In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you can learn how to use HTML and CSS to design, create, and maintain world-class web sites. Using a clear, down-to-earth approach, each lesson builds upon the previous one, allowing even complete beginners to learn the essentials from the ground up.

Full-color figures and clear step-by-step instructions help you learn quickly.

Practical, hands-on examples show you how to apply what you learn.

Quizzes and Exercises help you test your knowledge and stretch your skills.

Learn how to…

  Build your own web page and get it online in an instant

  Format text for maximum clarity and readability

  Create links to other pages and to other sites

  Add graphics, color, and visual pizazz to your web pages

  Work with transparent images and background graphics

  Design your site’s layout and typography using CSS

  Get user input with web-based forms

  Publicize your site and make it search-engine friendly

  Test a web site for compatibility with different browsers

  Make your site easy to maintain and update as it grows

Free Access to Online Learning Lab

Register your book at informit.com/register for free, exclusive access to the Online Learning Lab to supplement this book’s lessons:

  Video walkthroughs to show you how to complete the step-by-step examples in the book

  Fast and fun online quizzes to test your understanding of each lesson

  Updates or corrections as they become available

Contents

PART I: Getting Started on the Web

HOUR 1: Understanding How the Web Works

A Brief History of HTML and the

World Wide Web ..............................................1

Creating Web Content ......................................2

Understanding Web Content Delivery ................3

Selecting a Web Hosting Provider ......................6

Testing with Multiple Web Browsers ..................8

HOUR 2: Publishing Web Content

Creating the Sample File for this Hour ............13

Using FTP to Transfer Files..............................14

Understanding Where to Place

Files on the Web Server ................................18

Distributing Content without a Web Server ......22

Testing Web Content ....................................24

HOUR 3: Understanding HTML and XHTML

Connections

Getting Started with a Simple Web Page..........28

HTML Tags Every XHTML Web

Page Must Have ............................................32

Organizing a Page with Paragraphs

and Line Breaks ............................................34

Organizing Your Content with Headings ............36

Validating Your Web Content ..........................39

The Scoop on HTML, XML, XHTML,

and HTML 5 ..................................................41

HOUR 4: Understanding Cascading Style Sheets

How CSS Works ............................................48

A Basic Style Sheet........................................49

A CSS Style Primer ........................................54

Using Style Classes ......................................58

Using Style IDs ..............................................61

Internal Style Sheets and Inline Styles ............62

PART II: Building Blocks of Practical

Web Design

HOUR 5: Working with Text Blocks and Lists

Aligning Text on a Page ..................................68

The Three Types of HTML Lists ......................71

Placing Lists Within Lists................................73

HOUR 6: Working with Fonts

Boldface, Italics, and Special Text Formatting......82

Tweaking the Font ..........................................85

Working with Special Characters ....................89

HOUR 7: Using Tables to Display Information

Creating a Simple Table..................................96

Controlling Table Sizes ..................................99

Alignment and Spanning Within Tables ..........102

Page Layout with Tables................................105

HOUR 8: Using External and Internal Links

Using Web Addresses ..................................111

Linking Within a Page Using Anchors ............114

Linking Between Your Own Web Content ........117

Linking to External Web Content....................120

Linking to an Email Address ........................120

Opening a Link in a New Browser Window......122

Using CSS to Style Hyperlinks ......................123

HOUR 9: Working with Colors

Best Practices for Choosing Colors ..............131

Understanding Web Colors............................133

Using Hexadecimal Values for Colors ............135

Using CSS to Set Background,

Text, and Border Colors ................................136

HOUR 10: Creating Images for Use on the Web

Choosing Graphics Software ........................143

The Least You Need to Know About Graphics ....144

Preparing Photographic Images ....................145

Creating Banners and Buttons ......................151

Reducing the Number of Colors in an Image ....153

Working with Transparent Images ..................154

Creating Tiled Backgrounds ..........................154

Creating Animated Web Graphics ..................156

HOUR 11: Using Images in Your Web Site

Placing Images on a Web Page ....................162

Describing Images with Text..........................163

Specifying Image Height and Width................165

Aligning Images............................................165

Turning Images into Links ............................169

Using Background Images ............................172

Using Imagemaps ........................................173

HOUR 12: Using Multimedia in Your Web Site

Linking to Multimedia Files ..........................184

Embedding Multimedia Files ........................187

Additional Tips for Using Multimedia..............190

HOUR 13: Working with Frames

What Are Frames?........................................197

Building a Frameset ....................................199

Linking Between Frames and Windows ..........202

Using Inline Frames ....................................204

PART III: Advanced Web Page Design

with CSS

HOUR 14: Working with Margins, Padding,

Alignment, and Floating

Using Margins..............................................212

Padding Elements ........................................219

Keeping Everything Aligned ..........................223

Understanding the Float Property ..................224

HOUR 15: Understanding the CSS Box Model

and Positioning

The CSS Box Model ....................................231

The Whole Scoop on Positioning ..................235

Controlling the Way Things Stack Up..............239

Managing the Flow of Text ............................242

HOUR 16: Using CSS to Do More with Lists

HTML List Refresher ....................................245

How the CSS Box Model Affects Lists ..........246

Placing List Item Indicators ..........................249

Creating Image Maps with List

Items and CSS ..........................................251

HOUR 17: Using CSS to Design Navigation

How Navigation Lists Differ

from Regular Lists........................................259

Creating Vertical Navigation with CSS ............260

Creating Horizontal Navigation with CSS ........270

HOUR 18: Using Mouse Actions to Modify

Text Display

Creating a Tool Tip with CSS ........................277

Displaying Additional Rollover Text with CSS ....281

Accessing Events ........................................283

Using onclick to Change