HTML Tutorial 06
Ok, so now you know the basics of HTML, where do we go from here? Well, the first thing to do is to find more resources on HTML and web creation. The best place on the web to find professional advice on creating web pages is WebMonkey. Although web monkey offers a lot of material for advanced web design, you will also find a lot of stuff for beginners there. There are lots of HTML books out there, but I've really only found two that I would rank as 'Must Have' for budding HTML programmers. The first is the best learning book I've ever come across. It is Sam's 'Teach Yourself HTML' and the full Amazon details follow:
Sams Teach Yourself Html 4 in 24 Hours
by Dick Oliver
Publisher: Sams; ISBN: 0672317249; 4th edition (September 1999)
Retail: $19.99
The second book is the best HTML reference I've ever found (and continue to use very extensively for Cold Fusion and PHP development. At a price of only $10, its hard to beat for the value:
HTML Prorammer's Reference
by Thomas A. Powell, Dan Whitworth
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing; ISBN: 0078825598; (May 26, 1998)
Retail: $16.99 (I've found it for $9.99 though)
It is a small black book that lists all the tags supported in HTML 4.0, their browser compliance, attributes and properties. It is a really invaluable reference when you are trying to find something obscure.
At this point you have probably gotten good enough to begin your own web site. The best place to begin is to set up an account at one of the many free website hosts like Geocities (you've already got an account if you have a Yahoo mailing address) or Tripod. All you have to do is log in and create an account and begin uploading your images and files to the web.
The reason you are going to want to get an account is so that you can begin to play more with HTML and explore the possibilites. Soon you will be able to create complex code and use many nifty tricks like invisible pixel gifs in tables to space them properly. All you really need to know to get started though are the basics. The Sam's book should point you in the right direction though. Check out Dave Central to find some free HTML editing programs or graphics tools so you can make graphics more complex than MS Paint can produce. Enjoy and drop me a line if you need any help.