HTML4.01 books

[Helpful person]

I have been using Microsoft FronPage to create and edit my web site.
However, this program is now obsolete and does not create compliant
HTML4.01 code. I wish to teach myself the latest standards. I am
looking for a book that covers not just the standard but also explains
to me how to interpret the jargon as I am far from conversant with the
format requirements and structural requirements of HTML (and XHTML).
I am an engineer with many years programming experience but am
venturing into web design for the first time.

I probably need two books.

One that is fairly general outlining good programming practices
including the use of CSS and script languages. It should also suggest
which solution to use to solve a problem when more than one method
exists. (I find it very difficult to avoid using methods that will
soon become obsolete or are not the best methods.)

Another book should have a detailed description of the language,
including examples with explanations of the various parameters. I
would expect it to be rather like a set of courses which will
gradually introduce new concepts.

My goal is to be to be able to rewrite my web site using HTML. Any
suggestions?

By the way, I understand HTML4.01 and XHTML are almost the same. Does
it matter which I study?

www.richardfisher.com

[Adrienne Boswell]

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed Helpful person <rr****@yahoo.com>
writing in news:11**********************@o5g2000hsb.googlegro ups.com:

I have been using Microsoft FronPage to create and edit my web site.
However, this program is now obsolete and does not create compliant
HTML4.01 code.

Very true. I believe that it has been replaced with something called
Expressions - I didn't like it, and removing it from my system screwed up
a whole bunch of other programs. Grrrrr!

I wish to teach myself the latest standards. I am
looking for a book that covers not just the standard but also explains
to me how to interpret the jargon as I am far from conversant with the
format requirements and structural requirements of HTML (and XHTML).

I don't think you need a book. Just look at the specs -
http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/

I am an engineer with many years programming experience but am
venturing into web design for the first time.

Congradulations and welcome.

>
I probably need two books.

I still have a book I bought a very long time ago for $60.00, when that
was a lot of money. The book is in excellent condition, and now it is
probably worth more as a antique than a reference book.

>
One that is fairly general outlining good programming practices
including the use of CSS and script languages. It should also suggest
which solution to use to solve a problem when more than one method
exists. (I find it very difficult to avoid using methods that will
soon become obsolete or are not the best methods.)

Another book should have a detailed description of the language,
including examples with explanations of the various parameters. I
would expect it to be rather like a set of courses which will
gradually introduce new concepts.

Your best bet is still the specs, Google and Usenet. Another way to
learn pretty quickly is to run a page done by FrontPage through the
validator. The validator will cough up the errors, giving detailed
explanations of each, and you can learn as you correct.

My goal is to be to be able to rewrite my web site using HTML. Any
suggestions?

Get a good plain text editor, and a good plain text CSS editor. I like
HTML-Kit and TopStyle.

>
By the way, I understand HTML4.01 and XHTML are almost the same. Does
it matter which I study?

I would stick to HTML as there are issues with XHTML (just browse through
this group or alt.html for reasons why to avoid XHTML.

>
www.richardfisher.com

Markup errors: http://tinyurl.com/23ur9l
CSS errors: http://tinyurl.com/2zqcnb

--
Adrienne Boswell at Home
Arbpen Web Site Design Services
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info
Please respond to the group so others can share

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Helpful person wrote:

I have been using Microsoft FronPage to create and edit my web site.

My condolences.

www.richardfisher.com

In addition to Adrienne's comments, stuff like the following is so bad
as to be laughable!

<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>

You apparently are using this for .. indentation? The purpose of
<blockquote(used once) is to display a *quote*. See:
http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/text.html#h-9.2.2.1

"The usage of BLOCKQUOTE to indent text is deprecated in favor of style
sheets."

Have you looked at it in Firefox?
http://k75s.home.att.net/show/richardfisher.jpg

--
-bts
-Motorcycles defy gravity; cars just suck

[Helpful person]

On May 12, 10:28 am, "Beauregard T. Shagnasty"
<[e-mail]:

Helpful person wrote:

I have been using Microsoft FronPage to create and edit my web site.

My condolences.

www.richardfisher.com

In addition to Adrienne's comments, stuff like the following is so bad
as to be laughable!

<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>

You apparently are using this for .. indentation? The purpose of
<blockquote(used once) is to display a *quote*. See:http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/text.html#h-9.2.2.1

"The usage of BLOCKQUOTE to indent text is deprecated in favor of style
sheets."

