Learning how to code HTML pages helps the Web business entrepreneur in at least two ways: first, the skill can be used to create a Web site and, second, the knowledge can allow a Web site owner to supervise a Web developer. The Web Business Strategy college course started with a basic "Hello World" Web page written in the first class. You can see the development of this page—and all of the subsequent pages—by going to the Help, HTML Practice section of the Web Business Strategy course here.

 

You can rely on the best reference for HTML and related Web site coding available: W3 Schools. It is better than buying a book on coding since it is always up-to-date and it's free!

Goals

HTML Coding

Learn what source code is and create a basic Web page using a text editor.

Viewing HTML

View the page from your computer and/or upload the page to a server.

Steps

HTML Coding

• Pick any Web page and view the source code that renders the page
  • Internet Explorer: View, Source
  • Firefox: View, Page Source
  • Opera: View, Source
  • Safari: View, View Source
• View the source code of a simple Web page.
• The college course started with basic HTML (HyperText Markup Language) using tables for layout. Today we use XHTML (EXtensible HyperText Markup Language) using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for layout. This site, for example, uses CSS.
• It would be pointless to duplicate the technical content of the W3 Schools here. But we encourage you to learn to code on your own.

Viewing HTML on Your Computer

• Open Notepad or any text editor.
• "Copy" the HTML code from one of the W3 School's example pages (write the code line by line).
• Save the file as my_first_web_page.htm in a subdirectory.
• Rename your page index.htm. (All Web site home pages are named index.htm or index.html.)
• Open the file in your browser (in Internet Explorer, File, Open, Browse to the subdirectory where you saved the file, Open).

Viewing HTML on a Server

• If you have access to a server (perhaps through your Internet Service Provider), you can upload your Web page to the server using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
• There are many FTP programs available, some that are free. Search for "FTP clients."
• Open your Web page as you would any other Web page.

Accomplishment

You have created your first Web page.

Next Steps

Follow the W3 Schools HTML tutorials to build successive Web pages and then a simple Web site.

• Start with "Learn HTML"
  • Notice that the examples follow the Help, HTML Practice section of the Web Business Strategy course (here) almost exactly.
  • Don't be intimidated. The W3 Schools examples assume no prior coding experience and the tutorials can be completed as slow or as fast as you like.
• Then complete "Learn XHTML"
• Then complete "Learn CSS"

When you have progressed as far as you care to with coding, you will either be able to (a) code your Web site on your own or (b) hire a coder and be able to guide—even check—the work