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1 Basic HTML

The document provides an overview of the World Wide Web (WWW) and its fundamental components, including the client-server model and the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). It discusses the evolution from HTML to XHTML, highlighting the importance of logical markup and the structure of XHTML documents. Additionally, it outlines the standards for HTML and XHTML that are preferred for web development.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
4 views

1 Basic HTML

The document provides an overview of the World Wide Web (WWW) and its fundamental components, including the client-server model and the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). It discusses the evolution from HTML to XHTML, highlighting the importance of logical markup and the structure of XHTML documents. Additionally, it outlines the standards for HTML and XHTML that are preferred for web development.

Uploaded by

Zwinner
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WWW/HTML Basics

CS 4173

1
What is the WWW?
A distributed document delivery
system
Uses a client-server model
Main presentation language is
HTML

2
Client-Server Model
Two processes (possibly networked):
 The client
 Sends requests to the server
 Blocks until reply is received
 The server
 Processes requests from clients
 Never blocks
 Can reply to several clients
simultaneously

3
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language
Intended to be maximally portable
 Logical markup
 Graceful degradation of presentation

An ideal promoted by early WWW


 Used to be more honoured in the
breach
 Is it getting better now?
4
Markup Languages
Markup:
 Embedded codes in documents
 Codes are called `tags’
 Codes
 Describe the structure documents
 Include instructions for processing

Markup language:
 Computer language for describing syntax of tags
 May be used with other tools to specify
rendering

5
Logical Markup
Logical markup:
 Describes parts of document
 Does not specify how to render

Example:
 This is <strong>very</strong> important
 This is very important

6
Logical Markup
Presentation is client’s `decision’
When client cannot present then
there is graceful degradation
 <img alt=“image description”
 src=“foo.gif”>
 Object example from Cougar

7
Some history
Gopher & the Internet Superhighway

SGML
 GML + Charles Goldfarb = SGML
 eXtensible Markup Language

HTML

XML and XHTML

8
Why HTML became XHTML
HTML was originally a SGML application
 Tags described the syntax
 A DTD could check the syntax
 Informal mapping from syntax to rendering
Multiple incompatible versions arose
 IETF moves at ’net speed not web $peed
 Tag abuse was rampant in the ’net
 They were a plague unto the users

9
Why HTML became XHTML
(2)

If you think IMG is bad …

Big vendors (M$ and N$ mostly)


agreed
 To start over
 To use eXtensible Markup Language
 A re-write of SGML emphasizing simplicity
 Carefully planned by CS savvy folks
 Includes hooks for future development

10
XHTML Basics
Very few real changes from HTML
But more strict

All tags are in lowercase


All tags must be closed
 Empty tags
 Paired tags

11
XHTML Basics
3 Parts to an XHTML or HTML
document
 DOCTYPE
 What DTD are you using
 Head
 Meta information
 Only <title> is required
 Body
 Text to render

12
XHTML Document
Structure

13
XHTML Basics
Tags
 Elements
 Attributes
Entities
 <,>,&,‘ ’
 Ö,ð,÷,©, etc.
 See example at CS4173 website
Comments

14
XHTML Tags vs. Elements
Tag is markup to represent an
element

Logical vs. Presentation Elements


 TT  CODE, KBD, PRE?
 B/IT/U  EM/STRONG
Lists
 UL/OL
 DL
15
XHTML Tags vs. Elements
Block-level and in-line elements
 TABLE, P, BLOCKQUOTE, DIV,
DIV etc.
 CODE, Q, H1, SPAN,
SPAN etc.
Grouping Elements
 DIV
 SPAN
One-part elements
 BR, etc.

16
XHTML Tags vs. Elements
Browser-specific tags
MARQUEE, BLINK, etc.

What happens when a browser


doesn't recognize a tag?

17
XHTML Basics
Tags may be nested but
Tags may not overlap

18
Overlap versus Nesting

19
Links — Why The WWW Is
HT
‘A’ element
 HREF  TITLE
 NAME  ID
 CLASS  STYLE
 REL  Anchor Text
 TYPE  TABINDEX
URIs and
URLs
RFCs
20
Where are the tools?
HTML Tidy
 /opt/bin/tidy on borg

The validator
 http://validator.w3.org/
 http://www.cs.dal.ca/validator?
 http://www.cs.dal.ca/validate?
 http://www.cs.dal.ca:81?

21
XHTML/HTML Examples
XHTML element sampler
XHTML sample template
Both in the examples section of the
website

22
For More About HTML
RFC 1866 (HTML 2.0) (at faqs.org)
Explains some of the philosophy behind HTML

HTML 4.01 (at W3C)


Last version of HTML

XHTML 1.1 (at W3C)


Modularized XHTML

So many choices!…

23
Which Standard to Follow?
Minimal standard for this course is
HTML 4.01 Transitional
Preferred standard is XHTML 1.0 or
1.1

See Picking a Rendering Mode


 By Eric Meyer
 In the Readings part of the Resources
24
Here endeth the lesson

25

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