HTML Beginner Tutorial - Getting Started

HTML Beginner Tutorial - Getting Started

Most of the stuff on the web is no different than the stuff on your computer - it's just a whole load of files sorted into a whole load of directories.

HTML files are nothing more than simple text files, so to start writing in HTML, you need nothing more than a simple text editor.

Notepad is a common text editor (on Windows this is usually found under the Programs > Accessories menu).

Type this in to your text editor:

This is my first web page

Now create a folder called 'html' in your C drive (or anywhere else you fancy) and save the file as "myfirstpage.html". It is important that the extension ".html" is specified - some text editors, such as Notepad, will automatically save it as ".txt" otherwise.

To look at HTML files, they don't even need to be on the web. Open a web browser such as Firefox or Internet Explorer and in the address bar, where you usually type web addresses, type in the location of the file you just saved (for example, "c:\html\myfirstpage.html") and hit return. Alternatively, go to the File menu of the browser, select Open, and browse for the file.

Pow. There it is. Your first web page. How exciting. And all it took was a few typed words.

We've said here to use a basic text-editor, such as Notepad, but you may be tempted to use a dedicated software program such as Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage.

You should be very careful when using these programs, especially if you are a beginner, because they often throw in unnecessary or non-standard code to "help" you.

If you're serious about learning HTML, you should read through a tutorial such as this first, so that you at least have a basic understanding of what is going on.

Software programs such as these will never give you the same control over a web page as coding by hand.

Original source: HTMLdog.com