HTML ReadMe Maker V1.0

The Easy Way to Create WWW-Ready ReadMe Files

Table of Contents

Click on the red (or underlined) heading to jump to that particular section. 

    • What is HTML ReadMe Maker? 
    • HTML ReadMe Maker is Shareware 
    • Some Legal Mumbo-Jumbo 
    • Using HTML ReadMe Maker 
        + Creating the HTML Text File 
        + Generating a "Read Me" Application 
        + HTML Tags Supported by HTML ReadMe Maker 
            - Logical Attribute Tags 
            - Separator Tags 
            - Ordered, Unordered and Definition List Tags 
            - Preformatted Text Tag 
            - HyperText Tags 
        + Encoding Special Characters 
    • Registering your Copy of HTML ReadMe Maker 
    • Unlocking your Copy of HTML ReadMe Maker 
    • Reaching Me Electronically For Comments or Suggestions 

What is HTML ReadMe Maker? 

HTML ReadMe Maker is an utility application that lets you create stand-alone Read Me files for distribution to others. In fact, the file you are now reading was created using HTML ReadMe Maker. HTML ReadMe Maker is ideal for Read Me files and other online documentation because it supports HyperText, the ability to cross-reference a file so that certain fragments of text are clickable and allow you to jump to a relevant segment of text elsewhere in the document. You may have seen this feature in the Table of Contents to this document. If not, go ahead and click on one of the red (or underlined) headings to get a feel for HyperText and what it can do for you. 

What makes HTML ReadMe Maker truly unique, however, is that it works with files written in the Hyper Text Markup Language, an emerging standard now in wide-spread use on the World Wide Web. HTML ReadMe Maker, however, is not a Web browser and supports only a limited subset of the HTML standard. Its intent is to allow you to create Read Me files that are WWW-ready, so that making them available on the WWW will be as painless as possible. Conversely, HTML ReadMe Maker can be used by people who have already invested considerable time writing Web pages and wish to have a quick way to make those file available to a now-WWW audience. 

HTML ReadMe Maker is Shareware 

Before moving on, let's get the important stuff out of the way. HTML ReadMe Maker is distributed as Shareware. This means that it is not free, but rather, you are given the opportunity to try it out before you decide whether you want to buy it or not. After a month, should you decide that HTML ReadMe Maker isn't for you, simply delete your copy and pay nothing. If, however, you decide to keep your copy (which we hope you will), pay only a small registration fee. Apon payment you will receive a key that will allow you to unlock the full functionality of HTML ReadMe Maker, allowing you to create Read Me files with more than three HyperText links. You will also be eligible to receive an announcement when an upgrade to HTML ReadMe Maker becomes available. Most importantly, however, your payment will show your willingness to keep Shareware alive and ensure the availability of more great Shareware software. The future of Shareware depends on users like you. We hope we can count on your support. Please take the time to read the section on Registering your copy of HTML ReadMe Maker before moving on. 

THIS PRODUCT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THIS SOFTWARE, ITS PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES RESULTING FROM THE USE OR MISUSE OF THIS PRODUCT EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH. 

Using HTML ReadMe Maker 

Creating the HTML text file 

You may create your Read Me files in any text editor or word processor that lets you save plain text files. To format your document, embed HTML tags within it (see the section on HTML Tags Supported by HTML ReadMe Maker for a full list of tags you may use). HTML tags are designed not to correspond to some physical attribute change, but rather represent some functional element within the document, such as a list or a heading. This allows you to concern yourself only with the content of the document and not how it is presented to the user. For example, consider the following line of text: 

   Do <STRONG>not</STRONG> feed the animals.

In the HTML specification, the <STRONG> tag is reserved for where you wish to grab the user's attention. Normally it is shown as boldface, but need not be so (another HTML viewer could choose to display the text in bright red, for example). When designing your documents, don't worry about how the document will look, but rather use the tags appropriate for the effect you wish to gain. This will ensure that your document will look right whether you are viewing it with HTML ReadMe Maker or some other WWW browser. The above example would look as follows in HTML ReadMe Maker: 

Do not feed the animals. 

Another thing to note is that the <STRONG> tag, like most HTML tags, encloses and acts upon a specific range of text. Notice how the <STRONG> tag is matched with the </STRONG> tag. With few exceptions, a HTML tag always has its closing counterpart, identified by the slash. 

