Davis Community Network
HTML Class 3 - Advanced

References:

Class Reference Page (http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/go/rahance/HTML/)
Material assembled by Anne Hance (rahance@dcn.davis.ca.us)

DCN Business Office (530) 750-1170
TECH Support: (530) 750-0101
New accounts, ISDN accounts, networking: (530) 758-0119

Review

HTML Mark-up codes given in these classes have generally been consistent with HTML version 3.2. At the time of this writing, HTML version 4.0 has been approved as a standard by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) but its new elements and attributes have only been incorporated into the most up-to-date browsers and we recommend using these only when their use is not critical to the readability of your pages.

Frames have not been addressed in these classes because their use is considered to be marginally desirable. Frames present a number of problems including the potential to be a security hazard on a web site.

Images present a challenge to most beginning web spinners. Images may only be taken from other authors' web pages when those authors give specific permission. Fortunately there are a number of sites where simple icons, buttons and bars are placed there for you to take.

Examples are:
http://www.cbull.com/bars3.htm and http://members.xoom.com/redhousepics/but1.htm

When using image maps remember that many people browse with their image loading switched OFF. Therefore you should have text links available for the same links embedded in your images.

FORMS

The information given here about the construction of forms is relevant for all web pages except for the reference to the server-side CGI script (Common Gateway Interface program or batch file generally written in C, Pascal or Perl). CGI scripts are resident on the web server and are responsible for doing such things as making forms work.

If you are not a DCN subscriber you will need to contact your Internet Service Provider to find out how to refer on your web page to their server-side file for your forms.

Forms will not work on your hard drive. In order to check them you must upload them to your public_html directory on your Internet Service Provider's web server.

The form laid out on the following page includes a number of form elements and attributes but you will almost certainly need to "view" other authors' forms and read up about forms in an HTML reference in order to be able to construct a form in exactly the manner in which you need it to perform.

FORM STRUCTURE: - an exercise (View this form)

A form element is enclosed in a <FORM> </FORM> paired tag.
The opening <FORM tag requires a number of attributes and should look like this:

<FORM METHOD="post" ACTION="script.url">

The "script.url" is the location on your ISP's web server where the CGI script that will translate your form resides.

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>A sample web form</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<B>THIS IS A FORM - It includes a number of possible form elements</B>

<FORM METHOD="POST" ACTION="http://wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us/cgi-bin/mailform">
<INPUT TYPE="HIDDEN" NAME="TO" VALUE="username@dcn.davis.ca.us">
<INPUT TYPE="HIDDEN" NAME="CHECK-EMPTY">

Your last name: <INPUT NAME="LAST NAME" size="40">
<BR>
Your first name(s): <INPUT NAME="FIRST NAME" size="40">
<BR>
Your Email Address: <INPUT NAME="EMAIL" size="40">
<P>
Feedback about this page:<BR>
<TEXTAREA ROWS=6 COLS=80 NAME="COMMENT"> </TEXTAREA>
<P>
<P><B>Please rate this page</B>:<BR>
Select as many of these Check Boxes as you wish:<BR>
<INPUT TYPE="CHECKBOX" Name="Informative">Informative<BR>
<INPUT TYPE="CHECKBOX" Name="Interesting">Interesting<BR>
<INPUT TYPE="CHECKBOX" Name="Well designed">Well designed
<P>

You can select only one of the following Radio Buttons:<BR>
<INPUT TYPE="RADIO" Name="radioset" Value= "Very Useful" CHECKED>Very Useful<BR>
<INPUT TYPE="RADIO" Name="radioset" Value= "Quite Useful">Quite Useful<BR>
<INPUT TYPE="RADIO" Name="radioset" Value= "Marginally Useful">Marginally Useful
<P>
I wish to subscribe to your newsletter and will pay by:<BR>SELECT ONE:<BR>
<SELECT NAME="Charge_card_name">
<OPTION>VISA
<OPTION>MASTER CHARGE
</SELECT><BR>
Credit card number: <INPUT NAME="cardnumber" size="40">
<P>
Credit card expiry date: <INPUT NAME="expdate" size="40">
<P>
<INPUT TYPE="submit" VALUE="Submit this form now"> - or -
<INPUT TYPE="reset" VALUE="Reset all fields">
</FORM>
</BODY>
</HTML>

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