Introduction to Authoring in HTML on the WWW
- Introduction to Authoring in HTML on the WWW
- Day 2 - Servers, Authoring Methods, Common Errors & Style
- Dr Lawrie Brown et al
- Dept. Computer Science, ADFA
- Administrivia
- web version of these notes are at:
- will have a practical session later each day
- to experiment with visibility on web, will utilise "user areas" on
www.cs.adfa.edu.au (walrus)
- accounts on walrus are same as on Novell server
- these areas WILL BE DELETED after the course
- if continuing access is required, must negotiate with your departmental
or centre server admin
- Documents on the Web
- HTML documents describe the form
- must be made accessible for others to see
- HTTP Servers make documents visible
- a number of servers, commercial & free exist
- Unix, Macintosh, WindowsNT
- must run on a suitably accessible system
- high availability
- good network connectivity
- server installation beyond scope of this course
- Web Servers and Your Documents
- servers make documents visible from:
- central site repository
- usually restricted access
- location(s) specified in server configuration
- users own files, in a special directory
- WWW or public_html common names
- special directory name configured in server
- optional, may or may not be available
- server must be able to read the file
- ie world readable files in world accessible dirs (Unix)
- Placing Documents on the Server
- if already on the same system as the server
- move to appropriate directory
- may have to create directory & set permissions
- check and set suitable permissions (world read)
- if on another system (eg PC)
- transfer files to directory on server system
- may have to create directory & set permissions
- use FTP to Unix systems, file sharing to Mac/PC
- check and set suitable permissions (world read)
- Linking Your Documents into the Web Hierarchy
- just because a document is accessible, doesn't mean people can find it
- need to have links to your documents
- from other places where people will look
- higher up hierarchy on a server
- from other topically relevant documents
- from an index server or robot
- generally these links are manually inserted
- some sites have auto-indexing of home pages
- URLs and Conventions
- documents in the central area have URLs
- documents in users own area's have URLs
- by convention directory URLs (ending in /) access a default file from
that directory
- http://www.cs.adfa.edu.au/~lpb/
- welcome.html, index.html, Welcome.html, Index.html, WELCOME.HTM, INDEX.HTM
- defined in server configuration, above most common
- Authoring Tools for HTML
- plain text editor, manually inserting tags
- vi (Unix), Notepad (Windows), TeachText (Mac)
- custom HTML editor aware of HTML tags
- HoTMeTal (Unix/Windows/Mac)
- High Tea, HTML.edit, HTML Pro, BBedit (Mac)
- TkWWW (X-windows)
- word processors able to export HTML
- WORD 6 with Internet Assistant
- word processors translated to HTML
- RTF2HTML, LaTeX2HTML, Cyberleaf
- Using Plain Text Editors
- files MUST be plain ASCII text files
- if using a word processor, must take care to:
- edit as plain text (cf Windows Write)
- or save as text with line breaks (cf WORD, WP)
- having made and saved changes, must load/reload file in web browser to
view
- must manually remember to insert correct tags in your documents
- may want to use a HTML Checker program
- Why use Custom Editors?
- aid in production of correct HTML
- very easy to mistype tags or forget tags
- syntax check may be done for you
- WYSIWYG - maybe
- if not, then save and view with browser
- When should you use them?
- best used from start
- existing documents may be difficult to import
- especially if they contain erroneous HTML
- HTML/SGML not always obvious
- Which Tool to Use
- many available (and growing)
- no current "best choice"
- see list at WWW consortium site
- onsider features available
- syntax check
- source and end product
- none fully cross platform
- Unix and X-windows
- HoTMeTal
- assistance with selecting tags & correct format
- tags and links are specially high-lighted
- built-in tutorial
- built-in template files
- checks HTML v2 syntax
- commercial version available with extras
- psgml
- tkWWW
- Windows
- HoTMeTal
- same as Unix & Mac versions
- Macintosh
- High Tea
- helps place tags and correct formatting
- links to browsers and other helper apps
- HTML Edit
- HTML Pro
- has both Source & Formatted text windows
- HoTMeTal
- BBEdit HTML Extensions
- simple & straight forward use of basic features
- Word Processors Exporting HTML
- some WORD processors can be extended to export HTML
- Internet Assistant for WORD 6 best known, also Word Perfect
- provides full WYSIWYG editing
- some limitations on document contents
- varying capabilities in HTML output created
- Translators for Existing Docs
- work on existing documents
- some able to produce linking, contents etc
- most effective when working from a structured document
- input formats
- RTF (from word processors)
- Latex
- Interleaf with Cyberleaf
- NOTE - often need to use special styles
- Why Translate into HTML?
