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Writing HTML the Right Way (Not the Left)

For proper HTML you should remember to start every document with the <html>, and end your document with the </html> tag. Make sure that you end your filename with a .htm or .html extension. This will tell people and servers that the document is HTML.

Use <HEAD> and <BODY> tags to idntify the "parts" of your document.

While it is not necessary, it is a good idea to be consistent in how you write your HTML. For example, if you start out typing your tags in all caps, always do. If you prefer to use lower case type, that's fine, just pick the style that is most comfortable/easy for you and stick with it. You will find that when it comes to de-bugging your documents it's easier to recognize your code when you are consistent in style.

By the same token it is a good idea to remain consistent in how you name and organize your files. While at first it may seem like a good idea to put everything in a separate directory, you will soon find that it is a pain to type out long URL's. Simplicity is the key. A directory tree that goes something like this might be useful:

Project name
/------------/-------------/
images ----- text ----- movies

Likewise pick a comfortable and simple format for naming files. Some common styles are as follows:

There is nothing that makes one of these styles better than another, just be aware that mixing them can cause a lot of confusion while typing.

Put contact and modification date information at the bottom off your page. This gives users a way to get in touch with you to make comments. It also tells everyone how current the information is. Use the <A HREF="mailto:> tag to make it easy for people to send you email.
<A HREF="mailto:emailinfo@host">NAME</a:>
This allows you to "click" on the email address and send mail right from the current document.

HTML Reference and Creation Information

These links will take you to lists of on-line helper applications and documents. It is by no means exhaustive, but may help you get started.

HTML Editors

HTML Help

Introduction



NCSA
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

[email protected]

Last modified: June 19, 1997