HTML ... The tools that you will need

To create "basic" HTML web pages, you will need a barebones text editor. The editor of choice for this course is your "notepad.exe" program on Windows 95, 98 and Windows NT.

You will also need a browser to check you work as you go, we suggest using Netscape Communicator 4.5 or 4.x series and the minimum would be Netscape 3.0. Certain functionality limitations of earlier Netscape browsers (2.0) do not allow you to enjoy the full features available in HTML design.

We also recommend that you arrange to get "connected" to the Internet at home so that you can view your pages "live" at the end of this course or attempt to "upload" pages during. (You will require an FTP - File Transfer Protocol Program to accomplish this uploading. More on this later...)

There are differing views on how "best" to build your web pages. Some designers prefer to type in all the text first and then add the "tags" and "hyperlinks" afterward. This can be useful if you plan to "spell check" your pages before formatting and uploading. It is the opinion of this instructor that coding your pages with tags as you go is far more effective as a training tool. When your pages are completed, simply have a friend or fellow classmate check the pages on the screen for accuracy in spelling and formatting. (Just like the real world of the Internet anyway!!!)

You will get the chance later on in this course to look at various "automated" HTML programs like "Hotdog" and "MicroSoft Frontpage", two of the most popular "helper" programs available. We are confident that by teaching you the basics first, without all the "bells and whistles", that you will be able to use the automated functionality of these programs much better should you choose to do so. (Instructor Note: This instructor has been writing HTML pages for over 5 years and always writes them with raw code, seldom using automated programs for any purpose.)

You will be wanting to add graphics to your web pages very quickly into this course. We are including a variety of "sample" images for you to use in your studies. Should you wish to create your own custom graphics like photos, or logos, etc. there are a variety of programs that you will want to obtain and start working with. The most useful of all of these will be Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. More later.

As the course progresses, you may want to add "animated" graphics to your pages and sound files, etc. We will be introducing you to http://www.download.com, the very best website to get all of these "freeware", "shareware" and regular programs.