Essential HTML Fast

Citation

Meloche, J.A. (1998), "Essential HTML Fast", Internet Research, Vol. 8 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr.1998.17208daf.006

Essential HTML Fast

Essential HTML Fast

Duncan Reed and Peter ThomasPeter, Springer ­Verlag Limited,17 Tiergartenstabe, D-69121, Heidelberg. Tel: 06221 487-0; Fax: 06221 4878 191998133pp.ISBN 3-540-76199-3$US24.95

Keywords Computer languages, Hypertext, Internet

This book while not mentioning the World Wide Web in its title is all about developing a site on the WWW. The first sentence in the introduction states, "Are you on the Web" as being one of the most repeated questions in recent years. What gives this book its focus is that it aims to get the reader on the Web.

Essential HTML Fast is designed to assist the reader in making informed decisions about Web site development and design. While the work is not written for the absolute beginner it does expect readers to have computer literacy. It is intended to be accessible to a wide range of individuals who are in need of reference and advice in developing a Web site.

The book is aimed at getting users quickly up-to-speed using HTML and the World Wide Web. Thus it offers a clear structure that allows the reader to dip in and out of particular chapters. The use of "screen dumps" to illustrate the effects of HTML script helps the reader to quickly understand the visual effects of the script.

Chapter one introduces the reader to the structure of the book and the approach it takes to introducing the Internet and the World Wide Web. It covers basics such as clients and servers, IP addresses, URLs and browsers. Chapter two is one of the most important chapters as it is concerned with planning and designing your Web site. This is the chapter that gives purpose to the tools, protocols and features that are introduced in the later chapters. From chapter three the book takes a more hands on approach starting with the basics of HTML in chapter three and leading the reader through increasingly sophisticated tools and features in the following chapters. These features include, links and hypertext, images, lists, forms, frames and tables. The closing chapter, chapter 12, takes the reader beyond their own Web site to considerations of gateway interfaces and search engines.

The reader is also provided with an index that further supports the book's role as a quick reference source. It does, however, lack a glossary which would have been of considerable benefit, given the amount of specific terms and jargon that this work introduces.

The book is a logical and well-written resource that would be a good choice if only one book is used. If the reader is looking for a comprehensive work or a book that is dedicated to design, this would not be the book to choose. This book does achieve its stated purpose in bringing busy readers up-to-speed quickly in a manner that provides the reader with confidence that they are in control.

Joseph A. MelocheDepartment of Information StudiesUniversity of Technology, Sydney, AustraliaJoseph.Meloche@uts.edu.au