Generating a "Read Me" Application 

Once you have written your HTML file, run "HTML ReadMe Maker" and select your HTML file from the file list. HTML ReadMe Maker will immediately begin processing the HTML file, displaying a status box to inform you of its progress. Soon thereafter you will get a fully formated sample version of your document. You may review the document and verify its contents and formatting. If it does not meet with your satisfaction, click the "Quit" button and do the necessary corrections. When you are ready to save the final application, click "Save" and HTML ReadMe Maker will then generate the "Read Me" application, returning you to the Finder. Your "Read Me" application will be in the directory you specified and ready for distribution. 

Registered users (see Registering your copy of HTML ReadMe Maker) may freely distribute "Read Me" applications generated by HTML ReadMe Maker, for personal or commercial use, at no additional cost. 

HTML Tags Supported by HTML ReadMe Maker 

The following is a complete list of the HTML tags supported by HTML ReadMe Maker. Realize that it is only a small subset of the HTML standard. For compatibility with other browsers, HTML ReadMe Maker will ignore tags it does not understand. 

Logical Attribute Tags 

These tags set text attributes. These attributes may be displayed in different ways by different WWW browsers, depending on the requirements of the operating system under which your document is being viewed. To conform to the HTML convention, you should use them only as described; not to obtain a specific "look". Also, do not nest these attributes (e.g. "<STRONG><EM>Hello</EM></STRONG>") as the results are undefined by the HTML standards and may not look as expected. 

<STRONG> 
    Used to give text strong emphasis. Typically rendered in boldface. 
<EM> 
    Used to give text emphasis. Typically rendered in italics. 
<CITE> 
    Used for book citations. Typically rendered in italics. 
<DFN> 
    Used for a word that is being defined. Typically rendered in italics. 
<CODE> 
    Used for computer code. Typically rendered in a fixed-width font. 
<KBD> 
    Used for something the user should type in. Typically rendered in a bold fixed-width font. 
<SAMP> 
    Used for computer messages. Typically rendered in fixed-width font. 
<VAR> 
    Used for variables. Typically rendered in italics. 

Separator Tags 

These tags provide a way to separate lines, paragraphs and sections within your document. HTML browsers ingnore linebreaks within the original document, so you must use these tags to implicitly encode line or paragraph breaks. 

<P> 
    Paragraph break. Typically rendered as an empty line. Putting multiple <P>s in a row has no effect. Currently, this tag has no complimentary closing </P> tag. However, for compatibility with future HTML browsers, you may want to use a closing </P> at the end of your paragraphs, right before initiating another paragraph. 
<BR> 
    Line break. Forces a line break. Used mostly for formatting mailing addresses. You should avoid using it otherwise. 
<HR> 
    Horizontal Rule. Draws a separator across the length of the page. Typically rendered as a line. 

Heading Tags 

You may subdivide your document into various sections by using the heading tags. HTML supports six levels of heading, designated by <H1> through <H6> and with the complementary closing tags </H1> through <H6>. Generally the lower numbered headings are displayed in a larger typeface than those with a higher number. You should surround the entire heading with the tags and you need not put a preceeding or succeeding <P> tag as the browser will automatically place the heading on its own line, with a blank line above and below it. 

Ordered, Unordered and Definition List Tags 

These tags allow you to present a list or an outline. The HTML Browser handles labling and nesting of the items for you. Enclose ordered lists within the <OL> and </OL> tags and begin list items with the <LI> tag. The following defines a list containing three items (we have indented the items for readability, but it is not necessary to do so): 

   <OL>
      <LI> Oranges
      <LI> Bananas
      <LI> Apples
   </OL>

In rendered form, it would look like this: 

    1. Oranges 
    2. Bananas 
    3. Apples 

Unordered lists are similar to ordered lists, but the items are not numbered. Enclose unordered by <UL> and </UL>, using <LI> to set off items. Here is a sample unordered list: 

    • Oranges 
    • Bananas 
    • Apples 

You may nest lists within each other, even mixing and matching their types: 

    • Scientists and Philosophers 
        + Ancient Greece 
            1. Aristotle 
            2. Socrates 
            3. Plato 
        + Renaissance 
            1. Issac Newton 
            2. Descartes 
    • Artists 
        + Renaissance 
            1. Leonardo da Vinci 
            2. Michelangelo 

