Web pages, like the one you are currently reading, are plain text documents that have had some specials coding (known as 'tags') added.
Your browser program removes these tags so that is why you cannot see them on this page.
Web pages can be produced using a simple text editor program, such as Microsoft (MS) Notepad or MS DOS Edit. Word processing programs such as MS Word or Corel Word Perfect can also be used, provided the text is saved as an ASCII text file (more about this later).
There are also a number of programs and add-ons that will make the job easier but, using a simple text editor program that you probably already have, is more than satisfactory for a basic page.
The tags are written to conform to a standard known as Hyper Text Markup Language, or HTML for short. This page gives you all the tags you need to get started.
This is a very simple HTML document (with the codes showing)
<TITLE>Introduction to Producing Your Own Web Page</TITLE>
<H2>Producing Your Own Web Page</H2>
<P>
<H4>An introduction especially designed for those using the Callig Web
Page</H4>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
This is an example of a basic web&ensppage.<BR>
It contains
every thing you
need to get up and running.
</BODY>
</HTML>
You will see that the HTML document has a number of tags and that 'generally' these are not shown on your monitor because they are stripped out by your browser program (eg Netscape, Explorer, Mosaic etc.) This is just the same way as a word processing program does not show all the codes used to format the text of any document you type. I say 'generally' because I had to cheat a bit to let your browser show the tags here, but more about that later if you are interested. If you really want to know, your browser probably has a 'view source code' feature, so you can see all the tags in this document.
Lets look at the tags of the basic document shown above.
The whole document is contained within a pair of tags like this
<HTML></HTML>
In most cases tags are in pairs, where the first tag indicates the start point and the same tag , with a / added, indicates the end point. These tags tells your browser program where the HTML stops and starts. This is a bit like using a plain manilla folder to keep your papers together, it keeps it all neat and tidy.
Each HTML document has two parts, a HEAD, <HEAD></HEAD> and a BODY, <BODY></BODY>, in the HEAD section is a TITLE, <TITLE></TITLE>
Note that the text between the two TITLE tags is not displayed on the web page but is shown at the top of your browser page. The TITLE section is used for you to keep track of what is in the document. If you produce a lot a documents it is often difficult to tell one from another without reading down the page, HLML tags make this more difficult. The title is a bit like putting a lable on a manilla folder, its easier to keep track of the files on your desk if they are labled.
The HEAD section has a number of uses and functions but these don't need to concern you when producing a simple page like this one.
Most of your document will be contained in the BODY section, though there are only a couple of lines in this example.
You will see that the Heading to the page
is contained within these tags <H2></H2> these tags are called Heading Tags (surprise, surprise), the number indicates the level of the heading as follows
It should be noted that the ACTUAL size and style that appears on the screen for each HEADING is set by the browser program being used by the person viewing the screen. By convention the largest is H1 and the smallest is H6. H6 is usually italicized and used for footnotes etc. its not really a heading in the true sense but used the same tags structure.
The remaining tags used in the basic document are these one
<P>, <B> & <HR>
<P> signifies a start of a new paragraph and leaves a blank line, it need not used in pairs.
The other tag used, <B> indicates a line break and starts a new line without leaving a blank line.
Using the basic tags shown in the document above you will be able to produce your own HTML document to display on the Callig World Wide Web site.
When saving your document it must be saved with an .htm or an .html extension like this
mypage.htm or mypage.html
the latter is preferred IF your system allows a longer extension (MS DOS and MS Windows 3.1 only allow 3 digits).
1 You may use text formatting (eg carriage returns, blank lines etc) in your text editor or word processing program to make your HTML document clearer to read on your screen during the editing/ preparation stage, but this formatting will be ignored by your browser program. You have to format your HTML document using the tags.
2 You have to save your HTML document as an ASCII text file. As far as I am aware all word processing programs allow that option and simple text editors do so by default. When saving look for the 'save as' option then choose 'save as ASCII' or similar wording. ASCII text files just contain letters, numbers and normal typographic symbols, all formatting must be done using the tags.
3 It does not matter what computer system you are using HTML documents can be produced on any system. I am using Windows 3.1, you can read this document on a Mac, Windows 95, UNIX or whatever. That's the joy of HTML and the Internet.
4 As far as I am aware all browser programs allow you to load & to view your document from your own computer. Try 'Open Local File' or some similar function and point your browser in the direction of where you have stored it ( you did save it as .htm or .html didn't you). If you are having trouble using your browser 'offline' ie not connected to the Internet, try firing up your Winsock application (eg Trumpet Winsock) but without logging in (to your Internet provider) or with the 'auto login' disabled.
4 This page should get you going with a 'plain and simple' web document.
Next, Color and links to other pages. Continue in text mode or graphics.
If you have
comments, need help or whatever, feel free to e-mail me.
Mike
Whittington mwhittin@freenet.npiec.on.ca