The web was invented for posting text messages. HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) was then used to incase text in simple tags such as <b> for bold text or <p> for paragraph breaks.
Programming languages used have evolved since then. As well as HTML there is the more dynamic DHTML, XHTML & XML. And that's just for basic layout & design. In order to get your browser to take action & DO things (like send emails, collect info from other sites or perform calculations) active scripting languages like java, PHP & CGI scripts are used.
|
To see what a website looks like, choose View > Source from your browser's menu. You'll see the code written in Notepad. Creating sites from text in Notepad or Word is simply a matter of understanding the above programming languages. w3schools.com is a great place to start learning! |
|
Search engine optimisation It's very ambitious for them to create perfect code based on your layout, so these can be a little clumsy, but they'll save enormous amounts of time. They'll also allow you the option to edit the code if you feel able & find there's a problem or some mess to tidy up. |
|
Getting Started |
 |
Once you're able to create a basic HTML file you'll have a site & the next step is to get it 'hosted'.. While the web is basically just a tangle of connected computers, it's not a simple matter of hosting your site on your own machine. You generally need to host on a dedicated 'server' machine, which is purpose built, will rarely be 'off' or 'down', & will have plenty of bandwidth. |
|
| There are countless hosting packages available & for $A75-$A100 a year you can get more space then you'll probably ever need. Of course, there are cheap & even FREE hosting services available too. Most require you to place ads on your site. Try http://free.hostdepartment.com if you need a free host without ads. | |
| Domain Registration | |
Most hosting packages will allow you to use a web address which is a subdomain of the host site. However, if you want your own distinctive address, you'll have to register & pay for it. Registrar sites like www.melbourneit.com.au are the place to go. Search for 'domain registrar' in an engine & you'll find tonnes of options. Note that there are regulations regarding which domains can be bought. For example, a ".com.au" domain can only be registered by a commercial business that's relevant to the name being purchased. Once you've set up a site, the next step is getting people to see it. When you're ready, come back & read our search engine optimisation tips. |
|