Preface
Learning Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Extensible Hypertext
Markup Language (XHTML) is like learning any new language, computer
or human. Most students first immerse themselves in examples.
Studying others is a natural way to learn, making learning easy and
fun. Our advice to anyone wanting to learn HTML and XHTML is to get
out there on the Web with a suitable browser and see for yourself
what looks good, what's effective, and what works
for you. Examine others' documents and ponder the
possibilities. Mimicry is how many of the current webmasters have
learned the language.
Imitation can take you only so far, though. Examples can be both good
and bad. Learning by example helps you talk the talk, but not walk
the walk. To become truly conversant, you must learn how to use the
language appropriately in many different situations. You could learn
all that by example, if you live long enough.
Remember, too, that computer-based languages are more explicit than
human languages. You have to get the language syntax correct or it
won't work. Then there is the problem of
"standards." Committees of
academics and industry experts define the proper syntax and usage of
a computer language like HTML. The problem is that browser
manufacturers like Netscape Communications Corporation (an America
Online company) and Microsoft Corporation choose which parts of the
standard they will use and which parts they will ignore. They even
make up their own parts, which may eventually become standards.
Standards change, too. HTML is undergoing a conversion into XHTML,
making it an application of the Extensible Markup Language (XML).
HTML and XHTML are so similar that we often refer to them as a single
language, but there are key differences, which we discuss later in
this Preface.
To be safe, the way to become fluent in HTML and XHTML is through a
comprehensive, up-to-date language reference that covers the language
syntax, semantics, and variations in detail to help you distinguish
between good and bad usage.
There's one more step leading to fluency in a
language. To become a true master of the language, you need to
develop your own style. That means knowing not only what is
appropriate, but what is effective. Layout matters. A lot. So does
the order of presentation within a document, between documents, and
between document collections.
Our goal in writing this book is to help you become fluent in HTML
and XHTML, fully versed in their syntax, semantics, and elements of
style. We take the natural learning approach, using examples (good
ones, of course). We cover in detail every element of the currently
accepted standard versions of the languages (HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.0)
as well as all of the current extensions supported by the popular
browsers, explaining how each element works and how it interacts with
all of the other elements.
And, with all due respect to Strunk and White, throughout the book we
give you suggestions for style and composition to help you decide how
best to use HTML and XHTML to accomplish a variety of tasks, from
simple online documentation to complex marketing and sales
presentations. We show you what works and what
doesn't, what makes sense to those who view your
pages, and what might be confusing.
In short, this book is a complete guide to creating documents using
HTML and XHTML, starting with basic syntax and semantics, and
finishing with broad style guidelines to help you create beautiful,
informative, accessible documents that you'll be
proud to deliver to your readers.
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