Definition lists contains a list of words or terms and their respective definitions. Enclose definition lists within the the <DL> and </DL> tags. Preceed each term to define by <DT> and each definition by <DD>. The following is an example of a definition list: 

   <DL>
      <DT> Dog
      <DD> A furball with an affinity for fire hydrants
      <DT> Cat
      <DD> A furball with claws and fangs and high-temperamentality.
      <DT> Human
      <DD> A being, lacking in fur, which claims possession to the above two, and terms them <DFN>domestic animals</DFN>.
   </DL>

Which, in rendered form looks like this: 

Dog 
    A furball with an affinity for fire hydrants 
Cat 
    A furball with claws and fangs and high-temperamentality. 
Human 
    A being, lacking in fur, which claims possession to the above two, and terms them domestic animals. 

Preformatted Text Tag 

HTML browsers normally strip all line breaks, tabs, and multiple spaces from the text (see the section on Separator Tags for information on how to explicitly encode paragraph or line breaks). Surround text with the <PRE> and </PRE> tags to inhibit the browser's formatting of the text. This tag is mostly used for source code or other text that must retain its original formatting. 

HyperText Tags 

The HTML standard was primarily designed for its HyperText capability. In the full implementation of HTML, used in the World Wide Web, one can specify HyperText links across multiple files, multiple computers, and even across the world. HTML ReadMe Maker, however, designed to run on a single computer, supports only HyperText links within the same document. 

To define a HyperText link, define anchors to which you want to link. For example, suppose you wished to attach an anchor named "MyAnchor" to a particular heading in your document. That could be achieved as follows: 

<H1><A NAME = "MyAnchor">
My Section Heading
</A></H1>

Anchors are invisible to the user and will not apprear anywhere in the text. To establish a link to an anchor, use a tag of the form <A HREF = "#MyAnchor"> and the complementary closing </A>. Everything within the anchor will be highlighted as clickable HyperText and will link to the anchor you specify. You may have multiple links within your document pointing to the same anchor, if you wish. The following is an example of how to make a single word ("here") a HyperText link: 

Click <A HREF = "#MyAnchor">here</A></H1> to go to my section

Encoding Special Characters 

Certain characters have special meanings to an HTML browser. To use these special characters within a document, you must instead use special sequences which begin with the ampersand (amp). The codes recognized by HTML ReadMe Maker are as follows: 

&quot; 
    Encodes the quote (") character. 
&gt; 
    Encodes the greater-than sign (>) character. 
&lt; 
    Encodes the less-than sign (<) character. 
&amp; 
    Encodes the apersand sign (&) character. 

Registering your Copy of HTML ReadMe Maker 

Registration is simple and should take only a few minutes. In exchange for your payment you will receive a registration key that will allow you to create HTML documents with more than three HyperText links. To register, fill in a check in the value of $15.00 or obtain a money order in the appropriate amount, but please do not send cash. We cannot accept credit cards. When sending your payment, please specify that you wish to purchase "HTML ReadMe Maker V1.0", either by writing it on your check's memo field or by enclosing a small note. Be sure to send in your most recent mailing address (or P.O. Box) so that you may receive your registration key and announcements concerning upgrades. Mail your registration fee to the following address: 

   Marcio Luis Teixeira
   P.O. Box 271603
   Fort Collins, CO 80527-1603      
   USA

Upon receipt of your payment, you will be sent a registration key to unlock your copy of HTML ReadMe Maker. Thank you for your business! 

Unlocking your Copy of HTML ReadMe Maker 

Having sent your registration fee, you will receive, within a couple of weeks, a key to unlock your copy of HTML ReadMe Maker. Once you receive it, click the "Register" button at the bottom of the HTML ReadMe Maker window and enter the key exactly as it is printed in your registration acknowledgment. Once you have unlocked HTML ReadMe Maker, store the key in a safe place as you may need it to unlock future updates. 

Reaching Me Electronically For Comments or Suggestions

You can reach me on America Online at MarcioT or via Internet at marciot@aol.com. Snail mail and registrations should be sent to the address mentioned above. 

HTML ReadMe Maker ©1995 Marcio Luis Teixeira