ptg16476052Introduction
Over the past decade, the Web has become completely integrated into the fabric of
society. Most businesses have websites, and it’s unusual to see a commercial on televi-
sion that doesn’t display a URL. The simple fact that most people know what a URL is
speaks volumes. People who didn’t know what the Internet was several years ago are
now reconnecting with their high school friends on Facebook.
Perhaps the greatest thing about the Web is that you don’t have to be a big company to
publish things on it. The only things you need to create your own website are a computer
with access to the Internet and the willingness to learn. Obviously, the reason you’re
reading this is that you have an interest in web publishing. Perhaps you need to learn
about it for work, or you’re looking for a new means of self-expression, or you want to
post baby pictures on the Web so that your relatives all over the country can stay up-to-
date. The question is, how do you get started?
There’s more than enough information on the Web about how to publish websites like
a seasoned professional. There are tutorials, reference sites, tons of examples, and free
tools to make it easier to publish on the Web. However, the advantage of reading this
book instead is that all the information you need to build websites is organized in one
place and presented in an orderly fashion. It has everything you need to master HTML,
publish sites to a server on the Web, create graphics for use on the Web, and keep your
sites running smoothly.
But wait, there’s more. Other books on how to create web pages just teach you the basic
technical details, such as how to produce a boldface word. In this book, you’ll also learn
why you should be producing a particular effect and when you should use it. In addi-
tion, this book provides hints, suggestions, and examples of how to structure your overall
website, not just the words on each page. This book won’t just teach you how to create
a website—it’ll teach you how to create a great website and how to get people to come
visit it.
In this book, examples are written in valid HTML5 and CSS3 using tags that work in all
current browsers wherever possible. Exceptions and caveats are noted whenever I use
tags that are obsolete or not included in HTML5.