How to learn HTML/CSS
To begin you need to know:
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How to type!
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How to use your computer.
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How to use the file system on your computer.
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What are "file extensions".
In the beginning you want to learn:
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The difference between a text editor and a word processor.
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The difference between a good text editor, and a website program such as DreamWeaver.
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What is a web browser, and the difference between the web browsers.
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HTML and CSS
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These are the basic building blocks for making websites.
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If you only want to update web pages, you can stop with those.
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What is a "website"?
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files, file types, folders
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basic idea of a "web server".
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How to use "references"
(The help in your program, books, tutorials, technical references, articles,
manuals, forums, ...)
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Memorising is a great skill, but if you can learn
how to use references it will be very helpful to you.
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How to scan for information
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How to prioritise – pick out:
- what you need to know now,
- what you may want to keep in mind for later.
- what you probably don't need to know.
What will help you learn:
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Understand that "learning html" is really "making websites".
It isn't something you "learn" in the sense of knowing the words for it,
like learning history or science.
HTML and CSS is something that you do – like riding a bicycle
or cooking.
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Use the web as much as possible.
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When you have any question in your mind about anything,
search for it on Google.
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Read websites about things you are interested in.
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When using the web, notice how you use it.
It is different than how you look at your web pages
when you are designing them! And we want our web pages
to be not just beautiful, but usable.
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Make your own pages on sites such as
FaceBook,
Hi5,
WordPress.com,
BlogSpot,
Google sites.
This is a great way to experience making web pages in an
easy and fun way. And they have great tools and tutorials
for putting html and css in the pages.
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Chat a lot!
Use chat, like Yahoo Messenger and Skype Messenger.
It will help you type faster and better, because you
will be relaxed and having fun :)
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Just start.
Make web pages.
Make anything, try everything.
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In learning how to make web sites (or any computer thing!)
the teacher is only 10%. References, books, etc are another 10%.
But 80% is your good brain and your fingers on the keyboard!
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Your filesystem manager ("file browser")
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On Microsoft: "Explorer"
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On Macintosh: The "Finder", or unix command line
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On Linux: "Konqueror", or others, or unix command line
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A good text editor
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On Microsoft: Notepad++
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On Macintosh: TextEdit
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On Linux: vi or gedit or ...
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A good web browser
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FireFox
Because it is standards-based, and it has some extremely
helpful extensions (HTML Validator, FireBug, Web Developer Toolbar).
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A file upload (FTP) program
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FileZilla is one good one.
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Your references
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The web itself!
Everything is there.
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This website
http://tibetangeeks.com/technologies/web_development/
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Good books.
"Head First HTML and CSS"
is a great one to start.
O'Reilly publishers has the best books,
from beginning to advanced.
They publish in India, at lower prices.
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* Khanna's Computer Book Shop
(It is near "Happy School" - the rickshaw pullers
know where that is.)
Onkar House, Room No. 2, 1st Floor,
Main Agarwal Road, Darya Ganj
Vivek Khanna khannabooks@bol.net.in
+91 93131 90983
+91 11 2328 1005
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Keep useful reference pages on your computer.
You will use them often.
Some to start are in the
same folder with this file.
Now start!
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On this site, go to the
html-begin folder.
Read those files, and practice the html codes by typing and viewing in browser.
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Then the
css-begin folder.
Read those files, and learn css by typing and viewing in browser.
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Then explore the other files in the
same folder with this file.
Other good sites for starting html are
A lot of good info and tutorials, from beginning to advanced:
All content not copyright by anyone else is
copyright © 2003–2010 James Walker.
License for use is the GNU Free Documentation License.
Find it:
here in the
License directory
or
at the Free Software Foundation,
www.fsf.org