HTML

Introduction  

A web document is comprised of three components: content, presentation, and behavior. Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, is the first component, CSS the second, and JavaScript the third. The latter two hinge on HTML, so it's important from the outset to get the content part correct.

That said, you'll learn to author pages that communicate clearly and efficiently between server and client, conform to the W3C standard, and are portable across all W3C–compliant browsers.

The concepts covered in class will include paragraphs, headings, tables, unordered, ordered, and definition lists, comments, formatting, proper document organization, proper documentation, and file exchanging.

Prerequisite

Students should be proficient with web browsers and the Internet, but not previous programming knowledge is necessary.

Topics Covered  

  • Basic formatting tags for paragraphs, boldface, italics, underlines, rules, etc
  • Tables
  • Lists (nested and non–nested)
    • Unordered
    • Ordered
    • Definition
  • Code conformance with the W3C standard for HTML 4.01
  • File transferring with ftp
  • File permissions
  • Commenting and proper documentation techniques

Assignments  

There will be two homework assignments and a final exam.

Compiling Environment

You'll write your source code in any text editor and check your code with HTML Tidy. Any Internet browser will serve as your HTML code interpreter. No other software program will be needed to produce your Web documents.

Announcements  

31 October 2011:
Class meets in room 324 of the Hunter College Campus Schools (AKA Hunter College High School), whose address is 71 East 94th St, New York, NY 10128.
14 November 2011:
NO class on Monday, 21 November. We'll resume classes on Monday, 28 November.

Time and Place  

  • Mondays
  • 6:30 PM—8:30 PM
  • Room 324
  • Hunter College Campus Schools (map)

There'll be a 15–minute break at the half way point.

Textbook  

Instead of a textbook, free online sources will be provided for study. Refer to the Assigned Readings section for more.

Suggested Readings  

Title Author Edition ISBN Book cover
HTML & XHTML Pocket Reference Jennifer Niederst Robbins Third 0596527276 [Cover of HTML & XHTML Pocket Reference]
HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide Chuck Musciano & Bill Kennedy Sixth 0596527322 [Cover of HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide]

Homework  

HW 1

  1. Visit the Software section below and install the software tools you'll need for the semester.
  2. Ensure tidy is working fine. In Mac OS X, launch the terminal, or in Windows® launch the command prompt. (For the terminal: command key + space bar, then “terminal” in the Spotlight® text box; for the command prompt: Windows® key + r, then “cmd” in the Run prompt.) Now type

    tidy –help A screenful of information should be rendered onto the screen.

HW 2

  1. Read Head Elements at Sitepoint's Web site: http://reference.sitepoint.com/html/elements-head.
  2. Read Structural Elements at Sitepoint's Web site: http://reference.sitepoint.com/html/elements-structural.
  3. Read List Elements at Sitepoint's Web site: http://reference.sitepoint.com/html/elements-list.
  4. Read about content- and physical-based styles.
  5. Answer the questions in this file.

Project  

Due on Monday, 19 December 2011

Resources  

Software  

The software tools you'll use for this course are

  • four browsers,

    Follow the Any Browser link below for further links to download various browsers.

    Any Browser
    I encourage you to visit Kelson Vibber's Alternative Browser Alliance. Links to many free alternative web browsers are listed there, and the information contained on its pages will prove very useful as you learn HTML.
  • a text editor,

    Follow the next two links for text editor options. Notepad++ is for Windows® and TextWrangler is for Mac. Both are free.

    Notepad++ for Windows®
    An alternative for Windows® users who don't like Amaya.
    HTML Kit
    This free editor has been around for at least a decade and works very well in the Windows® environment.
    TextWrangler for Mac
    An alternative for Mac™ users.
  • a syntax/language checker,
    HTML Tidy
    The Linux version of Tidy is 223kb
    The Mac version of Tidy is 250kb
    The Windows version of Tidy is 135kb
  • a command–line interface,

    If you're using a Macintosh or a variant of Linux, then you have access to the Terminal. You won't need to download any third–party software.

    If, however, you're using Windows®, follow the link below to download Cygwin, a UNIX–like environment and command–line interface for Windows®.

    Cygwin (Cygwin's Home Page)
    Cygwin's download page
  • Chris Pederick's Web Developer,

    This add–on for Firefox, the default in–class browser, is a helpful HTML and CSS debugging tool.

    Web Developer 1.19
  • a link checker,
    Link Checker
    A tool that checks for valid links on your pages.
  • and a compression/uncompression utility.

    If you're using Windows®, then follow the link below to download a free compression utility for Windows®. (Mac™ and Linux/UNIX users already have free compression utilities installed at the command line.)

    7–Zip
    A free, open source packing/unpacking program, much like WinRAR or WinZip.

Contact  

E–mail: rvanegas at hunter dot cuny dot edu

Last modified:

[valid html 4.01!][valid css 2.1!][alternatives browsers!][accessible by all!][wai – wcag 1.0!]