Book Description
Creating beautifully coded HTML Web pages that perform predictably and consistently across all browsers and platforms can be a daunting task, but best-selling author Elizabeth Castro knows that most readers don't need an encyclopedic reference, just simple instructions for creating their first Web page. This compact guide delivers! Rather than explaining every tag and option, she demonstrates the quickest, easiest, smartest route to creating that first Web page. Each short section walks readers through the construction of a single phase or component, so they learn how to plan a site, prepare Web images, insert links and graphics, and publish their finished pages to the Web. Project-based, step-by-step instructions and large, full-color screen shots make the information instantly accessible, and the author's clear, straightforward style takes the reader from a standing start to finished site quickly and easily. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Not helpful for the newbie
Bought this book for a person who wanted to learn how to make simple web pages and it was a bad choice.New users benefit most from straight forward instructions and limited toolsets.This book imagines the user to be familar with (and own) photoshop as well as other tools.It would be much simpiler if the author stuck with simple, freely available tools.

If your going to get this book, get the series
This is a wonderful book that allows you to execute and learn good habits instead of walking you down a tutorial path.Its a quick read and excellent reference for basic tasks.

If you do want to buy this book, consider getting the series.

Web Page Visual QuickProject Guide Colletion (Paperback)
by Elizabeth Castro (Author)

The series was rewritten in 2006 and has the corrections to the errors in the 2004 books of the same name.

The series has the HTML quickproject, Flash quickproject, and Dreamweaver quickproject.Flash and Dreamweaver are MX 2004 based but happen to have the same commands and keyboard shortcuts as the CS3 and 8 versions.

Dont make the same mistake I almost made and buy this individually.I paid $1 and got it all!Its was cheaper and I obtained two other books.

Great!
I have been messing around for a year(!) trying various WYSIWYG software to create the simple website that I wanted. The software was much harder to master than was HTML as Elizabeth Castro explains it. I first did the projects in this book, then with the help of her HTML, XHTML & CSS book, I have finally been able to make the site I've had in my head for so long. If you are using a PC, I have one suggestion--use Notepad instead of Word to create your web pages, because it's harder to mess up on Notepad. Three cheers for Elizabeth!

Creating A Web Page
I have other books by Liz Castro, and she continues to make life easier for all of us who want to know more about coding and controlling our own web sites. Great introductory book on XHMTL and CSS.

Craating A Web Page with HTML
Excellent book for anyone who is creating their first web page or who wants step by step help to make a web page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Clearest and most informative book I've read on CSS
I am in a beginning html and css class at a college, and have checked out numerous books from the library on html and css, all of which have their good and bad points. One other recommended book was good only after you got past the introductory 100 pages, which included history of html, as well as touting their friends' books. Too many of the books try to be funny, which is not what you need from a good computer book. I came across this book accidentally at the library. It may be written by "computer geeks," but it explained clearly what CSS is and how it fits in with html, gives all the correct terms for selectors and such (for us new users), tells you when something is case sensitive or not, and gives clear examples of good code and how it will show in a browser. I finally grasped what the em unit is and how and why its used, and the difference between class and ID attributes. My only complaint are the typos, but they were mostly obvious and haven't caused me any problems yet. I got this book at the library, but plan on ordering a copy to keep and highlight!! I think this book is great for beginner through intermediate users.

Brilliant for IT people wanting to get into CSS
If you are an IT person, or someone with an IT mindset, and you want to get into CSS, this book is for you. This is the best for you. This book does presume knowledge of markup (HTML/XHTML).

However, this book does not cover advanced layout, which was never really included in CSS (there is hope in CSS3). Discussions of layout will need to be found in other resources.

On the other hand, if you are an artsy person who likes to learn by doing, this book is not for you. It would be better if you searched for Eric Meyer on CSS, which takes you through implementing CSS on a project like basis. Eric Meyer on CSS does presume knowledge of markup (HTML/XHTML) however.

Good Choice for the CSS beginner and up
This book is a well written introduction into the world of css and pinpoints key concepts of css.It's by far one of the most readable texts that I have picked up out of all the technical books I've read in my few years of being alive.The book lacks a little in having some references to an example on a previous page while the reference to it is one to pages after the example.This discrepency is understood though since it is hard to keep everything together and not spill out onto other pages when planning the layout of a book. Overall this is a good book on css, and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to start into css.

Good book but irritating typos
I would have given this book atleast 4 stars if it weren't for the misleading typos! here's a few - Chapter 6 Pg 127 refers to Figure 6.2 (which doesn't exist!) instead of Figure 6.3; Chatper 10 Pg 228 the example "H1 {color: #ff000 }" is plain wrong (needs a extra zero at the end) and will not work.

Otherwise, it is a very good book. I especially like Chapter 4 - describes CSS selectors in great detail.

Great resouce for new to css
ritten by the authors of CSS, at first I found it a bit heavy in dialogue and backgrounds. Not until you open the book to the index does one actually realize the wealth of information in the book. Do not expect this book to show examples of the next great page, but as a resource in trouble shooting it helped explain alot of questions I either was too lazy to look up in Dreamweaver Help or couldnt find the right type of answer elsewhere. My level is pretty much entry intermediate, but with this book, it took me a bit higher. I am getting rid of my introductory CSS books and using this one as my main go to guide.

CSS is covered in detail (20 pages on CSS colour alone) and the explainations are straight forward. The most valuable chapter is "Spaces around boxes". Running over 30 pages, this is a well thumbed section that explained to me where I was going wrong with a layout CSS I was doggedly trying to force to do what I wanted. Once I went through this section, it became clear my folly.

This book now has an honour of being well coffee stained and front and center on my resource shelf. ... Read more

Book Description
KEY MESSAGE: Using Hands-On Practice exercises and Web Site Case Studies to motivate readers, Web Development and Design Foundations with XHTML includes all the necessary lessons to guide students in developing highly effective Web sites.

The Internet and the World Wide Web; XHTML Basics; Configuring Color& Text with CSS; Visual Elements & Graphics; Web Design; PageLayout with CSS; More on Links, Lists & Layout; Tables; Forms; WebSite Development; Web Multimedia & Interactivity; E-CommerceOverview; Promotion for Web Developers; A Brief Look at JavaScript.

For all readers interested in Web design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Hands-On Approach!
We use this book in a community college course for both online and face-to-face classes. The students really like the hands-on approach with examples, practice exercises and case studies. The 4th Edition of this popular textbook integrates XHTML and CSS topics so students learn from the beginning how to use both XHTML and CSS to configure text, color, and page layout. There is also excellent coverage of web design best practices, accessibility, usability, and Web standards.

Great Hands-On Approach!
We use this book in a community college course for both online and face-to-face classes. The students really like the hands-on approach with examples, practice exercises and case studies. The 4th Edition of this popular textbook integrates XHTML and CSS topics so students learn from the beginning how to use both XHTML and CSS to configure text, color, and page layout. There is also excellent coverage of web design best practices, accessibility, usability, and Web standards. ... Read more

Book Description
Cada vez son mas las personas que quieren difundir ideas a traves de un sitio en la Web. Con este libro, el mejor explicado sobre la creacion, publicacion y promocion de sitios en Internet, podra entender y poner en practica paso a paso todo el proceso. Como armar una pagina personal simple o compleja, y todos los datos para alojarla y promocionarla.

Cree rapidamente paginas utilizando las herramientas WYSIWYG, como Netscape Composer o FrontPage Express.Crear paginas directamente en HTML basico y avanzado desde un simple editor de texto.Lenguaje JavaScript, con ejemplos de rutinas.Disenios claros que no confunden ni con imagenes pesadas de mucho tiempo para bajarlas.

Incluye un CD con mas de 60 programas, una galeria con mas de 5000 imagenes, fuentes y archivos MIDI, tutoriales, tests de autoevaluacion y mucho mas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excelent
This is an excelent book buy it

Buen libro, pero básico en programación
* El CD es bueno, contiene bastantes imágenes, para aquellos que saben utilizar programas de manipulación de imágenes, pueden hacer uso de algunas para su sitio.

* Contiene tambien bastante código re-utilizable, que esbueno tambien, sim embargo, la mayoría de estos los encuentras eninternet.

* El problema con este libro, es que está enfocado aprogramación básica, no entra en detalles como Bases de datos, Macromedia,e incluso scripts.

* Lo recomiendo para aquellas personas que deseenempezar en esto. Es fácil de leer, y con bastantes ejemplos.

Suerte!

Básico, pero flexible
Este libro te enseña a utilizar código mas que nada. No habla sobre bases de datos, ni sobre applets, o Macromedia. Siento que está muy atrás de lo que es internet hoy en día.

