Creating Web Pages for Dummies, Third Edition [Paperback]

Bud E. Smith (Author), Arthur Bebak (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 076450357X | ISBN-13: 978-0764503573 | Publication Date: March 1998

This manual contains information on inserting graphics, photographs, movie clips, and using sound and music to make Web pages more enticing to the browser. It shows readers how to create links to and from other sites to increase visitor traffic and get content noticed. It covers page formatting and frames and includes design ideas for use on readers' Web sites. The tools for doing the work are demonstrated, with instructions. Emphasis is placed on creating new pages with attention to maintaining previously existing Web content. The accompanying CD-ROM contains versions of popular software products: PageMill from Adobe; Web Wizard for creating pages; InContext Spider; BBEDit Lite; and useful file conversion tools.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The authors of Creating Web Pages for Dummies deserve compliments for their refusal to sugarcoat Web page design through reliance upon visual editing tools. They come right out of the gate and teach HTML--a simple, limited subset of the whole language to be sure, but enough of the language of Web publishing to get readers going. Further, this simple but earnest introduction reveals HTML concepts that readers will need to understand before they explore more complicated aspects of the language.

In addition to teaching the fundamentals of page design and creation, Smith and Bebak spend some time explaining how to get pages onto the Web. They detail the mechanics of using no-charge page publishers like GeoCities, then go on to explain how to publish a page on AOL or Prodigy.

One section of this book deals with HTML development tools (the opening chapter is called "Be True to Your Tool"--go figure). The authors cover NaviPress, PageMill, HotDog, and BBEdit in depth, and address a few more development tools briefly. Unfortunately, the reader is left wondering what happened to coverage of FrontPage--a very popular development tool that many people already own.

A companion CD-ROM holds some page-editing tools, including a PageMill demo, a HotDog Demo, BBEdit Lite, and various other software.

If you represent a business, you'll probably want a more comprehensive text that will enable you to project a more professional image on the Web. But if you're a person who wants to publish a home page, this book will serve you well. --David Wall --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“…bulging compendium of valuable site spinning knowledge…” (PC Home, November 2004)

“…a valuable resource addressing all site-crafting competencies…” (Web Pages Made Easy, August 2004) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 359 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc (Computers) (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076450357X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764503573
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,180,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great for beginners!, December 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Creating Web Pages for Dummies (Paperback)

If you have no experience with web publishing or you have only created a web page with those wizards that don't use HTML this is definitely the book for you. It was a very easy read for me. I read this book in only 2 days. If you know anything about HTML I wouldn't really recommend this book because it will state what you already know. I considered myself a beginner but I was somewhat familiar with HTML and web publishing. To my surprise a lot of it I already knew. However, it still was very helpful to me. It talked about areas such as creating a web page that is friendly to all browsers...something I wouldn't have thought of without this book. It includes very useful URL's and has screen shots of examples of the things they are talking about. It also comes with a cd-rom that includes freeware and shareware stuff that I found very useful for myself. In one of the appendixes are very useful HTML charts, but they could ahve explained the tags much better. Overall its definitely a great read for a beginner!

95 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Makes A Great Starter (And Finisher)!, April 10, 2002

By 

Martin A Hogan "Marty From SF" (San Francisco, CA. (Hercules)) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating Web Pages for Dummies, Sixth Edition (Paperback)

Don't be fooled by the title "for Dummies". This book includes everything you need to know about creating your own Web page with all the knowledge and software you'll need. You will need to invest some time in this project - but it is worth every minute! It's a simple, step by step process and you will need to take it slow if you're an average creator.

First you'll learn all about Web Publishing Basics, Website strategies and just enough HTML to get started (it's not that hard!). Besides creating your first Web page, you'll learn how to get the darn thing published on the WWW! That's half the battle, but worth the effort! There's lots of information on what to avoid (before you go there) and what makes the best Web page. Before you know it, you'll be upgrading your Web page all the time. You'll never get bored updating and changing your page until it's just perfect!

The book includes an invaluable CD that is useful for Windows and MAC! It contains Microsft Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, Dreamweaver (great design tool!), Frontpage Express, HTML conversion tools for Word (nice short-cut), BBEDIT, GraphicConverter (MAC), Homesite HTML Editor (MAC), Hotdog Express (for Windows - great tool!), SiteCheck utility, an Internet service provider software (if you don't already have one - most likely you have a sufficient one), HTMLValidator (catches errors), WEB Wizard (a nifty quick-and-dirty page maker), Reptile (for making cool backgrounds) and Paint Shop Pro, which is my favorite tool. There's plenty of other stuff too that I just can't get into detail here.

Once again, this does take a little bit of effort, but of all the books I have perused, this one seemed to be the best value for the money. It's all here and updated annually. It is worth every penny. Get your Web site up and running in less than a weekend (even though the book says one day). You'll feel smart when you're done! Enjoy!

67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for beginning Web-makers, May 18, 2000

By 

John Harris Stevenson "tranquileye" (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating Web Pages for Dummies (Paperback)

Every once in awhile a neophyte Web user who had never done any Web authoring asks me to recommend some books to get them started. These days, I suggest Creating Web Pages for Dummies.

What I liked best about this book was that it more or less stuck to the basics. There is an awful lot to know about creating the Web; so much so, in fact, that it is easy for a knowledgeable author to overwhelm the reader. The other extreme, of course, is skirting over fundamental areas. Creating Web Pages for Dummies pretty much covers everything in enough depth for someone to put together a personal Web site fairly quickly.

Creating Web Pages for Dummies starts out by explaining the fundamentals of HTML and the Web, and then moves into more complex topics, such as how to pick an ISP. One of the great strengths of the book is its focus on a range of simple WYS editors. Web-makers who are just starting do not have to go out and buy a $200 or $300 Web editor; there are a number of very good and very usable tools out there that don't cost a dime.

This book is only a beginning; if you want to get serious about Web design, you'll have to move onto other, more advanced books. But Creating Web Pages for Dummies is an excellent introduction to the subject.