Customer Reviews

Creating a Web Site: The Missing Manual

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you spend much time on the Internet at all, at some point you've said to yourself, "Maybe I should have a web site." It can be a bit intimidating, and many people don't get beyond that "Maybe I should ..." phase. If you want to progress further, this book is for you.

The book is laid out in a logical progression from concept to interaction to making money with your site. Each stage of web "development" has its own section in the book -- which is a huge plus: you don't have to wade through a lot of basic information to get to what you want.

The first section covers the planning stage of website design. There's a discussion about choosing a hosting service (including the problems with using the free space that many ISPs give to their subscribers) and an overview of HTML editing software. There's also a brief introduction to HTML -- just enough to get you started.

Section two takes it from there. You've found a hosting service, you've got the software, and you have the skeleton of a site. NOW you want to make the site look good. This section covers pictures, links, and tables, and even goes into some basic CSS. You learn to turn a bunch of separate web pages into a web site, add content so people want to visit your site, and make the site look good so people want to come back.

Section three goes where the average HTML tutorial doesn't go and talks about driving traffic. Getting search engine hits, creating your own message boards, and even (once you get the traffic) making money on your site. This is the part of the book that will have broader appeal -- the information will be valuable to novices as well as more experienced webmasters. The only disappointment in this section was that the subject of hit counters and stat tracking services wasn't covered in much depth. I would have liked to have seen more information on the various tracking services, rather than a one-page mention.

Part four starts to enhance the site. Javascript menus and buttons, and audio and video. This is a dangerous section, and the book does preach caution in adding many of these features (I noticed that there was little mention of animated GIFs, which I was very thankful for). The section on creative menus using Javascript and DHTML was very useful, and I plan on implementing some of what I have learned on my own site after the first of the year. The section covering audio and video was brief, but contained enough information for the novice designer to completely annoy visitors with embedded audio. Thankfully, the council in this section was moderation in all things -- they make sure that novices realize how annoying embedded audio can be.

Part five covers blogging, specifically working with Blogger. This is a good idea, though most new bloggers will eventually want something more powerful. Syndication is also briefly explained (though they don't tell you how to create your own RSS feeds). Blogger-specific tweaks are covered briefly, and budding bloggers are encouraged to use the skills they've gained by reading the rest of the books to customize their basic Blogger templates.

This book is a valuable asset for novice website builders, and contains many useful tips for more advanced users (though most power users will find little in it that they don't know already). It's up to date with the latest standards, though they spent more time talking about using table tags for layout than I would have liked, and not nearly enough time on div tags. I understand CSS a lot better now than I did before, and I've got some great ideas for improving my own sites. I think that the most valuable part of this book -- and, really, one of the reasons I love O'Reilly books so much -- is the fact that you can do everything in this book with free software. You can use Dreamweaver or Frontpage, but you can make a great site using free software that's readily available on the Web. Highly recommended.

Title: Creating Your Own Websites
Author: Matthew MacDonald
Publisher: Pogue Press/O'Reilly
ISBN: 0-596-00842-2
Pages: 535 pages
Reviewer: Philip High
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


I'm sure we all have experienced the frustrating incompleteness and illogic of many software manuals. This book is part of an impressive series billed as: "The book that should have been in the box" put out by Pogue Press. It's the first one I have read but I would have to agree with their tag line, and if the others are anything like it I would definitely be interested in checking them out.

Of course a comprehensive set of web building tools doesn't come in one box -- no matter how hard some publishers try to bundle and brand it as such. That's one reason this overview is so handy. It ties together all the major issues in one current (for the moment) volume. A lot of territory is covered here: HTML, style sheets, graphics, tables, frames, site-promotion, merchandising, JavaScript, Audio, Video, Blogs, and more. Obviously there is only room to layout the basics for each of these topics, but the coverage is well selected, to the point, and surprisingly useful. At the same time it isn't an off-putting encyclopedia but an enjoyable walk through the essential steps in web site creation.