* Para los que son nuevos en esto, estáperfecto.

* Para el que quiere crecer sus conocimientos en el Desarrollode Internet, no es muy bueno.

* Para el que es muy autodidacta, no se lorecomiendo, ya que puede aprender todo lo que viene en el libro, en elmismo Internet.

Reutilizar código es bueno, pero tambien necesitamossaber al 100% cómo realizarlo.

El CD que viene con el libro, es bueno.Tiene muchas imágenes que puedes utilizar en caso de sabermanipularlas.

Suerte!

Muy Sencillo y práctico
Este libro les ayudará a crear sus páginas web de una manera muy sencilla. No utiliza literatura complicada y cada cosa es explicada suponiendo que no poseemos mucha experiencia previa en el tema. Ideal para personas quese inicianen el armado de páginas Web. ... Read more

Book Description
With the widespread use of VRML browsers, e.g., as part of the Netscape and Internet Explorer standard distributions, everyone connected to the Internet can directly enter a virtual world without installing a new kind of software. The VRML technology offers the basis for new forms of customer service such as interactive three-dimensional product configuration, spare part ordering, or customer training. Also, this technology can be used for CSCW in intranets.
The reader should be familiar with programming languages and computers and, in particular, should know Java or at least an object-oriented programming language. The book not only provides and explains source code, which can be used as a starting point for own implementations, but it also describes the fundamental problems and how currently known solutions work. It discusses a variety of different techniques and trade-offs. Many illustrations help the reader to understand and memorize the underlying principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Overview !!!
The book is well written with a wide and broad view of this area. The book has a practical and a theoretical part. In
the theoretical part it provides an overview of the methods and principles behind virtual worlds clearly presented with illustrations. The practical part introduces the Virutal Reality Modeling Language and gives examples of how to built virtual worlds using VRML and Java.

3D Student
This book contains a lot about the history of VRML, but is pretty short on the actual subject of distriubuted virtual environments (and that is the title-so you would assume a little more information). The examples are kind of useful, but some don't work and in general you can find much better stuff on the web.
This book is really only useful if you are desperate for a short introduction and not looking for any detail. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The Visual QuickStart Guide series from Peachpit Press is known forboiling topics down to the essentials, and presenting them in an engaging andefficient way, to get the reader up to speed quickly. In applying this model toXML, author Elizabeth Castro had her work cut out for her.

Fortunately for her readers, Castro has identified successfully the corecomponents of XML, and presented them in a streamlined way. This book doesn'ttackle any of the advanced elements of XML technology, such as SOAP, SAX, orintegration with the Document Object Model (DOM). Instead, it focuses onteaching the basic nuts and bolts of creating XML documents, styling them, anddefining their structure.

This book moves at a fast pace. Document Type Definitions (DTDs), for instance,get only 30 pages of coverage. This tight format comprises simple examples thatillustrate commands and concepts, instead of pages of text. The pages arepresented in a two-column format, so that code fragments can be placed (wisely)side by side with the step-by-step explanatory text. Each topic example issupplemented with one or more useful implementation tips.

For a true grasp of XML and all of its potential, you'll need to follow up thisintroductory tutorial with more reading on the applications of the technologyand case studies. But this little book is a great way to learn the basics of XMLin a weekend. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• XML documents
• Document Type Definitions(DTDs)
• Schemas
• Namespaces
• XSLT and XPath
• Cascading style sheets(CSS)
• XLink
• XPointer

The real power of XML lies in combining information from varioussources and generating personalized content for different visitors.Castro's easy-to-follow graphics show exactly what XML looks like,and her real-world examples explain how to transform and streamlineyour Web-site creation process by automatically updating content. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (55)

Good condition, price, and prompt shipping.
The book came fast and was in good condition.The price was really cheap too.

Awesome Beginner's Guide
This book though perhaps has many errors, it is still one of the best concept books out there.This will really get you started with XML smoothly.Some of the XML standards are rather complex, and I find this to be the most palatable material for understanding stuff like XSD and XSLT.

The book covers the basics of XML, how to define your XML schema through DTD, and then several chapters on XSD ("XML Schema and Namespaces") that include simple and complex types.The book follows up with XSML, usage of XPath and text expressions. Later there's coverage of cascading style sheets, XLink and XPointer.

I think there should be a newer version that will make corrections and update the material.I would love a chapter on RELAX-NG, as this is becoming popular to define schema for XML in some circles.

Overall, this is great book to get you started, and I would highly recommend this book as a quick spring board in the world of XML.

Errors, Lots and Lots of Errors
37 errors are listed on the author's site.I think I found some new ones as well.The material moves from the specific to general, so that the reader must skip around quite a bit.The aforementioned errors make learning XML very tedious and frustrating.An edit should have done - it is apparent none was.I have used Castro's books in the past and have never experienced the problems I have with this one.I recommend against purchasing this book and I hope Peachpit will not repeat the problems encountered within.

Editor needed
Admittedly, I'm only up to the second chapter in this book, but it's clear that Castro needed a better editor.She relies on a frustrating "Type this, then we'll come back to it later" approach (example: naming your DTD, then finding out four pages later HOW to apply that information).Disappointing as her XHTML + CSS and Flash MX books were much tighter in execution.

Good overall XML review, but it has gaps
This book does cram a whole lot of information into a tiny space.I will say that, if you are interested in getting started with XML, the book tries to include all the "pieces" you need - like not just XML code, but DTDs and XSLT, etc.

However, the section on XSLT is seriously lacking.I worked on trying to make a VERY BASIC stylesheet yesterday and have yet to get one working.(I'm not new to programming either.)The book gives a lot of "do this, do that" examples, but without explaining the concepts of XSLT more completely and logically, it doesn't really equip you to go out and write stylesheets yourself.I'm disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description
Includes data disk.

HTML 4.0 Fundamentals was developed to teach the core technologies and fundamental use of the HyperText Markup Language, or HTML (W3C Specifications 3.2 and 4.0). This full-day course exposes students to the basic syntactical, technical, and publishing aspects of HTML. Students gain hands-on experience creating HTML tags, tag attributes, character references (both numeric and entity), and different types of hyperlinks.

HTML 4.0 Fundamentals focuses on the following topics:
Hypertext & hypermedia theory
Conventional vs. nonlinear publishing
Scripting language characteristics
HTML document structure
HTML tag syntax and usage
Tag categories
HTML tag attributes
Proper use of white space
Lists (ordered & unordered)
Font manipulation (typeface and color)
Character references (numberic and entity)
Inline images
GIF vs. JPEG
Background colors and patterns
New Break and Paragraph tag attributes
Forcing a new browser window
The tag
The list START attribute
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I Recommend This Book !
" I have NEVER read such an exceptional presentation of HTML as DDC's HTML Fundamentals. This Publication is superb! It's incredibly clear, concise, and logically sequenced with practical, jargon-free exercises." - Sandi Scanneli, Training Manager

HTML 4.0 Fundamentals
The content of the book was easy to follow.I had no problem understanding the text or completing the exercises.My only problem with this book was that the some of the exercises in Units 5, 6, & 7 referto student files not on the floppy disk that came with the book.I wasable to manually recreate some files in order to complete the exercises. Itwas disappointing and frustrating, to say the least, not to have thecorresponding files to go with the exercises in the manual.Perhaps I gotan old floppy from a previous HTML course the published? Other than that, Ienjoyed the tutorial. ... Read more

Book Description

• This edition of the bestseller-previous editions have sold a combined 110,000 copies-has been thoroughly revised and expanded to include modern, standards-compliant design principles and best practices
• Offers visual learners a solid reference packed with hundreds of screen shots and straightforward examples so they can learn to create and design Web pages that will have an impact on their audience
• Step-by-step, two-page lessons show how to set up a Web page, reduce image resolution, create radio buttons, add a hit counter, add an embedded sound, include content from other sites, and more
• The companion Web site contains all the necessary code to learn HTML

Amazon.com
Useful for both Web designers and developers, Core CSS: CascadingStyle Sheets provides a definitive guide to style sheets, which provide anew level of flexibility for browser-based content. With a comprehensivereference to all CSS1 and CSS2 features and an excellent survey of whichfeatures work in eight of today's browsers, this book shows off the strengths ofstyle sheets for the next generation of Web content.

