea>
Text Area Wrapping:
As you can see many times w o
HTML Code:
<textarea cols="20" rows="5" wrap="off">
As you can see many times word wrapping is often the desired
look for your textareas. Since it makes everything nice and
easy to read.
</textarea>
No Wrapping:
As you can see many times w o
HTML - Textarea Readonly
Settting a yes or no value for the readonly attribute determines whether or not a viewer can
manipulate the text inside the text field.
HTML Code:
<textarea cols="20" rows="5" wrap="hard" readonly="yes">
As you can see many times word wrapping is often the desired
look for your text areas. Since it makes everything nice and
easy to read.
</textarea>
Read Only Textareas:
As you can see many times w o
is often the desired look for you
nice and easy to read.
Now you may not change the text inside the text area. However, you can still highlight or Ctrl-C
and copy the texts.
HTML - Disabled
As the readonly attribute disables text manipulation, we can take things one step further by setting
the disabled attribute. This grays out the textarea altogether and inhibits any change in the text as well
as text highlighting.
HTML Code:
<textarea cols="20" rows="5" wrap="hard" disabled="yes">
As you can see many times word wrapping is often the desired
look for your text areas. Since it makes everything nice and
easy to read.
</textarea>
Disabled Textareas:
As you can see many times w o
is often the desired look for you
nice and easy to read.
HTML - Upload Forms
Use an upload form to allow users to upload pictures, movies, or even their own webpages. An
upload form is another type of input form, simply set the type attribute to file.
HTML Code:
<input type="file" />
Upload Form:
Max File Size
To limit the size of the file being uploaded and saving you precious webserver space. We make
use of a hidden input field and set a few specific attributes.
HTML Code:
<input type="hidden" name="MAX_FILE_SIZE" value="500" />
< input type="file" />
Max File Size:
The value specified is the maximum allowable KB to be uploaded via this form. A value of 100 will
allow a file up to 100kb.
HTML - Selection Forms and Drop Down Lists
Drop down lists are the basic selection forms. You have probably seen them already on the
internet, maybe filling out a personal profile and selecting the state in which you live. Drop down lists
have several options a user can select.
HTML Code:
<select>
<option>California -- CA</option>
<option>Colorado -- CO</option>
<option>Connecticut -- CN</option>
</select>
Drop Down List:
California -- CA
By default the first coded <option> will be displayed or selected as the default. We can change
this using the selected attribute.
HTML Code:
<select>
<option>California -- CA</option>
<option>Colorado -- CO</option>
<option selected="yes">Conneticut -- CN</option>
</select>
Drop Down List:
Connecticut -- CN
HTML - Selection Forms
We use the size attribute to break out from the single displayed drop down list.
HTML Code:
<select size="3">
<option>California -- CA</option>
<option>Colorado -- CO</option>
<option>Connecticut -- CN</option>
</select>
Selection Forms:
California -- CA
Colorado -- CO
Connecticut -- CN
HTML - Selecting Multiples
We can further add to our selection forms by adding the multiple attribute. This allows the user to
select more than one entry from your selection forms. Obviously this attribute does not work with the
single drop down lists.
HTML Code:
<select multiple="yes" size="3">
<option>California -- CA</option>
<option>Colorado -- CO</option>
<option>Connecticut -- CN</option>
</select>
Multiple Selections:
California -- CA
Colorado -- CO
Connecticut -- CN
Now the user may select any or all states that apply to them.
HTML - Submit Buttons
Submission buttons are a type of <input /> tag. Set the type attribute to submit. This creates a
special type of button in your forms that will perfom the form's set action. We learned about the action
attribute in our HTML Forms lesson.
HTML Code:
<input type="submit" value="Submit" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Send" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Submit Form" /><br />
Submit Buttons:
Submit
Send
Submit Form
Notice that in the above example we also changed what was written on our button using the value
attribute. This can be changed to any value you wish.
Form Submission - Action
For a submission button to accomplish anything it must be placed inside of a form tag with an
action and a method. The action is always set to a server side scripting file such as a PHP, PERL, or
ASP file. Another choice may be to set the action to mailto followed by an email address, and the form
will be emailed to the specified address.
Mailto has been depreciated, however for the purpose of this example and to get a feel for form
submission, it will work great in our example.
HTML Code:
<form method="post" action="mailto:[email protected]" >
First:<input type="text" name="First" size="12 maxlength="12" />
Last:<input type="text" name="Last" size="24" maxlength="24" />
<input type="submit" value="Send Email" />
</form>
Form Action:
First:
Last:
Send Email
Fill out the above form and as your mail program opens, you can change the email address to
your email and then send yourself the results of your form.
HTML Reset Buttons
Reset buttons exist to reset the fields of your form. These are handy for very large forms and the
user is having difficulty or simply needs to start filling in the form from scratch.
HTML Code:
<input type="reset" value="Reset" />
<input type="reset" value="Start Over" />
Reset Button:
Reset
Start Over
HTML Reset in Action
To actually make submit and reset buttons function with your other input fields. They need to be
placed within a form tag. HTML Forms has some great examples of how to use the form tag properly.
HTML Code:
<form action="myphp.php" method="post">
<input type="text" size="12" maxlength="12" />
<input type="text" size="24" maxlength="24" />
<input type="reset" value="Reset" />
</form>
Reset Forms:
Reset
Fill out some information in the field boxes and press reset to experience a reset form!
HTML - Hidden Field
Hidden fields are not displayed by the browser, there are a number of uses for them. When
dealing with forms you will usually find yourself using some sort of database mechanism: MySQL, SQL
Server, or maybe justa plain text file. In any case use hidden forms to pass along information to your
database that may have already been received from the user. In this rare case, a hidden form field
may come in handy.
A hidden HTML field is used to pass along variables w/ values from one form to another page
without forcing the user to re-enter the information. Use the type attribute to specify a hidden field.
HTML Code:
<input type="hidden" />
Hidden Fields:
There is no display of your hidden field in the box because the browser is told to hide them from
view. Our field above is incomplete and pretty much useless as it is. Adding a name and a value
attribute will change this.
HTML - Name and Value the Fields
Naming your fields can be accomplished in two different ways discussed previously. Use the id or
name attribute to specify a name for your hidden field.
HTML Code:
<input type="hidden" id="age" name="age" value="23" />
<input type="hidden" id="DOB" name="DOB" value="01/01/70" />
<input type="hidden" id="admin" name="admin" value="1" />
Above we have demonstrated 3 possible hidden fields that you may want to pass along some
form at some point, especially if you have any kind of user base where returning users must log in. The
admin field could be used to check some sort of user level entry of a returning user; 1 being
administrator and 0 being non-administrator access.
Use hidden fields when you have variables you want to pass from one form to another without
forcing the user to re-type information over and over again.