HTML Tutorial 1
Using a Text Editor

This lesson will assume that you have studied HTML at one or more of our recommended Design Sites ...if you haven't done that yet, go do it and return here and we will show you how to use your Windows-Based PC to actually create an HTML Document using your MyDocument's Folder and your default Text Editor (probably Notepad)!

Once you learn this proceedure you will have an HTML Document on YOUR PC and you can open it in your web browser to see what it looks like... by using your browser's Browse Function to locate it (it will reside currently in your MyDocuments Folder)

However you MUST understand that NO ONE on the WWW will be able to view it from their web browser until you UPLOAD it to your chosen Online Web Host Server...

This UPLOADING will be discussed in our Next Lesson using any FTP Program that you choose...

OK... now to build your HTML Document... from your PC Desktop, open your MyDocuments Folder and first, you should create a New Folder there to place all your new HTML webpage documents in, so they will be easy to locate later...

So from the left side panel click "Make a new folder"
now rename it by hitting your keyboard Delete key and then type in a name, like "Webpages" then hit your keyboard Enter key...
...

Now click open that folder...

OK... now to build your HTML Document, from the menubar click File, click New, then click Text Document... and then click the new icon that is created (pictured below), which will then open a text editor (probably Notepad) with a blank editor box...

First to make it easier for you, click Format then click Word Wrap from the menubar so that your text will automatically wrap to the next line as you type!

Now write all your HTML code starting at the very top left (this is where you apply your newly acquired knowledge of HTML from our Recommended Design Sites), and when you have it all written click File from the menubar, then SaveAs, then in the Filename box near the bottom, delete what's there and type in a pagename and end it in .html ... Example: mypage.html (NO SPACES ALLOWED IN THIS STRING) ... this file extension MUST be there (for any page you create) or web browsers will not recognize the file as a Webpage!!!

Now click Save... now you'll see a new icon for your new HTML Document (pictured below)! You can then delete the first icon for New Text Document...

Well that's it... you now have an HTML Document located in your MyDocuments\Webpages Folder

You can open your web browser, select File, then select Open, then Browse to your MyDocument's Folder and select your HTML Document and it will be viewable in your browser, however it will only have the basic font style, and text that your browser has for default, later you can add HTML code to change this! At this point your HTML Document does NOT have an actual URL (web address) it only has a file location on YOUR PC (probably C:\Documents and Settings\MyDocuments\Webpages\mypage.html)!

Remember when you use your text editor on your PC (we recommend using Word Pad instead of Note Pad, it holds larger files and is better to use) to make HTML Changes to your HTML Documents you must be sure to click Save from the File button on the menubar! And every time you change a file, you must use your FTP Program to Upload it to your online Host Server (See Next Lesson)... and when you use your web browser to view the changes, you probably will need to Refresh the page, since the old version will most likely be Cached by your browser...

In the Next Lesson we'll show you how to Upload it to the WWW using an FTP Program so that ANYONE on the WWW can view it in their web browser and so that it will have an actual URL (web address)!

Have any Questions just...

Continue with this design series...use the "HTML Tutorial 2" link below...

HTML Quiz---HTML Tutorial 2