Particularly for developers, CSS allows more precise control of elements insidebrowsers, making it a lot easier to create Web clients that compete withtraditional stand-alone applications. But support for CSS in today's browsers isspotty. The strength of this book is that it explains both the CSS1 and CSS2standards, even though they are still under development. This text shows offwhat each property is supposed to accomplish with sample HTML andscreenshots. The author is careful to note problems with CSS properties intoday's browsers. For the CSS1 standard, every property is marked as beingunsafe, safe, or partially implemented on no less than eight browsers(including Netscape 3 and 4.x, Internet Explorer 3 through 5, and Opera forWindows, UNIX, and Mac platforms).

The second part of the book is devoted to the CSS2 standard with a descriptionof proposed support for Unicode, for formatting Web pages (with paged mediaproperties), and for tagging content so that it can be read out loud bycomputer-generated voices. Although still under construction, the CSS1 and CSS2standards will certainly offer a better Internet for us all. In the meantime,Core CSS: Cascading Style Sheets describes what's available in today'sbrowsers. It's a solid reference that will make CSS understandable to anyone,regardless of their level of Web expertise. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), the CSS1and CSS2 standards, the browser wars, CSS support on the Netscape, InternetExplorer, Opera and Mozilla browsers; basic CSS (grouping, inheritance, andcontextual selectors), cascading order, CSS units, pseudo-classes andpseudo-elements, font properties, color and background properties, text and boxproperties, classification properties, new CSS2 features, Unicode support,generated content and automatic numbering for lists, properties for printing Webpages, new table properties, aural style sheets for speech-enabled browsers,CSS1 and CSS2 reference and cross-browser comparison of supported properties.Book Description
Core CSS, 2nd Edition is a comprehensive guide that shows both beginning and expert Web developers all they need to know to achieve great results with the latest style sheet properties. In this example-rich book, Schengili-Roberts provides in-depth coverage of the CSS1 and CSS2 standards, provides a "heads up" look at what to expect in the new CSS3 specification, and covers those CSS3 properties specific to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. It is the most complete and up-to-date CSS reference available.

CSS is fundamental to current Web design, allowing you to separate content from formatting, and to do Web page layout in ways simply not possible using regular HTML. Most books on CSS simply look at how you can accomplish certain formatting tricks, but this book delves deeper, looking at how each CSS property works, what CSS is capable of, and what to expect in the near future.

This book provides the most accessible and up-to-date listing available on CSS compatibility across browsers and operating systems so Webmasters can finally know which CSS properties are "safe" to use.

Detailed appendices provide full CSS property listings, compatibility charts, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Good for in-depth material
This is not a quick read. This is not a book with templates that will help you make a site. This book can be useful for beginners, it just may seem daunting to some at first due to the sheer volume of information.

This is a book I tend to use as an occasional reference while I work. I especially like that at the end of each section, the author discusses what is or is not compatible with various browsers. Were I an instructor teaching a CSS class, this book would work well as a textbook.

I rather liked this book
I've seen quite a few bad reviews on this book and wonder why.I am an experienced user of CSS.I bought this book because weeding through websites, message boards and tutorials have a limited usage.Tutorials are always very rudimentary, message boards are hit or miss for your particular problem and posting to them returns an answer a little too late when on a strict deadline, and web sites are too tailored to a particular problem.

This book gives a good overview of CSS and all of its contructs, from the first working model to new recommendations that haven't been adopted by a standards group.Its gives a summary on all properties and their adoption by differnt browser/OSs, and gives examples of proper application of the properties.It also explains some of the quirks and work-arounds with CSS which is a subject that could be a book in itself.

As a reference, I find it complete, but difficult to access information.It requires a bit of hunting because the index isn't thorough.I actually find it easier to use the TOC instead which is not a compliment.

If you are new to CSS, this book could serve you if you are a patient person.If you are a novice, this book would probably serve you better.If you are an expert, you may get a couple techniques out of this book, but if you're looking for a quick reference, this book will not serve you.It would possibly open your eyes to some techniques, especially with CSS2-3 and IE specific elements, although the execution of IE elements in this book are not streamlines.

Terribly disappointing
Despite having a very good index, this book is not adequate even as a reference book, let alone instructing on the nuances of web-site development supported by CSS, due to its poor use of examples, skimpy descriptions of subjects, large typeface with wide-margins (leaving scant room for CONTENT), and inappropriate inclusion of a worthless color section. As an avid reader of the PH CORE series of books (Cay Horstmann's Java books being the shining jewels, IMHO), this book left me terribly disappointed.This book has sat on my shelves for years, and in the event that I need help with something relating to CSS, I will go online and look it up there, rather than suffer the frustration of trying to find something in this overly-sized book. To illustrate my rant, in many places the book references the fact that "colors have changed on the page," as you could clearly see WERE THE BOOK IN >>COLOR<<, yet the actual color section of the book contains a chart detailing compatibility of CSS properties in various browsers from IE 3.02 to Opera 3.6, which CLEARLY could be represented by a normal black-and-white chart with symbols denoting in which browsers a property is safe to be used.The color section of the book, which is very nice high-quality glossy stock, could be used more appropriately to illustrate how CSS can be used to control things such as, oh I don't know, maybe COLOR?!?!?! And clearly the overwhelming point of CSS is that the styles should be set up in a SEPARATE STYLE SHEET, not embedded into the HTML code, which Keith never illustrates anywhere.It would have been a real bonus if he had included two pages that had the same underlying HTML code, but were completely different looking based solely on the stylesheet used.Perhaps that would have been a good use for one of those pages in the glossy section - showing that you can have a "Halloween" version of a page, and a "Christmas" version of that same page, with no underlying code changes required. This book has made me change my philosophy regarding CORE books, from having no doubts that the content of the book will be worth the price, to being wary of purchasing another tome to be relegated exclusively to propping up the good books on the shelves of my library.....

More Disappointing On Every Reread
The book didn't really teach me anything, and it makes for a lousy reference.I do not recommend it to either new or experienced CSS designers.Far better free resources exist on the web.

There's little discussion of external stylesheets, and instead it focuses on inline CSS (which is useful, yes, but not as useful as it could be).

The reference material in the back of the book doesn't refer you to related items, doesn't provide examples, and doesn't refer you to the pages in the main text which describe the reference item in more detail.

Prentice Hall has artfully concealed the lack of content in this book by providing a "Browser Compatibility" section at the end of every sub-section of the book.This pads every subsection of the book by 2/3 of a page.To pick an example randomly, Chapter 4 runs from pp. 53-80 (27 pages).There are nine of these "Browser Compatibility" pads, taking up around 6 pages in the chapter.This suggests that the book should really be about 80% as long as it is -- or, god forbid, have another big chunk of missing content to fix some of the lacks above.

Worthless to the core
If all of the information in this book was re-written to exclude all of the redundant and worthless muck, it could have easily fit onto 50 pages.As it is, the author managed to strech it into eight HUNDRED pages. Greenpeace should be all over this guy for the monumental waste of trees.

There *is* informative information, but you really have to dig to get to it.The entire text is truly an excersize in copy and pasting.The table of contents alone is over twenty pages. The index (which is really what we use) is only ten pages.A good example of the amazing bloat in this book are the pages on "padding".The primary properties are padding, padding-left, padding-right, padding-top, padding-bottom.Any sensible author would have given a comprehensive description of one of the properties, and then breifly stated the obvious difference between left and right.However, two pages are dedicated to each property.Each two-page description is virtually identical to each other, substituting "right" for "left" where appropriate, etc.

Since it's been on my shelf, I've gone to it occasionally for quick reference, and it's painfully difficult to find anything specific.Far better references can be found on the web for free. ... Read more

Book Description
Authoring attractive, dynamic Web pages has never been easier, thanks to Creating Web Pages with HTML Simplified, 2nd Edition. This full-color, easy-to-follow guide is an indispensable tool for both first-timers and seasoned Web authors. Here, full-color illustrations and concise captions take you through all phases of Web publishing, from laying out and formatting text to enlivening pages with graphics and applets. Add links, format tables and include forms on your Web page; in no time you'll be ready to build in sounds, video, frames and style sheets! Creating Web Pages with HTML Simplified, 2nd Edition also helps explain the many options available to you when the time to comes to publish your pages. Explore the many ways you can publish your work with Web presence providers, test your Web pages before they go live, and publicize your site to attract a large audience. Creating Web Pages with HTML Simplified, 2nd Edition is both informative and enlightening; this book is a keeper for anyone interested in broadening their presence on the Web. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

The way most tech books should be approached !
I was taking a CIS college course at HVCC in Troy, New York and I had an instructor who was a holdover from the 1950's as far as teaching style was concerned, where they would stand up for several housrs and then assign some off the wall homework assignment that would take forever to do or impossible to do in a reasonable time.

