Introduction to HTML, XHTML, and CSS - HTML5 and CSS Comprehensive - page 13

Table 1-3 XHTML Coding Practices

Practice Invalid Example Valid Example

All tags and attributes must be written
in lowercase

<TABLE WIDTH=”100%”> <table width=”100%”>

All attribute values must be enclosed
by single or double quotation marks

<table width=100%> <table width=”100%”>

All tags must be closed, including tags
such as img, hr, and br, which do not
have end tags, but which must be
closed as a matter of practice

<br>
<hr>
<p>This is another paragraph

<br />
<hr />
<p>This is another paragraph</p>

All elements must be nested properly <p><strong>This is a bold

paragraph</p></strong>

<p><strong>This is a bold
paragraph</strong></p>

Tools for Creating HTML Documents

You can create Web pages using HTML with a simple text editor, such as Notepad++,
Notepad, TextPad, or TextEdit. A text editor is a program that allows a user to enter,
change, save, and print text, such as HTML. Text editors do not have many advanced
features, but they do allow you to develop HTML documents easily. For instance, if you
want to insert the DOCTYPE tags into the Web page file, type the necessary text into any
of the text editors, as shown in Figure 1-10a and Figure 1-10b on the next page. Although
Notepad (Figure 1-10b) is an adequate text editor for Web development, note its differ-
ences from Notepad++. Notepad++ is a more robust text editor that uses color schemes
for HTML code as it is entered.
You can also create Web pages using an HTML text editor, such as EditPlus or
BBEdit (Mac OS). An HTML text editor is a program that provides basic text-editing
functions, as well as more advanced features such as color-coding for various HTML
tags, menus to insert HTML tags, and spell checkers. An HTML object editor , such as
EiffelStudio object editor, provides the additional functionality of an outline editor that
allows you to expand and collapse HTML objects and properties, edit parameters, and
view graphics attached to the expanded objects.
Many popular software applications also provide features that enable you to develop
Web pages easily. Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, for example, have a Save as
Web Page option that converts a document into an HTML file by automatically adding
HTML tags to the document. Using Microsoft Access, you can create a Web page that
allows you to view data in a database. Adobe Acrobat also has an export feature that cre-
ates HTML files. Each of these applications also allows you to add hyperlinks, drop-down
boxes, option buttons, or scrolling text to the Web page.
These advanced Web features make it simple to save any document, spreadsheet,
database, or presentation to display as a Web page. Corporate policy and procedures
manuals and PowerPoint presentations, for example, can be easily saved as Web pages and
published to the company's intranet. Extranet users can be given access to Web pages that
allow them to view or update information stored in a database.
You can also create Web pages using a WYSIWYG editor such as Adobe
Dreamweaver, Amaya, or CoffeeCup HTML Editor. A WYSIWYG editor is a program
that provides a graphical user interface that allows a developer to preview the Web page
during its development. WYSIWYG (pronounced wizzy-wig) is an acronym for What
You See Is What You Get. A WYSIWYG editor creates the HTML code for you as you

Free HTML WYSIWYG
Editors
There are a number
of popular WYSIWYG
editors that are being
used by many novice Web
developers to create well-
designed, interactive Web
sites. You can find these by
searching for “WYSIWYG
HTML editor” in most
search engines.