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That's right that tiny, basic, and unimpressive plain text program can actually double as an impressively flexible HTML editor! It can also work with CSS and many other languages. How do you do it? First, open a blank Notepad window and type this exactly as it appears:
<html>
<title>(Give your page a title here) </title>
</html>
Save this where it will be easy for you to find (i.e. My Documents). Also, you have to manually type the extension (“.html” or “.htm”) after the save page name.
Now, find the file where you saved it. Since you saved it as .htm or .html, it will automatically open with your internet browser. To view the page, either double-click the file normally, or right-click and hit "open with," choose your internet browser. To edit the page, right click the icon and hit “Open With,” and select: Notepad.
You can easily work with this program by leaving both your browser and the Notepad file open. When you make changes in the Notepad file (mywebpage.html).
Save your changes. Open the browser screen and right click anywhere on the page. Click “refresh,” and it will display all changes you saved to the Notepad file. You must save in Notepad first in order for the page to update visually.
Is this it? Not at all. Add this to the Notepad file:
<html>
<title>(Give your page a title here) </title>
<body>
<font color="blue">I like writing</font>
</body>
</html>
Now, you're building your own web page from scratch! You aren't depending on auto-generated technology or an HTML editor. You are writing it by hand.
If you want to be more elaborate, here's another section:
<html>
<title>(Give your page a title here) </title>
<body>
<font color="blue">I like writing</font>
<P>
<font color="green">I Like Surfing the Web! </font>
</body>
</html>
At this point, you're probably wanting to learn more and that is natural. It is very exciting to see you can “do-it-yourself,” even without the aid of an HTML editor. Try these variations:
<html>
<title>(Give your page a title here) </title>
<body><body bgcolor=”000000”>
<font color="blue">I like writing</font>
<P>
<font color="green">I Like Surfing the Web! </font>
</body>
</html>
Now, you're getting somewhere. Take it another step further:
<html>
<title>Give your page a title here </title>
<body><h1><font color="blue">I like writing</font></h1>
<P>
<h3><font color="green">I Like Surfing the Web! </font></h3>
</body>
</html>
There's no limit to the changes you can make. Even:
<html>
<title>Give your page a title here </title>
<body><h1><font color="blue" face="arial">I like writing</font></h1>
<P>
<h3><font color="green" face="courier">I Like Surfing the Web! </font></h3></font>
</body>
</html>
Now that you can use this program for experimentation, feel free to attempt all the tips and tricks you can find! You should be very proud. Many people are online for years and never learn how to make pages by hand.
Professional HTML editors are convenient, they do make the process of writing code quick and effortless. But, HTML editors do make mistakes, just as standard "spell/grammar check," on your word processor. By knowing what your editor is doing, you will have the power to override bugs and correct the issues on your own.
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