Well, I was unfortunate to get such an instructor.I complained to my chairperson, James Looby, right away to get some help in getting his teachers to do a better job communicating with the class.

Looby promised in an email to me that he would see what he could do to get Frank Zaverl to do a better job showing us how to build simple Web pages.But after many weeks of waiting and waiting, I called and then got a email back from Looby stating that nothing would be done ! at which, I blew up at Looby for his poor handling of a serious classroom problem for which he was being paid by the local taxpayers and student's tuitions to solve.But, this once again, proved to me that there is a code of silence among educators and that is why it is in such a bad shape as polls indicate nationally and internationally !

Then I realized that I had waited too long for the Cavalry to arrive, and I had to drop the course -- which i thought it was an easy course if only taught correctly! that is, for each HTML command an example could be available to show how this HTML command was being used, so a student could begin building confidence with this Web language.

Oh by the way, the book suggested by Zaverl and adopted in his class and which Zaverl was totally gaga over was entitled, "Web Design In a Nutshell" !which if one looked for a few minutes, has no exmaples and so was really suitable as a reference book, once the student was familiar with the HTML language and syntax.

So, believing that a better text existed in the amrketplace I soon found this book, entitled, "Creating Web Pages with HTML, Simplifed"and sure enough withing days I was up and running and confident in building simple web pages --proving my intial idea that a better book had been already created somewhere where the teaching and thus learning was easy, quickand fun !


In general. I think educators make things purposefully difficult so we continue needing their old systems of learning; but this is simply not good enough in the 21st century -- where other nations are way ahead of America which has lost its way in providing excellent educaiton to its citizens but continues to over tax the local citizenry, each and evey year, which is now even forcing the elderly out of their homes since education is subsidized by local property taxeswhich is a big curse today with the taxes rising without any proof that this education is par-excellence.

Other nations do not subsidize their eduaction with property taxes and the citizens are very happy about that; and thus the local citizenry do not end up hating their educators and politicians for forcing them to lose their homes just to pay the big education tax every year !

But the Teachers Union knowing how the local taxpayers feel still air ads on TV showing how wonderful things are so citizens will keep on passing local school budgets which are out of control. The Republican solution to the local educaiton mess is to bring in competetion which only raises more local taxes on the homes of thse citizenry.so educaiton has become a vicious circle.Since politicians can't solve the tax problem a 2008 Recession is now hoped to bring sky rocketing educaiton costs under control since homes values are coming down all across the country finally forcing relief in lower taxes on burdened taxpayers.

Gerard J Sagliocca, P.E.
gerard_sagliocca@yahoo.com

Excellent Web Pages in NoTime
I wanted to have my company web page re-designed. My host told me he would do it for three thousand. I ordered this book and used it to do my own web site, seven pages and several pictures, for the price of the book that I got for twelve bucks, and twelve hours of time.

The book is very good. Simple to follow instructions will have you up and running in an hour or less.

Really really simple.
Book was really simple, had my web page started but the end of the second chapter.Great if you have no knowledge, too simle if you have a basic understanding of html.

Don't buy both!!!
I purchased this book along with the recommended Teach Yourself Visually HTML.

Each of these books are good books, BUT... you certainly don't need both.You'll see the same things repeated and no new helpful information.The Creating Web Pages with HTML seems a bit more advanced but you can do the same thing with either one of these books.Save yourself some cash and choose one but not both!

I'm sending one back.

Learn all the Basics Easily!
Don't know diddly about making your own web site? Start here! For more advanced stuff, you'll need a more detailed book. ... Read more

Book Description

• The latest update, packed with new examples using the most up-to-date browsers and technologies
• Covers the full range of current specs and methods that readers need for their Web pages
• JavaScript coverage enables readers to add simple interactivity and personalization to their pages
• Examines the current standards-based principles, principles of usability and accessibility, how to add consistent formatting with CSS, and how to make pages work on a variety of browsers including mobile phones and other Web-enabled devices
• Written for anyone who wants to learn how to create Web pages, even without previous programming or Web coding knowledge

• Adobe AIR is expected to be as big as Flash and to fundamentally change the delivery of rich Internet applications
• Web developers who are currently using technologies such as Ajax are expected to be eager adopters of AIR
• This book targets developers who are currently leveraging Web technologies such as Flash, Flex, HTML, JavaScript, and Ajax to build and deploy rich Internet applications
• Covers understanding the AIR model, understanding the programming languages available to AIR developers, working with the various tools available, packaging AIR applications, interacting with data sources, and leveraging the various AIR APIs

The book teaches basic principles of usability and accessibility along the way, to get users into the mode of developing Web pages that will be available to as many viewers as possible from the start. The book also covers the most commonly used programming/scripting language &#8212; JavaScript &#8212; and provides readers with a roadmap of other Web technologies to learn after mastering this book to add more functionality to their sites. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Great teaching book
Great introduction to front-end web programming using XHTML and CSS. It even gets into the nitty-gritty of SEO strategies, rating your site for child access, testing methods, and accessibility for the visually impaired. Also provides a good, although brief intro to JavaScript, database driven websites, and programming for mobile devices.

Yes there is a lot of repetition and a bit of wandering back and forth across subjects, and yes it can be annoying. But most books in this genre are guilty of that. This one is no better nor worse than the others. Nice reference and appendix. Recommended.

Hard to follow
I have gone from being frustrated with this title to disliking it intensely.I would suggest alternate materials such as the O'Reilly publication, "HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide."

First, "BWP w/HTML, XHTML, and CSS" is dated.Its publication date is 2004.This text often complains that features "are not supported by browsers" that have since been updated.There are more current materials published within the last year.(And on the subject of browsers, I have not found a single mention of Mozilla, Safari, or Opera in this book).

Second, the author's presentation is often difficult to follow.Concedely it is a difficult subject to organize when there are "live" tags, "deprecated" tags, the ongoing effort to separate stylistic elements into CSS, and different browswers' idiosyncracies with which to deal.Duckett, however, is next to hopeless in separating these subjects.

Most critical is the fact that this book is a very unhappy blend between an introductory tutorial and a reference "bible."Duckett will introduce a basic concept -- say, "tables" and will then load up on all of the attributes that the element might take.Learning the key ideas gets lost in the process.The book often leads off into asides and references to more advanced topics that will easily lose the initiate.It is no coincidence that several of the reviews here use the word "intermediate" in connection with this text.

The author does not seem to understand the principle that individuals learn by working from the "known" step-by-step to the "unknown."Instead, he seems to rely upon the idea that "if I throw everything at them in a random fashion, they'll figure out a good amount of it."

As an example of its "random walk" approach, Chapter 4 first provides a sound introduction into the use of colors and making references to images.The closing section of the chapter, however, branches off into a discussion of the

Amazon.com
In 1998, Jennifer Niederst wrote the first edition of this very successful book after she found herself spending way too much time chasing down the solutions to HTML problems. From hexadecimal color specs to mouseover scripts, the answers are all out there, but finding the exact one you need can soak up a whole day. "I wrote Web Design in a Nutshell because it was the book I needed--one place to find quick answers to my questions."

With all that's changed in the meantime, an overhaul is welcome. This is the rare book for designers that is almost completely nonvisual. It doesn't show what's hip in navigational bars or what the coolest colors are. Rather, it gives readers the kind of know-how that can make a difference between someone who just whips up pretty pages with WYSIWYG applications like Dreamweaver and someone who can make those pages cross-platform, cross-browser, fast loading, and accessible to all.

The clear organization makes it easy to locate any specific topic. There are six sections. "The Web Environment" discusses the realities of browser compatibility, display-resolution problems, a useful bit of Unix, and tips for print designers looking to move into Web design. "Authoring" shows how to write accurate and up-to-date HTML, cascading style sheets, and Server Side Includes (like putting the current date and time on your homepage).

