HTML, XHTML, & CSS All-in-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Introduction

I love the Internet, and if you picked up this book, you probably do, too. The Internet is dynamic, chaotic, exciting, interesting, and useful, all at the same time. The Web is pretty fun from a user's point of view, but that's only part of the story. Perhaps the best part of the Internet is how participatory it is. You can build your own content — free! It's really amazing. There's never been a form of communication like this before. Anyone with access to a minimal PC and a little bit of knowledge can create his or her own homestead in one of the most exciting platforms in the history of communication.

The real question is how to get there. A lot of Web development books are really about how to use some sort of software you have to buy. That's okay, but it isn't necessary. Many software packages have evolved that purport to make Web development easier — and some work pretty well — but regardless what software package you use, there's still a need to know what's really going on under the surface. That's where this book comes in.

You'll find out exactly how the Web works in this book. You'll figure out how to use various tools, but, more importantly, you'll create your piece of the Web. You'll discover:

• How Web pages are created: You'll figure out the basic structure of Web pages. You'll understand the structure well because you build pages yourself. No mysteries here.

• How to separate content and style: You'll understand the foundation of modern thinking about the Internet ...