Different Worlds | An Introduction to HTML

Home Pictures of the Past Leslie Smith family HTML Copyright Bookshop Guestbook

Introduction

These pages offer a simple introduction to HTML, the language used to create web pages.

You don't actually need to know anything about HTML to create a web page; you can use one of the many web page creation software packages available. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Many of these packages are available on trial, so that you can try them out first, and decide which one suits you best before you buy.

However, it can be very useful to know what's going on "behind the scenes", and an understanding of HTML and how it works is useful when it comes to working out why your web page isn't doing what you expected it to do! Eventually, you might decide that you prefer to work directly in HTML. There are several software packages that will let you work that way; these pages were created using Arachnophilia, my own personal favourite. It's a careware program, which means that you pay for the use of the software not with money, but by caring. For more information about Arachnophilia and the careware concept, visit the Arachnophilia website at http://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia/.

Work through these pages in sequence, and when you've finished, you should have a basic understanding of HTML and how it works, and should be feeling quite confident about creating simple web pages, and understanding what you see when you look at the source code of a web page. If you are interested in learning more, there are a lot of good tutorials available on the internet. You'll find some good resources and links to more by following any of the webrings below. There are also a lot of good books available on HTML and web design - I've picked out a few for you in the bookshop.