"Graphics" brings together all you need to know to make effective use of images (GIFs, JPEGS, PNGs, and animated GIFs). "Multimedia and Interactivity" helps with adding audio, video, or Flash to your site (including some succinct tips on optimization and publish settings). And "Advanced Technologies" covers JavaScript, DHTML, XML, XHTML, and WAP and WML. And there are six useful look-up tables in the appendix, which include HTML 4.0 tags, deprecated tags, attributes, and CSS support across browsers. Web Design in a Nutshell could easily have been titled The Web Designer's Companion--it's mighty handy to have around. --Angelynn GrantProduct Description
Web Design in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition contains the nitty-gritty on everything you need to know to design Web pages. It's an excellent reference for HTML 4.01 tags (including tables, frames, forms, color, and cascading style sheets) with special attention given to browser support, platform idiosyncrasies, and standards. You'll also find lots of updated information on using graphics, multimedia, audio and video, and advanced technologies such Dynamic HTML, Javascript, and XML, as well as new chapters on XHTML, WML, and SMIL. This book is an indispensable tool for web designers and authors of all levels. Full Description Web Design in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition contains the nitty-gritty on everything you need to know to design web pages. It's the good stuff, without the fluff, written and organized so that answers can be found quickly. This completely revised and expanded 2nd edition is chock-full of information about the wide range of front-end technologies and techniques from which web designers and authors must draw. Web Design in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition is an excellent reference for HTML 4.01 tags (including tables, frames, forms, color, and cascading style sheets) with special attention given to browser support, platform idiosyncrasies, and standards. You'll also find lots of updated information on using graphics, multimedia, audio and video, and advanced technologies such Dynamic HTML, Javascript, and XML, as well as new chapters on XHTML, WML, and SMIL. This book is an indispensable tool for web designers and authors of all levels.Web Design in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition includes:Discussions of the web environment including monitors and browsers, printing from the Web, accessibility, and internationalization A complete reference to HTML and Server Side Includes, including up-to-date browser support (Netscape 6, IE 6.0, and Opera 5) for every tag and attribute Updated chapters on creating GIF, animated GIF, JPEG, and PNG graphics, including designing with the Web Palette Information on multimedia and interactivity, including audio, video, Flash 5 and Shockwave, and a new chapter on SMIL A revised tutorial and reference on Cascading Style Sheets Appendixes detailing HTML tags, attributes, deprecated tags, proprietary tags, CSS compatibility and support, and character entities ... Read more

Customer Reviews (123)

Web Design in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference
This comprehensive reference book covers every topic a web designer could need in 36 chapters.Numerous code examples and figures showing the end result make it easy to find and understand.As with so many of the website reference books published by O'Reilly Media, Inc., this book is an excellent addition to a web designer's library.

Great overview / refresher for me
I got this from the library to see how I liked it, and then ordered it.If you do websites and are overwhelmed by all the myriad details, and needing a quick clarification or reminder, you might want to add this to your library.

Web Design in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference
Web Design in a Nutshell is not merely an updated edition of the previous book (2001) of the same title. Extremely quick substantial changes in the web design systems over these past few years simply wouldn't allow for such an update. Instead, the author has composed this book from the ground up to address the issues and concerns of web designers in 2006. This reference covers all the basics of web design how tos from basics like choosing text elements and creating links through more challenging topics such as optimization of graphics and using flash on web pages. However, the portion of the book that I found most useful was the sections on designing sites for a variety of different browsers and increasing accessibility on your website. Together, these aspects create an easy to understand guide for those individuals wanting an introduction to web design or as very solid reference material for current web designers.

Very good book for CSS
I really enjoy this book. I used it to learn Cacading Style Sheets. A few years ago I had been part of a team to develop a web application where I used the "old" way of constructing a web page - with the tags, etc. I used this book to learn to separate page content from formatting using CSS. I find that it is a good reference book to have on my desk.

question
I read a lot of reviews. I have still 1 edition of this book from 2001 year.
And there was information how design stuff works for IE and Netscape.

But IE is sucks and Netscape is also and in all reviews of this book i saw only mention of IE.

Is there any information 'bout difference in how pages look in IE and Mozzila FireFox? ... Read more

Amazon.com
Ask any burgeoning Web-page author what they want in an HTML guide, and the list would go something like this: concise, informative, plenty of examples, a little bit of fun without being too cute. Elizabeth Castro's HTML for the World Wide Web is that dream guide to learning this Web language.

Unlike other books that lumber along feeding the reader arcane details, Castro's book keeps to the basics. You'll still learn everything you need to create a great site (where to start off, how to nest tables, how to add in video), but you won't feel overwhelmed by the process. The book is clearly referenced and, in typically concise Peachpit Press style, full of deceptively simple bullet lists of things to do. On the other side of the split page are screen shots, illustrations, or other examples to highlight the steps the reader needs to take to create desired effects. The book concludes with a listing of special symbols, a color chart, and a well-devised index of all the goodies contained in this slim--but comprehensive--book. --Jennifer BuckendorffBook Description
HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is the lingua franca of the Web, and like any language, it's constantly evolving. That's why Elizabeth Castro has written HTML 4 for the World Wide Web, Fourth Edition: Visual QuickStart Guide, an update to her blockbuster guide to HTML 4. You'll find all the concise, practical advice--and fun examples--that made the first edition a worldwide bestseller, plus entirely new coverage of debugging, JavaScript, and using tables for page layout, and an expanded section on Cascading Style Sheets.

Like all the books in the Visual QuickStart series, this one breaks even the most complex tasks into easy-to-follow steps illustrated with hundreds of screenshots and the actual code. The book presumes no prior knowledge of HTML, making it the perfect introduction for beginners. But its tabbed format and info-packed appendixes (on special HTML characters and Web-safe colors, for example) also make it a handy and indispensable reference for those who build Web pages for a living. Find out why Amazon called the previous edition a "dream guide" to HTML. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (150)

For beginners and beyond
(1) Use this book to learn how to hand code HTML quick and easy.

(2) Keep it forever as a quick and easy reference when you are a professional Web Developer.

This is the place to start
YOU: A newcomer to the web/Internet or programming.You know the web is big and you know what a web page is.You want to develop your own, either using straight Notepad or possibly a software development tool such as FrontPage, Dreamweaver, or Homesite. However, despite what these tools can do, you want to know about HTML.

THE BOOK: As introductory as it gets for HTML.It starts you off at the roots: let's sort through all these web technologies you hear about: XML, CSS, etc.But don't worry too much about those.Here's what HTML is: tags, spacing, designing, etc.How do you go about planning and designing your website, then look at it in a browser?How can I create and add images, create links, lists of information, tables, frames and forms to my web page.How can I use Cascading Style Sheets, a way to provide a consistent look throughout multiple pages of my website?Each page provides an example of both the code and the webpage screenshot of the HTML being put to use in a page.Toss in a specular appendix that suggests HTML tools and more importantly, Colors in Hex (hint: learn what web safe colors are as soon as you decide to design a web page!) and you have this book.Three hundred pages of no-nonsense, get me working with HTML information for the web page designing beginner.

Excellent book for HTML Basics
This is a great beginners reference book, for a basic understanding of HTML tags. Along with each tag, it gives a decent example of how to use them. The descriptions, of what each tag does, are short and straight to the point. It also explains what happens on both major browsers,(MS IE & Netscape), when certain tags are used. If you want to learn HTML tags quickly, this is a good start.

a slight correction --newer version is not that bad
I made a fairly lengthly comment about Castro's HTML book a few days ago. I didn't realize that the version I had was not in fact the latest versionof her book. (And I looked at this latest version at the bookstore justyesterday). She seems to have corrected a lot of her examples, and she hasobliquely addressed the coming of XML to the web in the latest edition. Butthere are still many places where the examples have tags without their endtags and Ms. Castro doesn't mention XHTML anywhere, so my original commentsstill apply. This book is one of the most helpful books available on HTML,and this latest edition is much better than previous editions. As long asyou remember that the examples still need end tags, this book will still bea worthwhile buy.

Two Words: GET IT!
As an Applications Analyst for web integration....this is my transportable (I travel), complete, find-it-now reference. As a neophyte in HTML, I started with the 1st edition.

New or experienced....this is your tag andformat reference. Use the 3" reference books for monitor stands andkeep this one handy! ... Read more

Book Description
Tired of reading HTML books that only make sense after you're an expert? Then it's about time you picked up "Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML and really learned HTML. You want to learn HTML so you can finally create those Web pages you've always wanted, so you can communicate more effectively with friends, family, fans and fanatic customers. You also want to do it right so you can actually maintain and expand your Web pages over time, and so your Web pages work in all the browsers and mobile devices out there. Oh, and if you've never heard of CSS, that's okay - we won't tell anyone you're still partying like it's 1999 - but if you're going to create Web pages in the 21st century then you'll want to know and understand CSS.

Learn the real secrets of creating Web pages, and why everything your boss told you about HTML tables is probably wrong (and what to do instead). Most importantly, hold your own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions how his HTML is now strict, and his CSS is in an external style sheet.

With "Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, you'll avoid the embarrassment of thinking Web-safe colors still matter, and the foolishness of slipping a font tag into your pages. Best of all, you'll learn HTML and CSS in a way that won't put you to sleep. If you've read a Head First book, you know what to expect: a visually-rich format designed for the way your brain works. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, this book will load HTML, CSS, and XHTML into your brain in a way that sticks.

