T> Thread  543 Frame  437 ThreadGroup  547 Graphics  438 Throwable  549 GridBagConstraints  443 Toolkit  469 GridBagLayout  445 URL  558 GridLayout  449 URLConnection  561 Hashtable  569 URLEncoder  563 Image  450 URLStreamHandler  564 ImageConsumer*  484 URLStreamHandlerFactory*  564 ImageFilter  478 Vector  576 ImageObserver*  486 Window  471

Chapter 2 -- HTML Quick Tables

Chapter 2

HTML Quick Tables

CONTENTS

Research has shown that people use reference materials in two basic ways. People who already have basic knowledge of concepts can recognize keywords in a book's index and find what they need. People who don't necessarily know what to look for in an index often rely on a table of contents to find information on a more topical footing.

To support these two different mindsets, we've produced two quick tables that speed you to several other tables that contain specific page numbers for the information you seek. These tables act as intelligent agents that lead you to the information you seek. Less guesswork, hassle, and time wasted!

How to Use Quick Tables

The "Building Pages Task-By-Task" table leads you to the most popular HTML tags used when authoring popular Web page elements.

The "Top Commands in Each Category" table directs you to other tables where the most popular tags and attributes are listed by the most popular categories.

Many people discover that hotlinking between tables (and the elements that they point to) can help find a tag or attribute in a minimum of time!

Building Pages Task-by-Task

To find out new ways to work with various HTML tags and their attributes, refer to the jump table on this page. Find a category of interest to you and then jump to a corresponding table that can help you complete your understanding of these basic concepts. Then use your new-found knowledge to build your Web pages.

Building Pages Task-by-Task
To Find Out How To…Go to Page…
Format Your Text 112-122, 42-43, 33-37
Lay Out Your Text 132-133
Display a Graphic Image 83-85, 94-95
Present a Background 30
Create a Hot Spot Image 97
Size Images for Best Performance 83-85, 94-95
Build a Marquee 98-99
Create an Image Map 97-98

Format Your Text

The tags listed on this page are among the most commonly used tags for formatting the appearance of text on a Web page. Managing the choice, color, and emphasis of fonts is a key factor in making your pages easier to read, and correspondingly, more memorable to the reader.

TagsGo to Page…
<B> 24-26
<CODE> 43-44
<DFN> 49
<EM> 55
<FONT> 58
<I> 81-82
<KBD> 90-91
<STRONG> 124-125
<TITLE> 136

Lay Out Your Text

The HTML tags in this table represent the HTML tags most commonly used for organizing text on an HTML page. A good HTML author thinks about the way text is placed on her pages. Use these tags to layout your text so that readers can easily and quickly understand the meaning.

TagsGo to Page…
<BODY> 34-35
<BR> 37-38
<H1> 68-70
<H2> 70-71
<H3> 72
<H4> 73
<H5> 74
<H6> 75
<HEAD> 76
<P> 110-111

Display a Graphic Image

The tags listed in this table are the most popular tags used for displaying graphical images on a Web page. With a little forethought, the HTML author can use the tags in this table to make the most of the display of images on their Web pages.

TagsGo to Page…
<IMG> 83-85, 94-95
ALIGN 22
HSPACE 79
ISMAP 89
SIZE 60, 87, 120-121
SRC 66, 123
VSPACE 145

Present a Background

These tags play a role in displaying a background image. While they are few in number, the sensible use of background imagery and audio has a profound impact on any Web page.

TagsGo to Page…
<BACKGROUND> 26
<BGCOLOR> 30
<BGPROPERTIES> 30
<BGSOUND> 31
<BODY> 34-35
DYNSRC 54
INFINITE 85
LOOP 95
SOUND 122

Create a Hot Spot Image

Hot spots link a user to another part of the current page, another site, another URL, and so on. The use of graphics as an anchor for a hotspot is one of the most creative elements evident in the most enticing Web pages.