For web beginners this is an excellent place to start. Even the introduction is worth reading! The major subjects covered are: creating web pages, making pages look beautiful, putting it online, attracting visitors, making money, and adding frills. These topics and related material are presented in five divisions, each with several chapters. Along the way you'll find plenty of good advice on such things as what software to use, how to choose service providers, and where to go for more information.

Although the book seems to speak to the aspiring beginner, those with experience will probably find it fills in some gaps in their knowledge and serves as a great reference to have on hand. You might especially appreciate it if you have friends or clients who ask you web related questions about things you've done, but not recently, or without much thought. In other words, it can make you look as if you actually know what you're doing -- very handy indeed! For me it was a pleasure just to read a manual that was so well written and contained genuinely useful information, even if some of it was review. Personally, I have been interested in learning more about CSS lately and originally picked up the book for this section alone.

There are two useful Appendixes. "A" is HTML tags. It's a pretty basic list but the descriptions are good and fairly detailed. Appendix "B" is a healthy selection of links that are conveniently grouped by the chapters they relate to in the text. I found this much easier to use than just having them scattered throughout. There is also a note on the inside back cover that reads: "The Missing CD-ROM. -- There is no CD-ROM with this book; you just saved $5.00." It's a clever way to point you to the website, www.missingmanuals.com that contains files referenced in the text, additional information, and updates. Sure it's a gimmick to keep your attention, but it's also a useful feature and an extended digital benefit we've come to expect with our analogue pages. Who needs another disposable CD anyway?

This is my second "Missing Manual" book (FrontPage 2003 was the first), and I must admit that O'Reilly is really on to something with this series. (Assuming the rest are in the same vein as these two.)
The author has the knack of presenting technical information in a clear and straightforward - yet folksy - manner. Of course this knack is pretty useless if the material itself isn't helpful - and this is where this book really shines. If you're planning on building a website, this book covers pretty much everything you need to know. I thought that the topics and the depth to which they were covered was perfect. Not only was need-to-know technical information presented, but a lot of you-really-outta-know-about-this knowledge was imparted as well.

While a little miffed at Amazon because they highlighted this edition when the newer edition had been out for a while, I didn't discover that till partially through the book. Put together as most Missing Manuals, where the next chapter builds greatly on the preceding chapter, it also has information that is decades old.

HTML, the building block of the web, has been around along time, and the web is fifteen years and more now. Even at the time of the book, ten to twelve years in, rehashing the building blocks with too much detail is probably best left elsewhere, even if it is to be used as that step needed to create greater depth in the later chapters.

What is lacking in the resources is a book that blasts in its title, Web Site Design for the best of 2009! Wouldn't that be useful. Current tips and tricks and a way to design something that is meaningful for the times. We have HTML, and XHTML and CSS, discussed. A work around to use Forums by co-opting Google, which is the reason I looked into this resource, and then found another work-around in the notes. Blogs are covered, but the material is out of date, though a good introduction.

In the end that is what this book is. Not as good as many missing manuals because it is out of date. And not as good as many missing manuals because it does not dig deep where it should. Just a little better than average but more than enough to get you up and running with a website that has more than the canned goods your web hosting software wants you to use.

I purchased this book yesterday and it has helped me better understand what goes into developing a web site. I am relatively comfortable with technology, but definitely not a techy and this book puts techy stuff into understandable terms. I am only on page 97 of the 500+ pages and it has already demystified HTML for me. Of the half dozen books I was considering, this one seems to have the right balance of practical information and online resources to give me a better understanding of how and where to start. It also rates the various applications and web hosting companies, pointing out strengths and weaknesses. Definitely a good purchase.