So what are you waiting for? Leave those other dusty books behind and come join us in Webville.Your tour is about to begin.

"Elegant design is at the core of every chapter here, each concept

conveyed with equal doses of pragmatism and wit."

--Ken Goldstein, Executive Vice President, Disney Online

"This book is a thoroughly modern introduction to forward-looking

practices in web page markup and presentation."

--Danny Goodman, author of "Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Guide

"What used to be a long trial and error learning process has

now been reduced neatly into an engaging paperback."

--Mike Davidson, CEO, Newsvine, Inc.

"I love "Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML--it

teaches you everything you need to learn in a 'fun coated' format!"

--Sally Applin, UI Designer and Artist

"I haven't had as much fun reading a book (other than Harry Potter) in years. And your book finally helped me break out of my hapless so-last-century way of creating web pages."

--Professor David M. Arnow, Department of Computer and Information Science, Brooklyn College

"If you've ever had a family member who wanted you to design a website for them, buy them Head First HTML with CSS and XHTML. If you've ever asked a family member to design you a web site, buy this book. If you've ever bought an HTML book and ended up using it to level your desk, or for kindling on a cold winter day, buy this book. This is the book you've been waiting for. This is the learning system you've been waiting for."

--Warren Kelly, Blogcritics.org ... Read more

Customer Reviews (199)

Fantastic Book
I finished this book in only a few weeks it was so engaging. I couldn't believe a book on code could be that interesting and I was able to jump right in to designing pages and using the book as a reference.

a no no
i bought this item because the reviews were great. then i returned the item 3 days later. this book is not for regular people. it is written as if the reader has just seen the computer a month ago and doesnt even know how the web works.it wastes a lot of time explaining in layman terms. and i dont know if it is a html book or how the web or business works tutorial. even on that it fails miserably.if u dont have a simplest of ideas abt computer or web, this is not the one to start. and if u have some, this is not where u would want to start.for someone who has some ideas, there are lot of better books out there.it would not be ethical to name them here. write me if u want the names. one better way is to do some research . some websites, they allow u to see some sample pages from the book. even a couple of pages, and u will know how goood the book is.

if u belong to the other half, the ones who are trying to get into the computer and web world,its not a good idea to go to designing webpages right away. if u want a webpage just for fun/hobby or really small businesses and have a really small budget, there are lots of sites out there who provide real html templates for prices lesser than this book.
i can tell u some if u write me. again its not right to advertise someone here.u can do some research. u will find plenty.or u can go to a website that resembles ur ideal site, click on the "page" tab of ur browser window and click on "view source". on the new text window that opens, u can find the designer's web site address.

Head First, Over and Over again
I love this book, it is very well written. This book does not follow the normal trend of today's textbooks.This is a fantastic interactive learning book.I will definitely be picking up some more of these "Head First" books.Think HTML for dummies, ITS AWESOME!

Good Introduction to HTML and CSS
If you're a newbie looking for step-by-step training in coding with HTML and CSS, this is your book. Funny, entertaining, and clearly written, it patiently walks you through the process of crafting web pages.The one drawback I might mention is that because the book deliberately leads you down blind alleys in order to make you back up and do things correctly, it's a bigger book than it needs to be for the purpose.If you're a "cut the crap, get to the point" kind of learner, this might not appeal.

Also, it gives only an introduction to CSS.There's much more to CSS than this book shows, because it's intended as an introductory course.You'll need another book (I recommend O'Reilly's "HTML & XHTML") to serve as a comprehensive reference.

Great start for beginners!
This book has a funny way, yet clear way to introduce to difficult
topic of HTML. It's easy to follow and each detail is explained for the analytical mind! I would recommend this book for a beginner who enjoys a humorous way of learning! ... Read more

Book Description
Combining the strength of HTML with the flexibility of XML, Extensible Markup Language sets you free to create the kinds of Web pages you&#8217;ve always imagined. And the best thing is, it&#8217;s really easy to get the hang of XHTML. If you can give directions to the post office, you can design and build a Web page with XHTML. But here&#8217;s the catch: While XHTML isn&#8217;t hard to learn, it does pack a welter of details that you have to wrestle into submission while you build your Web pages. Mastering that will take some practice and a little coaching from a knowledgeable friend&#8211;which is what you get with XHTML For Dummies.

XHTML For Dummies is a friendly, approachable guide to tackling the terminology and mastering the tools of XHTML. Written for absolutely anyone interested in creating readable and attractive Web pages&#8211;regardless of degree of computer savvy or markup language experience&#8211;it quickly gets you on track with the kn owledge and skills needed to:

• Make Web pages that look exactly how you imagine them
• Manage XHTML style and layout
• Create cool XHTML page layouts
• Create content readable on all Internet-ready devices
• Quickly and easily convert HTML documents into XHTML
• Create sheets and DTDs
• Use tools to determine browser capability
• Rev up e-commerce applications

Packed with working examples, clear step-by-step explanations and hot tips on how to get the most out of XHTML this is everyone&#8217;s total guide to mastering the latest Web design language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An Easy Introduction to XHTML
If you already know HTML pretty well, XHTML won't be a problem. This book gives a good intro to XHTML and is quirky and entertaining along the way. As a Web designer, I found this book quite helpful.

Joe Okonkwo
[...]

Good intro to XHTML
Don't even bother learning HTML 4 - XHTML will replace it eventually so you might as well go with the wave of the future.

XHTML for Dummies is a solid INTRODUCTION to XHTML. If you have already reached the intermediate level, then this book is for you. However, if you want to design websites and don't know where to start, then give this book a shot.

Look Elsewhere
Slap "for dummies" on a book and you will get the dummies to buy it. :) This book just wears you out with all the extra chit-chat that really never gets to the point. I have read a few dummies books for programming languages and they are really not all that good because you can buy more comprehensive books that cover everything.

Not for Your Average Dummy
While this book is written in plain English and follows the usual Dummies model it is not a start-from-scratch tutorial.The author does not state this explicitly but in order to use this book effectively (because of the way it is written) you really need to have HTML under your belt before you take on XHTML.

This book is written from that perspective and is really more of a reference book for looking up various XHTML elements or rules.It is not very useful as a beginning tool for learning how to code in XHTML unless you are already familiar with the rules and ways of HTML.

Other important aspects like Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are given such cursory treatment that it really makes you feel like more of a dummy after reading it.Other aspects such as the relationship between HTML, XHTML and XML are explained in a ways that just didn't make sense to me but then maybe I'm just a bigger dummy than the author anticipated.

If you have a working knowledge of HTML then this book will probably suffice but if you are just getting started then perhaps it would be better to look elsewhere for an XHTML how-to.

The title should be "XHTML for highly motivated dummies"
If you're a true dummy (as I am sometimes), this book really is not for you.You would need to be a "dummy who is highly motivated and has lots of time to learn XHTML."You would want to be a "dummy who already has some familiarity with HTML but wants to get to the next level"or a "dummy with an extraordinarily high IQ but low self-esteem or garbled speech or dilated pupils, hence the (misplaced) dummy label."If however, you have the intelligence, the patience, the time, energy, motivation and personal ambition to wade through this long and highly technical (but written in plain language) book, you could conceivably learn XHTML, make lots of money as an XHTML programmer, and nobody, I mean NOBODY, would call you a "dummy" again. ... Read more

Book Description
The Weekend Crash Course series consists of 30 sessions over a period of three days. Each session is designed to take 30 minutes to complete, so the Crash Course is an intense 15-hour learning period beginning on Friday evening and ending on Sunday afternoon. Naturally, you can adapt your learning to whatever schedule best suits your needs.

HTML 4.01 Weekend Crash Course is written to meet the needs of the reader who is new to HTML and new to scripting and mark-up languages. However, through the use of carefully constructed roadmaps at the beginning of each session as well as pre- and post-assessment software on the CD-ROM, the book is also quite accessible to the reader who already has some knowledge of HTML or another scripting language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent
I didn't know what HTML was before this book.Now I can write my own simple webpages.Excellent.

Great Book
I have absolutely no knowledge of programming and was able to easily read the material and understand it.The graphics are also great.I would recommend this book to anyone.

