[...]... This book, therefore, is the definitive guide to HTML We give details for all the elements of the HTML 4.0 standard, plus the variety of interesting and useful extensions to the language—some proposed standards—that the popular browser manufacturers have chosen to include in their products, such as: • Cascading Style Sheets • Java and JavaScript • Layers • Multiple columns HTML: The Definitive Guide, Third... 1: HTML and the World Wide Web general word processor and later insert the HTML tags and their attributes Still others embed HTML tags as they compose We think the stepwise approach—compose, then mark up—is the better way We find that once we’ve defined and written the document’s content, it’s much easier to make a second pass to judiciously and effectively add the HTML tags to format the text Otherwise,... connection to the Internet 1.6.1.1 Word processor or HTML editor? Some authors use the word-processing capabilities of their specialized HTML editing software Others use the WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) composition tools that come with their browser or latest versions of the popular word processors Others, such as ourselves, prefer to compose their work on a HTML: The Definitive Guide, Third... best meet the needs of the many Beyond HTML, the W3C has the broader responsibility of standardizing any technology related to the World Wide Web; they manage the HTTP standard, as well as related standards for document addressing on the Web And they solicit draft HTML: The Definitive Guide, Third Edition, eMatter Edition Copyright © 2000 O’Reilly & Associates, Inc All rights reserved 1.4 HTML: What... got to get the HTML syntax correct, or it won’t work Then, too, there is the problem of “standards.” Committees of academics and industry experts try to define the proper syntax and usage of a computer language like HTML The problem is that HTML browser manufacturers like Netscape and Microsoft choose what parts of the standard they will use and which parts they will ignore They even make up their own... address stamped on it Upon receipt, the server verifies that the requesting browser is allowed to retrieve documents from the server, and, if so, checks for the requested document If found, the server sends (downloads) the document to the browser The server usually logs the request, the client computer’s name, document requested, and the time Back on the browser, the document arrives If it’s a plain-vanilla... extensions to HTML made by the folks at Netscape or Microsoft instantly become part of the street version of HTML, much like English slang creeping into the vocabulary of most Frenchmen despite the best efforts of the Académie Française Fortunately, with HTML version 4.0, the W3C standards have caught up with the browser manufacturers In fact, the tables have turned somewhat The many extensions to HTML that... influence that standards body, rather than letting the browser industry at large decide standards, as they did with HTML 3.2 (In today’s computing game, there’s Microsoft and then there’s everybody else.) The paradox is that the HTML 4.0 standard is not the definitive resource There are many more features of the language in popular use by both Netscape and/or Internet Explorer than are included in this latest... extension to the standard Internet Explorer extension to the standard The description also includes the ending tag, if any, for the tag, along with a general indication if the end tag may be safely omitted in general use “Contains” names the rule in the HTML grammar that defines the elements to be placed within this tag Similarly, “Used in” lists those rules that allow this tag as part of their content These... publishing to keep us two mavericks corralled HTML: The Definitive Guide, Third Edition, eMatter Edition Copyright © 2000 O’Reilly & Associates, Inc All rights reserved Chapter 1 In this chapter: • The Internet, Intranets, and Extranets • Talking the Internet Talk • HTML: What It Is • HTML: What It Isn’t • Nonstandard Extensions • Tools for the HTML Designer 1 HTML and the World Wide Web 1 Though it began