'Creating Web Sites: The Missing Manual' keeps the outstanding tradition the 'Missing Manual' line has been known for, and I personally think it's one of the best new lines of books to come along in some time. Matthew MacDonald takes you from start to finish as you go from being a HTML, CSS, and Javascript nobody to a major player in no time at all. The price on this book is a joke, it's well worth the retail and so much more for anyone that is new to the web site creating business. If you want to learn how to get your web site up and running in no time at all you NEED this guide YESTERDAY.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Finally someone has written a book about creating a web site that pulls together the scattered points of focus of the programming, design, and marketing components. Generally each of these has their own viewpoint of how a website should be designed or used and they often conflict. In this book Matthew MacDonald teaches the basics of html programming but then follows that up by moving the reader forward into the world of website design. In this section he points out that while programmers may think one way another design might be better from a user interface standpoint and explains why this is the case. He does an excellent job of explaining why one method is preferred over another and when it would not be the preferred choice. Beyond programming the author also includes information on connecting with your audience, using keywords to get search engine rankings and similar marketing information. The book includes some basic information on JavaScript, Dynamic HTML, creating Fancy Buttons, and even creating a blog. This book does not cover any of those areas in detail and if you are an average programmer in any of those disciplines you will find no programming information that you don't already know. On the other hand, the programming books delve deeper into programming without ever giving the reader the entire picture of how it all must work together to provide a complete experience for everyone involved. In short Creating Web Sites contains all the basics you need in order to create a basic site that is attractive and creates a pleasant experience for a visitor and is a recommended read.

One of a series of "missing manuals" books, this book is very thorough. It is divided into five overall sections: an overview of the Web, building better Web pages, connecting with your audience, Web site frills, and Blogs. It includes more information than we have learned to expect from manuals, even from those few programs that include them. Each chapter includes some step by step instructions for accomplishing various tasks, such as coding, or how to use a given program or Web site. These are often accompanied by illustrations for some of the steps that might be confusing. Despite this, the book is not operating system, or program specific. In the case of software, the author includes these directions for more than one program or operating system. Instead of including a CD, there is a companion Web site. There you will find a zip file with code that is in each of the book's chapters as well as links to each of the URLS in the book; saving the effort of trying to correctly type in code or URLs. Interspersed throughout each chapter are tips and boxes of additional information.
Section one provides a bit of history of the Internet and Web as well as a thorough explanation of how the Web works. The first chapter explains the types of, and ingredients of a Web site. It asks Web site designers to consider the types of browsers their intended audience will have and emphasizes good design. Chapter two introduces readers to creating a Web page. It first explains coding vs. the appearance of a site in a browser, discusses tags, when and how to use them, and parts of an html document. It also includes a table of the basic html tags, information about common mistakes, and xhtml.
In chapter three the author familiarizes readers with how to put a page on the Web. There is a discussion of how Web hosting works, the anatomy of an URL and how browsers use them. Domain names, what they are, how to select an appropriate one as well as how to get one is given a good airing. Information about selecting a host and analyzing your needs is also provided as well as illustrations and instructions for registering with some Web hosts. The last chapter in this section discusses html editors from the free to the professional Dreamweaver™. A detailed discussion, instructions, and illustrations on how to use several of these are also part of this chapter. Several freebies are presented and evaluated.
The second section focuses on building a Web page. Readers will get the most from this unit if it is read with the computer on, and the files from the Web site readily accessible. Plain html coding is included for all topics in this section, but the reader can save the trouble of entering the code by downloading and using the files from the Web site.. The first chapter in this unit (chapter 5) provides an overview of Web page construction plus more information about html tags. The author starts with describing layout problems, provides information about logical structure versus physical formatting, and cascading style sheets. A discussion of html tags is woven into examples along with a discussion of how each is used. The author stresses that formatting the Web site should not lean too heavily on tags, but instead for maximum control and ease of updating, style sheets should be used.
Chapter 6 presents an overview of cascading style sheets (CSS). Then the author gets down to brass tacks. He breaks down the rules in CSS to their three parts: selector, property, and value, and describes each along with examples. Step by step instructions for creating and applying a style sheet are then presented. There is an explanation of the concepts of CSS such as the anatomy of a rule, the cascade and inheritance. A detailed discussion of color with help for finding the right color is included. The description of fonts includes a table of browsers which support various font properties. Determining which font size to use provides information about the difference between absolute, relative, and exact sizes and expresses a preference for absolute sizes because they will always be proportional to the browser's setting. A detailed description of borders is also included.
Graphics are the topic of chapter 7. The tags associated with images are examined and described along with an explanation of the necessity of limiting picture sizes, and picture file formats. The author favors making an image background the same color as the page background to avoid a jagged edge that often surrounds images when a transparent background is used. Placement of images from inline to wrapping text around them are examined along with borders and captions. Information about background images, using graphical bullets in a list, and finding free clip art round out this chapter.
One of the basic tenets in html, the ability to link, is examined in chapter 8. Details about coding a link in subfolders are presented as is information about image maps. The necessity of checking links is discussed along with a link to the World Wide Web Consortium's page checking link. What makes this chapter so valuable is that the author adds an explanation of all of the options available when using this link checker. The chapter closes with a discussion of redirects.
Page layout is addressed in chapter 9. In this chapter the author presents detailed information about tables from the basic codes through cell spanning, sizing, and aligning tables and their parts. Using style sheets to format a table is also discussed. Then the chapter demonstrates how to use a table to layout a page. The principles of layering are also examined in this chapter. The last chapter in this section, chapter 10, examines frames. Despite a box that examines the controversy about frames and concludes that frames are probably not the best way to design a page, the chapter goes on to describe how to create them and how to target where links open. The site navigation problems with a static URL are addressed as is nesting frames. Given the downside of frames this is probably a chapter that could have been eliminated from the book with no loss.
The third section titled: Connecting with Your Audience" consists of only three chapters. As the title suggests, the overriding topic of each chapter has to do with attracting visitors to a site. Chapter 11 addresses promoting the site including some ins and outs of adding your site to search engines. Chapter 12 focuses on interaction with you and your visitors while Chapter 13 addresses making money with your site. Like many of the features included in this book, using Google AdSense is explained in a step by step process that makes it easy to accomplish this task.
Section four, aptly named Web Site Frills, examines the features that can be added with Java Script such as fancy buttons and menus. Tricks involved in adding audio and video to your Web site are also included in this section. Like all features that involve html, examples of the needed scripts are given. The last section, Blogs, has just one chapter. This chapter explores the ins and outs of blogging including step by step instructions to create your own blog using the free software, Blogger.
There are also appendices. Contained here are many html tags that are useful, but not well known such as the acronym tag that allows a site visitor to discover the meaning of an acronym by moving the mouse pointer over the acronym, plus a list of all the Web sites mentioned in the book which given that they are listed at the book's Web site in a "clickable" manner is probably unnecessary.
This book would be a valuable addition to the library of anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of creating Web pages. The emphasis in the book is on creating html from scratch, but anyone who creates Web pages, even with a high end Web site creator such as Dreamweaver™ or Front Page™ knows that there are times when it is necessary to get into the code to make things look the way he or she wants. This book can provide help for just those times.

