What I consider when devising in HTML..
- A page is but a page, is but a page. You will never run out of
pages..
why cram everything onto just one? Spread the wealth. Conjure a web... I
try to
keep individual pages to less than 10K, in part because my attention
span is
only 12K, and also because I realize many people have slow links.
- Keep a dictionary handy.
- Always give a <title>. I dread becoming lost in the nameless
heirarchy
of titles, all saying 'No Name.'
- You'll have to decide how you want things to appear. I find text in
this size appealing. (<h4> header for Mosaic browsers, default for
Netscape.. <ul>text<ul> is approximately the same size and
effect for both).
- Test your pages on your own computer before you add them
to your heirarchy of documents on the server. Most browsers have an
'open', or 'open local' function to do this.
- For scripts, testing is especially important. There is nothing more
disappointing that linking to a form or script that doesn't work.
- Keep in mind that different browsers present things differently. If
you have the time, try looking at your documents with different
browsers (Mosaic, Netscape, Lynx) to make sure anyone can read and
understand
your pages.
Words take up lots of space.
- Pictures do wonders. Spread them liberally within your pages BUT..
- For the multitudes with 'slow-links' I follow convention, and leave
a small,
'thumbnail-sized' inline .gif that can be beclickéd to open the
larger,
anchored image.
- The potent effect of mpeg movies should not be underestimated.
- Tansparent .gifs will make the crowds oooh and ahh, if used
sparingly,
in deserving spots.
- .. and as to in-line images. If you are going to put it on your
page, make
it look *nice.* Scanners have a tendency to wash-out colors and
contrast. Take the extra bit of effort to return your pictures to their
original
vitality.
- Give the size of your anchored pictures or mpegs in parenthesis next
to
the in-line icon, so people can determine if they want to download a
large file
or not.
- When making a direct link to a picture at another site, I always
reference
the site carrying the image by placing a hypertext link next to the link
for the
image.
How much switch could a rich witch itch if a hitched glitch switched
which
ditch?
- Once you get to know them, <FORMS> are really not all that
bad. Do not
let them intimidate you. Perseverence is the key to their mastery.
- If you are fortunate enough to have use of a language for writing
scripts,
try your
hand at it. There are freely distributable scripts in perl that will
handle the
input from FORMs. All you have to do is think of feindishly
simple-minded things
to do with that input. If I can do it, so can you..
- Hypertext links at the bottom of each page, leading to the previous
page(s)
are an
added nicety, particularly if multiple pages link to that document.
- Give your email address at the bottom of every page using the
<address>
you@mars.needs.fulcrum</address> tag. You never know who may want
to
reach you.
Suspend!