HTML: The Definitive Guide

By Chuck Musciano, Bill Kennedy
First Edition January 1900
Pages: 410
ISBN 10: 1-56592-175-5 | ISBN 13: 9781565921757

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Book description

A complete guide to creating documents on the World Wide Web. This book describes basic syntax and semantics and goes on to show you how to create beautiful, informative Web documents you'll be proud to display. The HTML 2.0 standard and Netscape extensions are fully explained.
Full Description

Learning HTML is like learning any new language, computer or human. Most students first immerse themselves in examples. Studying others is a natural way to learn, making learning easy and fun. Imitation can take you only so far, though. Examples can be both good and bad. Learning by example will help you talk the talk, but not walk the walk. Computer-based languages are precise. You've got to get the HTML syntax correct, or it just won't work. And, 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 Communications choose what parts of the standard they will use, and which parts they'll ignore. They even make up their own parts, which may eventually become standards. The better way to become HTML fluent is through a comprehensive language reference, a resource that covers the language syntax, semantics, and variations in detail and helps you distinguish between good and bad usage. HTML: The Definitive Guide helps you become fluent in HTML, fully versed in the language's syntax, semantics, and elements of style. The book covers the most up-to-date version of the HTML standard, plus all the common extensions and, in particular, Netscape extensions. The authors cover each and every element of the currently accepted version of the language in detail, explaining how each element works and how it interacts with all the other elements. They've also included a style guide that helps you decide how to best use HTML to accomplish a variety of tasks, from simple online documentation to complex marketing and sales presentations. With a practical, hands-on style, this book helps you to create truly effective Web pages and to master advanced features, such as tables and equations. HTML: The Definitive Guide shows you how to:

Insert images and other multimedia elements
Create effective links and searchable documents
Create effective forms with basic forms elements such as buttons, checkboxes, and radio buttons
Use Netscape extensions, including improved horizontal rules, image layout, indexed documents, line breaking, and font handling
Create effective Netscape tables
Create dynamic documents with Server Push and Client Pull

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Book details

First Edition: January 1900
ISBN: 1-56592-175-5
Pages: 410

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"Finally. An HTML book worth buying. If you write or design for the Web you'll quickly find this book the only paper-based guide to HTML worth keeping. Written by Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy, the style and tone of the work is refreshingly crisp and painstakingly accurate.

O'Reilly & Associates is one of the few computer book publishers that doesn't get caught up in sacrificing quality for bulk in its titles. At almost 400 pages, HTML: The Definitive Guide isn't a lightweight, but there is absolutely no fluff or coverage of tangential issues in this work. The book is an authoritative treatment of the HTML markup language; you won't find general Internet or Web information here. Readers of other O'Reilly titles will find the book's interior design and layout familiar; HTML: The Definitive Guide is easily navigated and best treated as a reference guide.

"In the three years since the creation of HTML, the markup language has grown in both power and complexity. HTML: The Definitive Guide manages this complexity effectively by providing generous examples and an integrated style guide. This is the first HTML reference I've seen that refers to the non-existent HTML 3.0 as what it is: a marketing gimmick. Moreover, this is the first book I've seen that provides a clear and concise discussion of how non-standard and pseudo-standard HTML tags are handled by various Web browsers. This information is crucial for serious Web authors and designers.

"HTML: The Definitive Guide covers the HTML 2.0 standard and the Netscape 2.0 extensions. That may sound outdated, but it's not. The work includes complete coverage of the most recent HTML constructs including forms, tables, font handling, frames, and dynamic documents (server push/client pull)."

--Michael Fraase, Cyberspace Settlers Guide, Copyright 1996 Arts & Farces

"Out of the hundreds of HTML books on the market just one stands out for completeness and clarity. That book is: HTML: The Definitive Guide by Chuck Musciano & Bill Kennedy...published by O'Reilly & Associates.

"Not only does this book cover HTML version 2 and 3 well without treating the reader as if he were a child, it also covers the major extensions to the HTML language developed by both Netscape and Microsoft.

"Clear technical writing for which O'Reilly & Associates is known is what makes this book required reading for every web master. A handy pull out reference guild is included as well. Also of note is the complete listing of every tag, function and attribute connected with each tag in a box for easy use. I have seen dozens of books about HTML, most of them bad, a few good, but this is the only one that comes close to being the kind of printed documentation that most computer programing languages come with.

"An excellent book which I would, and have suggested to anyone."

--Greg Kearney, Editor, Internet DailyNews, http://www.dailynews.net

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