Have you looked at it in Firefox?http://k75s.home.att.net/show/richardfisher.jpg

--
-bts
-Motorcycles defy gravity; cars just suck

The blockquote is input automatically by FrontPage, not by me. This
is one of the reasons I wish to learn HTML.

www.richardfisher.com

[Helpful person]

On May 12, 9:58 am, Adrienne Boswell <[e-mail]:

I don't think you need a book. Just look at the specs - http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/

I have been looking at the specs and that is why I decided I need a
book. It is not efficacious to learn a language by reading the
specs. For instance, non of the jargon is explained.

>
Your best bet is still the specs, Google and Usenet. Another way to
learn pretty quickly is to run a page done by FrontPage through the
validator. The validator will cough up the errors, giving detailed
explanations of each, and you can learn as you correct.

The validator is of limited help if one has trouble understanding it's
comments.

I would stick to HTML as there are issues with XHTML (just browse through
this group or alt.html for reasons why to avoid XHTML.

Thanks for the input. It is much appreciated

[Jonathan N. Little]

Helpful person wrote:

The blockquote is input automatically by FrontPage, not by me. This
is one of the reasons I wish to learn HTML.

And hence why it is so scorned here.

I would recommend the tutorials at htmldog.com. It will get you started
in the right direction since so many online and printed sources can be
so obsolete or just plain wrong.
--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

[Adrienne Boswell]

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed Helpful person <rr****@yahoo.com>
writing in news:11*********************@e65g2000hsc.googlegro ups.com:

On May 12, 9:58 am, Adrienne Boswell <[e-mail]:

>I don't think you need a book. Just look at the specs -
http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/

I have been looking at the specs and that is why I decided I need a
book. It is not efficacious to learn a language by reading the
specs. For instance, non of the jargon is explained.

I know what you mean, and when I first started, I looked at
http://blooberry.com/indexdot/html . It's actually a good way to learn
the specs, and also gives browser peculiarities as well. There is also a
CSS reference. You can always use that until the specs become clear to
you (and they will).

>

>>
Your best bet is still the specs, Google and Usenet. Another way to
learn pretty quickly is to run a page done by FrontPage through the
validator. The validator will cough up the errors, giving detailed
explanations of each, and you can learn as you correct.

The validator is of limited help if one has trouble understanding it's
comments.

It's always a good idea to use the extended interface and check view
source. Then you click on the offending line and see what it is. For
example (paraphrased):
Line 100 - There is no attribute height
<td height="100"- there is no height attribute for the td element. Use
CSS instead.
Line 101 - Element p not allowed here.
<span><p>something</p></span- Span is an inline element and cannot take
a block element.
Line 102 - </divexpected
something</p></body>
Line 99 - <divfirst occurred here
99 <div>
100 <p>this is something
101 this is something
102 </p></body>
This means that the div element on line 99 was never closed.

>

>I would stick to HTML as there are issues with XHTML (just browse
through this group or alt.html for reasons why to avoid XHTML.

Thanks for the input. It is much appreciated

You are welcome, and good luck!

--
Adrienne Boswell at Home
Arbpen Web Site Design Services
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info
Please respond to the group so others can share

[Andy Dingley]

On 12 May, 13:30, Helpful person <[e-mail]:

One that is fairly general outlining good programming practices
including the use of CSS and script languages.

"Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML", O'Reilly
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/059610197X/>

The whole Head First series is very good.

Another book should have a detailed description of the language,

The W3C web site.

[Helpful person]

On May 14, 4:45 am, Andy Dingley <[e-mail]:

On 12 May, 13:30, Helpful person <[e-mail]:

One that is fairly general outlining good programming practices
including the use of CSS and script languages.

"Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML", O'Reilly
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/059610197X/>

Thanks a lot. I had a quick look at the description and index. It
looks like just what I need. It also gets raves on Amazon reviews.

www.richardfisher.com

[Helpful person]

On May 14, 4:45 am, Andy Dingley <[e-mail]:

On 12 May, 13:30, Helpful person <[e-mail]:

One that is fairly general outlining good programming practices
including the use of CSS and script languages.

"Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML", O'Reilly
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/059610197X/>

I just bought the book you suggested. Despite it being a bit verbose
(sometimes necessary) I am very pleased with it. It's a perfect
starter book. Thanks.
www.richardfisher.com