Admirable job
I do recommend reading "HTML 4.01 Weekend Crash Course" if you already own it. The copy I bought and read is copyright 2000. The title might be changed to something like "HTML and related activities" as it covers considerably more than just HTML. That seems necessary to me. It would be a problem not presenting the other topics. This book does an admirable job of covering that amount of material in the 30 sessions meant to be read during a weekend. There are spots that are a little rough. It hints of being a first edition that would benefit from editing. I would wait for the next version, as there is some dated material that is only going to become more of a problem. Having said that I benefited from having read the book after having taken web design and web programming courses. I recommend reading this book (the new version) to prepare for such courses in order to take better advantage of them.

It did the job
This book took me from knowing absolutely nothing about HTML to being able to create a basic web page.It was very clear about using text and basic graphics.The CD-ROM included the code covered in the book as well as .gifs and .jpgs to practice with.After completing this book I was able to move on to more advanced HTML as well as JavaScript with a good understanding of the basics.I would recommend this book to anybody who has no prior knowledge of HTML, although I would suggest they take a little more time than a weekend to learn it.

Good for beginners
If you're looking to get up and running with HTML, and have no prior experience, this is a great book.You'll be introduced to the basics with an approach that gives you the confidence to learn web design.Topics are arranged in a sensible order, and the overall tone of the book is straightforward and won't fighten off a beginner by plunging headlong into a lot of jargon.This book is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in learning HTML. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Who better to ease you into the detailed world of HTML coding (where even an errant spacebar can gum up your creative masterpiece) than well-known Web design instructor Lynda Weinman and her programmer brother, William. This book's first edition came out over 3 years ago, and the Web has changed a lot in that time. Novices will appreciate this HTML primer that not only helps in hand-coding Web pages but also in troubleshooting the HTML generated by WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors like Dreamweaver and GoLive and image/animation applications like Flash, Fireworks, Photoshop, and ImageReady.

Creative HTML Design.2 covers basic page structure, images and compression, color, links, buttons, transparency, typography, organization, style sheets, navigation, rollovers, forms, and other issues. (A good description of the first edition, including a sample chapter, can currently be found at www.lynda.com; this new edition will most likely be detailed there soon as well. They also maintain an errata section, important for any book that includes code.) Lynda Weinman's specialty is her friendly yet tech-savvy teaching style--there aren't many who can walk readers through the minutiae of client-side image map coordinates and not confuse them (or bore them to tears). Brother William[SS1], an engineer and programmer, presumably provides the finer points of HTML, plus the JavaScript and CGI scripts. The book offers all the good aspects of Weinman's other popular books: text that's affable yet clear, with a view to anticipating problems beginners may stumble into; lesson projects that are neither too complex nor aesthetically amateur; and a book layout that doesn't crowd pages, but rather serves up ministeps and clearly captioned screen shots in easily digested morsels.

With editors that do it all--like Dreamweaver and GoLive--why would a non-tech-head Web designer want to learn HTML? As Weinman explains, "The advantage of knowing and understanding HTML is that you are in better control of knowing what is possible and what is not." Even if you use an HTML editor, you will at some point have to go "under the hood" and fix troubled code, and at this point even a little familiarity can make a big difference in relieving Web design stress. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered:

• Choosing an ISP
• Creating a basic page and uploading
• Creating graphics, including how compression works
• Web color palettes and color tags
• Links, alt text, image maps
• Background images and tiled patterns
• Custom rules, bullets, and other artwork
• Working with transparency
• Tables
• Typography and fonts
• Site planning and management
• Cascading style sheets (CSS)
• Frames
• Rollovers
• Forms
• Animation and sound
• Listing with search engines
• HTML 4.0 reference, including the finer points of "good HTML"
• CD includes all project files for sample Web site used in lessons as well as JavaScript and CGI scripts used

Customer Reviews (10)

A Good Book to Own
I didn't really read this book because I didn't need the information yet, but I think it's a great book to have in your collection.

On the short list
Five stars.I recommend to any one getting started with the creation of web sites.This book should be on the short list of books to read for creating websites.It covers more than html, and that is good.I benefited from reading it after having taken courses in web design and web programming.Reading it would be also be excellent preparation for taking a web related course.Several of its strengths are: it is co-authored by a graphic designer and techie/programmer (brother and sister), it includes a CD with the files referenced in the book, in includes an excellent html reference section, and there are a number of exercises.As many exercise as there are I would have liked more.The copyright date is 2001.I did not identify any soft spots but would estimate its shelf life will expire the end of 2003.That is the way it is with books about topics such as this.Even then it is should be a solid reference for a number of years.

Beginner's Guide to NOT SO CREATIVE HTML
When I was told that this book was going to be used for my technology class I was kind of excited because I am fairly familiar with the Lynda.com material. I had picked up her Learning Flash 5 CD-ROM and walked away with a feeling that it was money well spent, and that I had come away with a great deal of knowledge about Flash. Now keeping this in mind, when I picked up this title and read through it (mind you unlike some reviewers I read cover to cover), I did not feel like there was too much content that I could walk away with and use in any real world situtation. The techniques she used, produced very amateur-like pages that would not pass for a high school student's work. Mind you, for some of the fundamental HTML concepts the book was good, but for any real world stuff I felt like I was lookig at those pages where you know the person made it in Frontpage 98' without the plug-ins. Any of the cool stuff like the Javascript Rollovers was gone over so rushed and with so little detail, that it would have been better to have omitted it from the book. I am sorry this book just really was not worth the money.. I would look to that HTML Quickstart book over this one any day.

Good Combination of Design and Code for Beginners
I like the idea of combining a designer and a developer to create an HTML book. The "family reunion" at the front of the book is banal and adds nothing to the book, but once by that, it's pretty smooth sailing.

What the book successfully does is to show that creating a good Web site is not a matter of simply knowing the code but correctly preparing the graphics and working them into HTML. They use PhotoShop 6, but I was able to fumble through using an older version of PhotoShop and even Fireworks for readying the graphics. The exercises are helpful and simple enough for beginners.

Some of the chapters, like one on bullets and horizontal rules was a bit overblown even for beginners. However, the bulk of the book is a gentle path to working with HTML and graphics. The online site (Ducks in a Row) is only so-so design wise, and the CD files needed for the exercises aren't always complete but enough to work through the exercises. The chapter on transparencies in GIF files was excellent and contained lots of good information and exercises.

My favorite part of the book lies in the Appendices. The authors compile the tags and their associated attributes in several tables so it is a good reference for later use at a more advanced level. They did not include every Maverick tag and attribute that Netscape and Microsoft like to drop in but stuck with the W3C standard as far as I could see.

Overall, when a beginner is finished with this book she'll be ready for intermediate level material for developing Web sites, and if that is the book's goal, it accomplishes it nicely.

A great book for everyone - REALLY everyone!
The book covers all the topics you may encounter while designing a web page, whether it's a simple personal one, or a complex site. The layout of the book is great, it's easy to find everything and includes a comprehensive HTML 4.01 reference. Lots and lots of examples in the book and on the CD, so you see everything in action while you're learning the techniques. Great for both beginners and those with a knowledge of HTML, because it is so comprehensive, you will no doubt find many many things that you haven't learned yet or are not aware of. ... Read more

Book Description
Technology trainer and Web site designer James Pence clearly presents the Cascading Style Sheet essentials for programmers and Web designers, including structuring content for cross-browser presentation, building designs using selectors and declarations, and XML integration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Frustrating!
I swear the author of this book goes out of his way to make its readers feel incompetent. While full of useful information, this book is also just as full of typos and inconsistancies.

Do you want to know how frustrating it is to try and re-create a page using the code given to you in a book, have the page come out looking nothing like the example in said book, then finding out the reason for the discrepency is because the author actually coded their example differently? Well there's plenty of opportunities in this book!

I now have to learn inline CSS which I believe might have been covered to some extent in this book. I can't remember. That's how badly I want to forget this book! I'm sticking with CSS for Dummies!

Great once you know the basics
Use this book once you have Pence's basic HTML book down. It will provide many new tools to spruce up your exist web programming.

great textbook but needs to professional editing
It is a great hands on textbook. The author did a great job conveying concepts. Easy to understand especially talking about codes. However a lot of typing error and project data or instructional errors. Misspelled in a lot of places. Information inconsistency. Requires professional editing services. I think the author should continue to write these book. Pence is a good writer but need to make sure information, data or examples are consistent. It hinders the student when trying to do the projects.

