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Posted on 01/04/08 12:12:40 PM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply  |
Waaaaaaaay off topic!
The reason I've not been posting at my usual rate is that I chose to spend some of 2008 learning to create web pages by writing HTML code. (See, I said it was off topic). At the risk of non-PS wrath I venture to ask if anyone knows of a group of whom I could seek occassional advice for the odd hiccup I come across. For instance, I am re-writing a dual language site for Nicole and decided to control the colour of horizontal rules via the external style sheet!! I just don't understand the CSS code nor yet the HTML code to achieve it. I have solved many a problem by staring at the code and reading about it but this time...! Why learn HTML instead of using Dreamweaver? Two dear friends suggested that I would still need to learn Dreamweaver to use it and, at the end of the day, it still churns out HTML. Anyway making my site's HTML conform to W3C standards is all part of the fun and learning. Isn't it? To save Steve's bandwidth with further "off topic" space please PM me if you have any thoughts. Out of interest my first online site is for where I live. http://www.laurelmanor.co.uk Thanks. Ted |
Posted on 01/04/08 1:52:29 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply  |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
I must be psychic. I was just about to post to see if anyone could recommend a web tutorial to build a simple web site. So I'll let you risk the wrath, and in turn ask you if you can recommend one! Chris |
Posted on 01/04/08 3:43:49 PM |
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Paul 2007 thru 2010
Lego Legend Posts: 361 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
http://www.w3schools.com/ is a great site. It covers many web related topics and has tutorials and is great just for reference. I always dip into it because I know what I want is bound to be there. A trick I learnt from our resident web designer is to forget about functionality to start with. Draw your website page in Photoshop first then slice it and then do the background work. You can get great looking sites like that as you can really let your artistic side go. You can put place holders for things like flash, so when you put it all in dreamweaver you just knock out the place holder jpg and insert your flash file of the same size and it'll fit perfectly. When I had CS2 I used Image Ready for outputting the sliced image into the HTML and associated jpgs. Not sure how it's done now in CS3. |
Posted on 01/04/08 3:45:39 PM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Wearing my wrath protection suit I will quickly tell you the book which got me off the ground very quickly was "HTML Quicksteps" by Guy Hart-Davis, published by McGraw Hill Osborne at $16.99! There are tutorials and examples by the zillion at http://www.w3schools.com and search Google for HTML tutorials by Dave Raggett. Oh and thanks for allowing me to risk the wrath. I'm sure it will do me good! Ted |
Posted on 01/04/08 3:46:52 PM |
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Meltonian
Highlight Hermit Posts: 90 Reply  |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
"Why learn HTML instead of using Dreamweaver?" I've often wondered that myself. I'm in the process of building a site at the moment using Dreamweaver and it displays fine in the five major browsers, so I don't see any reason to do it the hard way. Life's too short! Will W3 compliance get you any more visitors? As for tutorials, I always find that videos are the best way to learn. I recently learned how to use CSS instead of tables and it's been a revelation to me. After unsuccessful attempts at getting my head around it using books I ordered a training DVD from http://www.cvision.co.uk . It was quite expensive but worth every penny! |
Posted on 01/04/08 3:57:08 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Ok - this is where I'm going to show myself up. The thing that got me started on this was a tutorial on Virgin. It uses - wait for it - Text Edit. Is it possible to build a simple web site using this, or do I need dreamweaver. Chris Net Novice!! |
Posted on 01/04/08 4:18:38 PM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Chris, you are exactly where I was last December. I don't have Dreamweaver but use 'Notepad' which, I guess is the Windows version of 'Text Edit' for the Mac? 'HTML Quicksteps' uses a text editor so you will be in good company. The argument for HTML over Dreamweaver is that you have to go through the learning curve for Dreamweaver before you can move forward and at the end of the day it still only gives out HTML code so you might as well learn HTML and at least you will understand what is going on and be able to correct the DW HTML code when it doesn't work!  Further, W3C compliance guarantees all computers will read your site so, though it may not get you any more visitors you will probably get return viewers. Also, don't forget, not every computer has the latest whizzy bang up-to-date gizmo required to see the latest all singing all dancing websites! When I wrote the Laurel manor site I discovered two people who had difficulty seeing what I had done; I found they were still running Windows 95 and a screen size of 800x600!  These people still exist by their hundereds and thousands. Who wants to deliberately disenfranchise them as viewers?
