Creating a Web Page with HTML: Visual QuickProject Guide [Paperback]

Elizabeth Castro (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 032127847X | ISBN-13: 978-0321278470 | Publication Date: August 13, 2004

Creating beautifully coded HTML Web pages that perform predictably and consistently across all browsers and platforms can be a daunting task, but best-selling author Elizabeth Castro knows that most readers don't need an encyclopedic reference, just simple instructions for creating their first Web page. This compact guide delivers! Rather than explaining every tag and option, she demonstrates the quickest, easiest, smartest route to creating that first Web page. Each short section walks readers through the construction of a single phase or component, so they learn how to plan a site, prepare Web images, insert links and graphics, and publish their finished pages to the Web. Project-based, step-by-step instructions and large, full-color screen shots make the information instantly accessible, and the author's clear, straightforward style takes the reader from a standing start to finished site quickly and easily.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Best-selling author Elizabeth Castro has written numerous books on HTML and Web design, including HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide and Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (August 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 032127847X
• ISBN-13: 978-0321278470
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I moved to Barcelona in 1987 to study bilingualism but found a job in a computer company instead. After managing the translation of many different computer programs (FreeHand, PageMaker, Illustrator, and more), I started a publishing company to translate and publish computer books in Spanish. In 1993, moved back to the US to write my own books. Started with Netscape, and then moved on to HTML, Perl, XML, Blogger, iPhoto, and most recently EPUB. You can find more personal info about me at my blog A Year in Barcelona (http://www.ayearinbarcelona.com). My regular blog is Pigs, Gourds, and Wikis (http://www.pigsgourdsandwikis.com). I spend a fair bit of time on Twitter (@lizcastro). And my full website is www.ElizabethCastro.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A short, fun way to get a web page done, February 25, 2005

By 

Geeky Grandma - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creating a Web Page with HTML: Visual QuickProject Guide (Paperback)

This book is definitely for beginners, but then that's the whole point. The author starts out with the very basics showing you how to design a web page, telling you how you're going to do it and then taking you through all the steps one-by-one. There's a brief introduction to html and using css and then she jumps right in getting you to create a web page.

There's lots of illustrations, and the html text and the css text are color coded so you know exactly where the author is at when giving instructions. It's a short book, only about 125 pages, but packed full of useful tips that only we *newbies* to web design can truly appreciate. At the end of the book is information on hosting, transfering files to the server and just some basics on getting started.

The book only has you format two pages, but explains how to tweak this and tweak that using css. They're good, solid pages that just might survive the wrath of most browsers. You should have enough info to format more pages if you need them. I used my own images and have to admit that my pages looked just as good as the ones in the book.

There is a somewhat lengthy section on formatting photos with Photoshop which I couldn't use as I don't have Photoshop, but the information clearly comes across that you do need to rework those photos to avoid lengthy download times.

This would be a good beginner guide for someone wanting to put together some pages on their family, kid's softball team, vacation pixs, a short sight-seeing excursion, etc.

Again, this is definitely for beginniners and remember that it doesn't begin to cover all aspects of html, css or page design, but it gives you the opportunity to turn something out that looks nice without getting too bogged down.

I'm glad I bought the book as it certainly accomplishes what it set out to do. Besides, where else can you get an afternoon of creativity, have something to show for it and only spend $10.00?

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Way to Get Started, September 5, 2004

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creating a Web Page with HTML: Visual QuickProject Guide (Paperback)

One of my biggest problems with computer books is that they have a difficult time getting you started. It seems like they skip the first twenty or fifty pages that should describe just what it is that you're trying to do here.

This book is different. It starts out with let's build these two web pages. First you create a folder, then you type in a few characters into what you'll save as a file. You know, that headline would look a lot more like a headline if it were bigger, here's how you do a heading.

No, it's not going to teach you everything about HTML. But it provides the initial getting started phase. Good Idea!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just What You Need To Make A Simple HTML Website, January 20, 2005

By 

Diane Cipollo (Editor at BellaOnline.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creating a Web Page with HTML: Visual QuickProject Guide (Paperback)

If you want a book that can show you how to create a simple HTML website quickly and without the distraction of long explanations of HTML code, this is a good book for you. The author, Elizabeth Castro, walks you step-by-step through the two webpage project that is the focus of her book. By using easy to follow instructions and illustrations, Castro gives you the basic knowledge you need to create this simple website.

So what exactly will this book help you accomplish? You will make two HTML webpages and accompanying Cascading Style Sheets (standard for formatting webpages). This two page website will have a home page and one inner page. From just these two webpages you can go on to create an entire website by creating any number of inner pages.

Castro begins by telling you what you will need to complete the project and then she jumps right in with the bare bones HTML webpage. She then starts to add the images and text that are the main focus of the book. She first shows you how to add a simple image to the webpage and how to make a navigation bar from a few small images. She then shows how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to position this navigation bar on the webpage and control the appearance of the navigation links.

Castro then moves on to demonstrate CSS more thoroughly. She starts with formatting and positioning text on a webpage. She then shows how to divide a webpage into sections and how to control the position and appearance of each section with the CSS.

Once you have completed your two webpages, you are ready to publish to the web. Castro discusses hosting your site and FTP software for transferring your webpage onto the web.

Castro has included some useful charts at the end of the book which contain the HTML and CSS code used in the project, HTML color and special character codes. You can find more helpful information and download the project files and images used in this book from the accompanying website, cookwood.com.

Castro has also written many of the Visual QuickStart Guide books for Peachpit Press.