This book is brilliant! I expected good coverage of basics like HTML and style sheets, but this book is just PACKED with good stuff. The author's insight on all areas of web design is nothing short of amazing. On every topic you come across, whether it's making a navigation system, fixing some pictures, adding sound effects/music (yes, I know it's irritating), selling stuff, etc., the author has great tips on doing it and doing it well (and doing it on a budget, if necessary). The next greatest thing are the pointers to other sites on the web. The author shares a huge wealth of resources for getting more information, downloading good tools, using online services, and just plain getting free stuff ([...]).

I put the book down a couple of days ago, and I'm already making money (although not much) with Google ads. I may go ahead with PayPal next. This is just too easy! I predict this book will become a legend.

This book is a great starting point for people wanting to set up their first website, or even weblog.

The book is broken up into four sections, covering how to plan your site, find a good webhost and register your funky new domain name, through to a primer for HTML and CSS and web graphics and finishing off with some excellent advice on how to attract visitors to your site, and how to get them to stay! The final section looks at 'web frills', adding javascript, audio and video to your site.

The book is firmly aimed at the web-novice - some of the sections on html and css are fairly basic, but cover the material well, staying clear of the too much jargon pitfall that dogs other books on the subject. Even so, there are some excellent tips and examples which taught me some new things!

As with all O'Reilly books, the style is clear and concise, with clear examples and pictures illustrating key points.

So. Recommended for beginners and worth chccking out for those past the first steps in building a website. Overall, a fine book.