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[Learn It][Teaching Tool]

View Source
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We can teach you everything you need to know about HTML in two words: View source. It's the first - and some would argue, the last - lesson you need to learn about Web publishing.

Unlike other media, where the production secrets are hidden, Web pages all come with their own set of instructions, telling everyone who cares to look exactly how the site was constructed.

Here's how it works: The Web's architecture allows you to view the source code (in other words, the HTML document that dictates what the page looks like) of any page on the Web. So any time you're wondering "How did they do that?" all you have t o do is select "View Source" from the browser menu (usually the menu name is "View," and the option is either "Source" or "Document Source"), and the HTML file will open - usually using SimpleText or whatever word-processing software you have on your mach ine.

Once the file is open, you can save it, study it, cut and paste from it, anything you want. Well, almost anything - you can't actually change the code so that it alters the page, since you're just viewing a copy of the file, not the file itself.

This is - far and away - the best way to learn HTML. Because, while imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it's also a great way to learn. And while our Teaching Tool can take you a long way toward HTML proficiency, viewing source is the best way to keep on top of what Web publishers are doing, and how they're doing it.

Bear in mind, though, that the source document is far from omniscient. While it can tell you all you need to know about the HTML, and even JavaScript (the code for which appears in full in the HTML document), it won't reveal what's happening on the server side. In other words, if a site's hooked up to a database or using CGI scripts to enhance functionality, the source won't reveal anything beyond the fact that a script exists. Same goes for Java applet s and plug-ins.




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