TagsGo to Page…
<A> 20
COORDS 47
HREF 78-79
<IMG> 83-85, 94-95
ISMAP 89
MAP 96-97
NAME 64, 98, 103, 119
SRC 66, 123
USEMAP 141

Size Images for Best Performance

Images don't have to be resized with image management software just to be used in a Web page. Today's preeminent browsers let you resize any image to your specifications.

TagsGo to Page…
ALIGN 22
COORDS 47
HSPACE 79
<IMG> 83-85, 94-95
SRC 66, 123
VSPACE 145

Build a Marquee

Marquees are a recent addition to HTML publishing but they are catching on fast. Microsoft's Explorer browser paved the way for scrolling text in the form of a marquee. Expect to see more browsers begin to adapt this exciting medium for your messages.

TagsGo to Page…
ALIGN 22
BGCOLOR 30
LOOP 95
MARQUEE 98-99

Create an Image Map

While creating an image map may seem a bit daunting at first, the use of image maps has overtaken the use of multiple, stand-alone images as hot spot vehicles to other points on the Information Highway.

TagsGo to Page…
<A> 22
<ALINK> 96-97
<HREF> 78-79
METHODS 102
NAME 64, 98, 103, 119
URL 140
<VLINK> 144

Top Commands in Each Category

This table directs you to the most commonly used tags in the most popular tag categories. This table is especially useful to those who normally rely on the detailed index found at the rear of this and other reference books.

Top Commands in Each Category
To Find The Top Commands For… Go to Page…
Backgrounds and Colors 30-31
Links and Graphics 78-79
Lists 91-94
Forms 60-62
Tables 133, 137
Frames 62-63, 104-105
Netscape Extensions 157, 161
Internet Explorer Extensions 157, 159

Backgrounds and Colors

The backgrounds behind your scenes (and the colors you use to make them) can be a pleasant surprise and a refreshing inspiration to readers of overly "busy" Web pages. Use the tags in this table to change the colors of your backgrounds, text, tables, and so on.

TagsGo to Page…
ALINK 96-97
BACKGROUND 30-31
BGCOLOR 30
<BODY> 34-35
COLOR 59
LINK 144
VLINK 144

Links and Graphics

Everyone agrees that the really cool aspect of the Web is its ability to take you off to a distant point of interest that you didn't know was there. Links and graphics tags, when used with text or imagery can send the readers of your Web page to places previously unknown…and beyond!

TagsGo to Page…
<A> 20
ALIGN 22
<HREF> 78-79
<IMG> 83-85, 94-95
ISMAP 89
MAP 96-97
NAME 64, 98, 103, 119
SRC 66, 123
USEMAP 141

Lists

Organizing thoughts and short sentences into meaningful, easy-to-read lists can make your pages easier to comprehend and a lot more user friendly. The tags in this table are used to present text in different list formats.

TagsGo to Page…
<DD> 48
<DIR> 50
<DL> 52
<DT> 53-54
<LI> 92-94
<MENU> 100
<OL> 107-108
<UL> 140
VALUE 142

Forms

Forms give the HTML author a way to collect meaningful information for processing or forwarding to another agent. The tags in this table are used to present the elements of a form on an HTML page.

TagsGo To Page…
CHECKBOX 41
<FORM> 60-62
INPUT 86
METHOD 102
<SELECT> 117-118

Tables

Tables are a recent but welcome addition to HTML authoring. Tables help you organize text and graphics so that they relate to each other in rows and columns for easier
reading.

TagsGo to Page…
<CAPTION> 39
CELLPADDING 39
CELLSPACING 40
NOWRAP 130, 135
ROWSPAN 131, 135
<TABLE> 127-128
<TD> 129
<TH> 133
<TR> 137

Frames

Frames are another way that you can create a unique interface for your Web site. Frames are ideal for table of contents, fixed interface elements, and better forms and results.

TagsGo to Page…
<FRAME> 62-63
<FRAMESET> 66
NAME 64, 98, 103, 119
ROWS 67
SRC 66, 123

Netscape Extensions

Netscape technology has played a major (if not a decisive role) in the proliferation of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Netscape browsers have been the harbingers of some of the most well received extensions to each successive, evolving HTML standard.