Ted |
Posted on 01/04/08 4:28:39 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Ted Fantastic. Will keep you all updated with my efforts. Thanks again for everyone's help. Chris |
Posted on 01/04/08 4:35:04 PM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
T'was a pleasure. I have mentioned before that I use a vector application called Xara Extreme Pro. It is brilliant. Yesterday Xara announced version 4 which now includes HTML support. It will allow one to design a page to include a 'repel text' feature and export to HTML. Info and feature list here:- http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=31909 Just thought you'd like to know. Ted |
Posted on 01/04/08 5:36:41 PM |
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Meltonian
Highlight Hermit Posts: 90 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
I see your point Ted, and I suppose it depends on the type of visitor you are hoping to attract, but if everyone kept pandering to those who are using outdated software then we'd never make any progress. If I were using a 13 year old computer I wouldn't expect it to run the latest software, so why should Windows 95 users expect to use today's internet without problems? It's their punishment for being cheapskates! You can buy even a 2 year old computer second hand for next to nothing, so what's their excuse? |
Posted on 01/04/08 7:59:38 PM |
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dave.cox
Marquee Master Posts: 518 Reply  |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Yes you can do web pages with html, and not use Dreamwever. You could also build a house out of rock using nothing but a fork and spoon. That's pretty much the difference between using Notepad, and using Dreamweaver. When building a website Dreamweaver takes care of much of the headache of coordinating all of the files in a site, will write much of the code for you, help you to coordinate your CSS and much more. I use it on a daily basis. And by the way, w3c does not guarantee that all computer will be able to read your site. For one thing, Microsoft's internet exporer is not standards compliant. And even with the browsers that are standards compliant, there are differences. Any way, I do a lot of web developing, as well as mentoring, and I am at an expert level with Dreamweaver, HTML, CSS, and etc... I do not mind your questions. Feel free to post them here (If Steve doesn't mind) or send them to me at Dave@DavesDFR.com |
Posted on 01/04/08 9:04:39 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Thanks Dave. Please check your mail. Chris |
Posted on 01/04/08 10:14:34 PM |
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Eggbox
Ovoid Opportunist Posts: 797 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Thank you too, Dave. I will take up your offer via e-mail. Ted |
Posted on 02/04/08 08:48:52 AM |
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Paul 2007 thru 2010
Lego Legend Posts: 361 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
But you don't restrict your site to only do stuff that can work on ancient PCs. You make your site check what versions of browsers and flash player people use and you deliver suitable content. Only the people with the outdated setups see the "limited" site, but anyone with a recent setup sees the site in all its glory. |
Posted on 02/04/08 09:28:18 AM |
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Meltonian
Highlight Hermit Posts: 90 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Okay, but personally I'm not going to spend a lot of time ensuring that my site is compatible with IE4, or whatever, when people should be encouraged to use more up to date browsers. It's hard enough making it compatible with IE7! All I'm really asking is why are people still using browsers that are several years out of date? |
Posted on 02/04/08 12:38:27 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Okay, I'm geeting to grips with HTML with the W3 tutorial. The only thing I'm not sure of is how pages work. When I'm ready, I will be uploading about 10 pages to my site. Now, does each page have to be loaded as a separate Text Edit htm document, or do you create page breaks within a single Text Edit document. And if so, how? Chris |
Posted on 02/04/08 1:17:52 PM |
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David Asch
Tech Support Posts: 1913 Reply  |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
No, each page is separate. They all need linking to from the other pages. _________________ A happy-go-lucky chap, always dressed in black |
Posted on 02/04/08 1:39:43 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Thanks Dave Can you tell me how to link pages in html (using Text Edit) ? I've created the homepage - now need to link the others to it. Chris |
Posted on 02/04/08 2:25:59 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
Also - I've inserted my logo into the page. How do I centre it? It's in the top left corner and like a petulant child, refuses to go where it's told! Chris |
Posted on 02/04/08 4:51:13 PM |
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David Asch
Tech Support Posts: 1913 Reply |
Re: Waaaaaaaay off topic!
You would need to add an <a href="page.htm"> link followed by the text you want to display then closed by </a> For the logo, it depends how the rest of the page is set up. The most basic method is <center>image.jpg</center> but you could use alignment in CSS or through table elements. _________________ Leap and the net will appear |
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