Earnest & Thoughtful, but Repitious and Full of Typos
This book covers basic CSS. It succeeds in offering a very gentle and fairly comprehensive overview of CSS1 features, with some CSS2. However, his constant warning about the lack of robust support for CSS in browsers is somewhat dated and tiring. The book is also full of annoying typos that at times prevent examples from working--a missing period here, a misplaced semi-colon there. Perhaps to make the chapters (called "Modules" here) independent, there is quite a bit of repetition of the same ideas in many chapters. The gradual introduction of CSS syntax and techniques also seems to incourage the author to use examples that mix CSS and traditional html in ways that are not good CSS practice, just apparantely oversimplified examples to make simple points about transitioning from HTML to specific CSS features. That distinction could be lost on a lot beginners who don't get a more solid understanding of how to use CSS to build more complete and consistent pages and websites. I therefore wish the author would have included more comprehensive examples, rather than lots of smaller out-of-context and disconnected ones. This book is not terrible. I just think you could probably do better now. I would give it 2 1/2 stars if I could.

Very good book for CSS Beginners
This book teaches what it claims to teach. It teaches CSS 1 for everyday tasks you would perform. It also teaches you how to create entire layouts using CSS. I strongly recommend this book to those who have just learned HTML and want to go ahead. This book also gives overview of very basics of CSS 2.

The book is well structured and includes hints, tips and other similar helpful stuff along the way.

Of course reading a book does not really make you a master unless you think and work hard yourself as well. So if you know HTML then this shud be your next step. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Lee Anne Phillips proves that you don't have to be a programmer or even technically minded to put together an interesting and professional-looking Web site. All you need is a little taste, some common sense, and a bit of guidance. This book takes users by the hand--even those who haven't purchased their first computer yet.

Her first chapter is elementary, covering everything from selecting a computer to choosing an Internet service provider. Next, she launches into how to create your first Web page, using simple but realistic examples to turn seemingly daunting code into a simple set of instructions for building a basic and attractive Web site. Phillips demystifies the process, showing how to use the simple text editors that come with each computer.

Gradually Phillips moves into more advanced topics, such as images and multimedia, how to control the presentation, how to add interactivity, and more. She summarizes key points and additional tips in quick side notes on the borders of each page.

Using HTML 4 is not an exhaustive exploration of HTML 4, but it highlights the most important and useful features for newbies who want to build a Web site for family, hobbies, or small business. --Elizabeth LewisBook Description
By covering all of the tasks associated with creating a Web page with HTML, Using HTML 4provides the perfect reference for readers who need quick answers to their HTML questions.The key features of this book are: -Creating The Basic Web Page. -Including Images and Multimedia. -Controlling Presentation. -Adding Interactivity. -Advanced Topics. -HTML Publishing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Excellent Book
Starts off at the very beginning, and leads the reader to learn html with lots of pictures and examples.This book is very organized.

Terrible as an HTML companion book
Although this book covers pretty much all the elements of HTML, I discovered a significant number of incomplete syntax specifications. I was especially disappointed in its coverage of forms. The chapter just breezedthrough all the different types of form elements and didn't explain howdata from these elements are handled when submitting a form. Because ofthe inadequacy of this book, I often find myself having to surf on the Netto find answers to my HTML questions.

Outstanding Reference Guide
QUE's "Unsing HTML 4" was and continues to be a great reference quide. It also has easy indexing for new HTML authors. This book is definitely the best choice for either experienced authors or beginners.

The BEST HTML book I have read yet !
Before buying this book, I was wondering what could have been packed in it to make it around 600 pages more than the average HTML books I have read so far.....When I got it in my hands and started perusing its pages, I got thefeeling that I have got back every penny spent on it ! The best book onHTML I have come across and it should be your HTML's reference book fromnow on.

This book should be required text for all future HTML'ers
I bought this book before I had a computer in my home. However, by the time I had finished the second chapter, I was already composing web pages in my head. Lee Anne does an excellent job of introducing the ins and outsof correct HTML coding. Not only does she bring you up to par with todayscoding standards but, she uses keen far-sight to prepare you for thenuances and ever evolving standards of the web. If you are searching for astraight-as-an-arrow approach to web page building, then I highly recommendthis book. ... Read more

Book Description

Sams Teach Yourself SVG in 24 Hours provides a thorough understanding of the technology, complete with working examples and practical answers to common development questions. The book focuses on how to create imagery in SVG for static and dynamic graphics. Readers will learn: SVG fundamentals; how it compares to other technologies, including Flash; Manipulating SVG; painting with SVG and using effects; Bringing SVG to life; understanding animation; Text and typography; Efficient coding techniques; Understanding how to integrate JavaScript and dynamic data; Mastering SVG and overcoming common problems.

Download Description
Sams Teach Yourself SVG in 24 Hours provides a thorough understanding of the technology, complete with working examples and practical answers to common development questions. The book focuses on how to create imagery in SVG for static and dynamic graphics. Readers will learn: SVG fundamentals; how it compares to other technologies, including Flash; Manipulating SVG; painting with SVG and using effects; Bringing SVG to life; understanding animation; Text and typography; Efficient coding techniques; Understanding how to integrate JavaScript and dynamic data; Mastering SVG and overcoming common problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Teach yourself SVG - excellent choice for fast learning
I am currently working on a compiler that outputs SVG. 'Teach yourself SVG in 24 Hours' has enabled be to gain a good understanding of how to use some of the nice, handy features of SVG without having to spend ages geeking around on the internet looking for online tutorials!

It was a pleasent suprise to open a computing book that wasn't in too much jargon - quite a handy thing when its your first exposure to a new language. This book it written for everyone! (unless you have no interest in computers or the internet etc..)

The Best Computer Book I've Read
Teach Yourself SVG in 24 Hours, I believe, is one of the best computer books I've read. I am a computer savvy with 5 years experiences in programming and network administration as well as database management. Recently I am working on a project involving SVG.

This book walked you through a series of detailed tutorials to build a dynamic weather forecast web page using SVG step by step. In each chapter, a new topic is covered in aneasy-to-understand and informative manner, which makes the learning curve pretty flat. As the title suggests, this book is an introductory primer to a new technique so it is not intented to delve too deep into a specific topic. However, a good many hyperlinks to W3C's online SVG specification appear here and there for your reference if you would like to make your hands dirtier...In a nutshelll, if you would like to teach yourself SVG from the beginning, it is The book, though it may, by a large chance, take you more than 24 hours to go through it.

Sams Teach Yourself SVG in 24 Hours
I am a graphic artist using Adobe Illustrator and I wanted to learn more about SVG. I asked the Adobe people about this file format that is included with the newest versions of Illustrator but was unable to find out much. Finally I found this great book.

This book begins with an overview and describes the justification and process of development of SVG. In chapter 2 it jumps right in and teaches the nuts and bolts of creating images with SVG. As I am not a coder or programmer, I was amazed at the simplicity. Once a few basics had been explained I was off and running. Anyone with even the most basic computer and a simple text editor can create sophisticated graphics.

Towards the end of the book is a section on using Adobe Illustrator and in the back there is a reference section for oddball color conversion. The book also comes with the Adobe Web Collection CD that includes the viewer and tryout versions of Illustrator and Photoshop.

I'm really excited by the potential of this technology and can recommend this book to anyone who wants to develop some expertise in a hurry.

Good Luck...Tom Burns

A MUST HAVE for your web library
Web developers and designers alike should have a full acquaintance with this exciting new technology.There aren't many resources yet available, and this book will prove to be a trailblazer.

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML implementation utilizing a markup language similar to HTML but created specifically to render and control graphics.It is a robust mix of technologies including the DOM, CSS, Xlink, XSLT and JavaScript, and using the Adobe® SVG Viewer (a free plug-in), it supports static and dynamic graphics and WAV or MP3 audio.

Web developers should learn SVG because it is open-source and built in a simple text editor.It gives complete control of each graphic element.Web designers should use SVG because it is powerful -- graphics packages such as Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Jasc Web Draw and others support SVG output.SVG also enables flash-like animation. In fact, SVG is THE open-source solution to web animation.No longer do you need expensive proprietary software to get the job done.

Anyway, this book is what you need.(That's how I learned all this.)Author Micah Laaker, while presenting the material in a comprehensive, straightforward and exciting manner, will leave an excellent reference guide on your book shelf.Buy it, read it and keep it handy.

A must have for SVG Developers

I think that SVG developers of all ages, shapes, sizes, and experience level will find it very useful indeed. Micah covers the topics everyone needs to get started, and some that I think even some experienced, self-taught developers might find new--or just well explained. So I think there is something for everyone in this book.

I am particularly impressed with how Micah translates the SVG concepts into vocabulary of the traditional designer who is used to tools like Illustrator, Photoshop, WebDraw, or CorelDraw without depending on those tools to actually build the examples. But this is not at the expense of readers who are comfortable with "code" in general (HTML, JavaScript, etc.). Those readers will feel very comfortable with the level of detail and writing style.

... Read more