- many more translators exist into HTML than from HTML to other forms
- ideally want ONE master document which can be exported to several final
forms
- presentation, handout notes, online reference
- no single best candidate
- good document production tools seem best now
- future may be a well supported SGML environment
- RTF Translators
- RTF is common WP doc interchange format
- originally Microsoft only, many others now
- rtftohtml best known
- available on Unix/Mac (docs from anywhere)
- translates base.rtf to base.html
- optionally build a Table of Contents
- graphics can be inline or linked
- translation controlled by html-trans config file
- may need to customise for special cases
- rtftohtml and graphics
- graphics left "native" format (pict,wmf,bmf)
- in separate files name1.pict, name2.pict etc
- can suppress output of graphics
- BUT translated html files expect gif (default)
- ie want name1.gif, name2.gif
- can over-ride this specifying another format
- hence separate translation required
- GraphicConvertor (Mac) is very good
- Unix PBM tools can do some (not wmf)
- WORD to Web
- rtftohtml works quite well with WORD docs
- DO need to use special styles to access most HTML features (specified in
html-trans)
- may need to extend this file to known about own additional styles
- have written a perl script rtf2ht
- calls rtftohtml then post-processes + graphic fix
- ccadfa:~lpb/bin/rtf2ht
- uses my custom ccadfa:~lpb/lib/rtf-html/html-trans
- see "WORD and the Web" seminar by L. Brown
- Powerpoint to Web
- Powerpoint can also export RTF
- BUT only the outline is exported
- ie no graphics or ancilliary text
- direct translation by rtftohtml is ugly
- nothing but nested headers (uses Heading styles)
- by altering html-trans can have nested lists
- have written a perl script ppt2ht
- calls rtftohtml then post-processes HTML to fix
- ccadfa:~lpb/bin/ppt2ht
- uses my custom ccadfa:~lpb/lib/ppt-html/html-trans
- Latex Translators
- latex2html document.tex
- converts a LaTeX document into a collection of indexed html files
- can specify level breaks occur, image handling, customise navigation panel
- handles tables, footnotes, TOCs, bibliographies, new commands,
environments, and theorems, figures & equations (as images)
- provides extensions to hyper-link to other docs, inline images,
conditional text
- local guru is Warren Toomey
- Limitations on latex2html
- has limited methods for extending translator to handle new LaTeX styles
- sophisticated documents don't translate well
- be aware of different media
- latexonly & htmlonly allow conditional output
- use rawhtml to tweak output
- nb Intro Web course was written with this
- Cyberleaf
- add-on to Interleaf publishing system
- translator from various document formats
- turned into HTML
- Autocad, CGM, DrawPerfect, Framemaker, HPGL, Interleaf, PICT, plain, RTF,
Windows Metafile, WordPerfect
- left untouched
- EPS, GIF, HTML, JPEG, WAV, MPEG, PCX, PS, AU, Sun Raster, TIFF, unknown,
BMP, WorldView, XBM, XWD
- Using Cyberleaf
- select web (collection) of files to process
- add files, then for each file:
- analyse formats
- build links
- finalize web
- or run all steps on selected files
- post resulting files so others can access
- on-line help is quite extensive
- ask Chris Vance, other users, comp.text.interleaf
- Production Using Cyberleaf
- open analyzed view
- open linked view
- open final view
- adjust hypertext links
- modify styles
- Checking HTML
- programs available to validate HTML
- detect common syntax & some style errors
- varying degrees of strictness & style
- weblint
- single perl script
- does quite a good job on basics, not too verbose
- see Tool site for list of others
- Common HTML Mistakes 1
- poor structure
- no doctype, head, title, body elements
- poor paragraphing
- <p> either missing or incorrectly placed
- <p> signifies a paragraph break
- nb some elements imply paragraph break
- headings, hr, pre, blockquote, adddress
- missing elements
- unclosed elements
- Common HTML Mistakes 2
- unbalanced elements
- overlapping elements
- illegally nested elements
- URL errors
- improper use of relative URLs (on a server)
- or partially-qualified URLs (incomplete name)
- using here as anchor text
- Elements of Web Authoring Style
- now consider some principles and practices of web authoring
- the key point
- some sources
- fonts etc
- page layout
- navigation
- Key Point
- note: People are different
- they see, remember, and think differently
- they use different tools on different systems
(but 60% use Netscape)
- so:
- present information in different ways
- aim at the lowest common denominator
- keep your purpose in mind - entertainment or knowledge
- Sources
- are over 30 style guides on the Net
- can reach them through:
- Academic Source
- most academic source
- by Patrick Lynch at Yale Centre for Advanced Instructional Media
- note flame response by "Robot Wisdom"
- Full Source
- see Bob Allison's Tips for Web Spinners
- as it seems to link to everything you want to know about the Web
- see also Taylor, D. (1995). MacWorld Creating Cool Web Pages with
HTML, IDG Press: Foster City, CA
- generally agree on the key points below
- Fonts Etc
- use less than two fonts
- remember UPPERCASE IS SHOUTING, so don't
- avoid italics as browsers have trouble with them
- avoid graphics
- unless they provide information
- they clutter screen and bandwidth
- Layout
- key principle in layout is simplicity
- keep pages small (debatable)
- balance time to load files against scroll time
- put links into context
- don't say "click here"
- say "Ed's page is worth reading"
- be consistent
- sign it (with email link if possible)
- give recent date (at the top)
- Navigation on Each Page
- tell people about each page before they go to it, especially if large
loads are involved
- use instructions to the next page or the prior page that are explicit
- not just "Back" or "Next"
- avoid "dead ends"
- always give an escape route
- "Back" is not enough if they have gone in circles
- Navigation over Pages
- use Table of Contents and other directories
(incl indices or lettered
tabs: A B C ...)
- give a context for successive pages
perhaps through small "maps" of
where the pages belong
- use meaningful titles (and file names)
so people know the hierarchy
from the title
- Summary on Styles
- there are many points to keep in mind
but there are many sources of
guidance
- keep it simple and appropriate for the people and the purpose
- Lab Session
- goals for this session
- making the documents you created visible
- transfer your html files to your web user area on walrus (using FTP)
- using a HTML editor to alter documents
- revise your documents from style considerations
- References
- some useful references on HTML:
- Lists of HTML Editors and other tools
- WW Developer Resources
- tyle Guides for online Hypertext
- Review
- making HTML documents visible and linked into the web
- authoring HTML - editors and translators
- common errors & elements of style
Lawrie.Brown@adfa.edu.au / 31-Oct-95