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Site Design & HTML Markup: What HTML is not . . .
Originally Published: 2001-03-05
Updated: 2006
HTML has limitations, primarily due to the reasons it was created. Another reason for the limitation factor is the simplicity of the language itself ...
HTML, first proposed in 1989, is an offshoot of SGML [Standard Generalized Markup Language]. SGML is a more complex higher level of markup language. Although these two could be said to be relatives, few browsers support both languages.
HTML, like SGML, describes formatting and hypertext plus defines different components within a page. HTML is simpler of the two because the development and purpose of it was for transmitting information, through text documents, over the Internet.
Therefore, HTML is a public standard for the World Wide Web [WWW]. Yet it is simple enough that typical computer users can create HTML documents without requiring a special application. Those documents, as a result, can be read on any computer that has a browser and ability to connect to the Web.
Even users who are unable to view your graphics, due to certain browsers or the person's selected preferences, can still see the main bulk of what is being shared. After all - the main bulk of the content is why HTML originally came to be. All of the other touches [e.g.. graphic images, color tweaks, et al] came about in later versions of HTML.
HTML coding or markup is not programming.
Since HTML is a markup language, manually inserted into a body of text, it is not a programming language. What I mean is, you will be using HTML as a helpmate while you create Web pages. You will let it help emphasize or bring attention to certain portions within the main body of content of your Web pages. However, if HTML was a programming language, it would be required to have pages visible . . . right?
Let's say that you created a text file on a text editor (notepad for example) and saved it as a text file. That file could be displayed on the Web through a Web browser. This is not advised without conforming to certain HTML thoughts, but it is possible.
The basics contained within any HTML page, and thusly any page on the Web, is ASCII text. HTML embedded documents are, in some ways, similar to documents created on a word processing program. Those word processing and most desktop publishing documents are also basically text. The only difference is how the text is described for display.
Instead you will manually insert HTML commands, more commonly referred to tags, in with your text to help create elements. Some of those HTML elements may help enhance that main body of content's message or just help providing ease for reading. The browser reads and interprets the tags for what tags you embedded in the Web page, but you are not programming the browser's reaction. Why?
Two words: Browser handling. If the browser is unable to translate what you have put in as a markup, it will try to bring up something similar, or what it determines to being close enough
, that is within that browser's abilities. If unable to determine or locate a similar
then the browser will overlook that snippet of markup. You will not be able to override the browser's limitations or, at times, the user's preference settings for that browser.
User Preferences Interference.
Say, for an example, you created your pages using the viewing 'surface' size of 1024 x 768 to the point that your images and text elements were geared to appear in for that size preference. If I have my viewing settings set to 640 x 480, nearly half the size you had in mind, the HTML will not override that but instead the browser will adjust the contents, to the best of its abilities, to fit into my viewing settings. My viewing preferences may be selected due to a variety of reasons:
- Limitations based on Operating System or age of the computer in use.
- Multi-tasking, which has my browser shrunk down in size on the screen.
- Physical limitations (e. g. eyesight)
- Personal preference.
- Combination of 2 or more of the above.
What the browser will try to do is use the placement and structuring elements embedded in your Web page. The browser and your markup will not force the Web page to appear as it would at the 1024 x 768 screen size since my browser window is half that size. If you designated an image to show up at 480 x 480 in size with large bold text, that is what I will see ... only in a different viewing setting.
Another example is what if the user set their browser not to show images? This means the browser, when coming to an element being an image, even if used for a background, will not appear per the user's preference.
You are not programming Web pages but merely creating text files and doing markup within those same text files. The markup is done in a way that the browsers will be able to read, or read most of it depending on the type or version number of browser.
Adjust yourself, not the Web pages, to the limitations of HTML and various browsers. Therefore, you will not be able to trick the browser nor rely solely upon your browser on how your Web pages appear. Although HTML has many elements available for you to use, you have to realize and respect those same elements limitations.
There is not enough capability supplied through HTML to let you create a page similar to one created through Word or a similar word processing tools. HTML is a bit more primitive than that due to the manual inserting of markup required to emphasize and organize the text. Yet, on the bright side, Word documents are not the standard for the Web.
How to approach using HTML.
Use HTML primarily to help structure the document. This means you wish to make the content more accessible for viewing. It was not designed for formatting of the documents in terms of visual appeal (or what is sometimes termed as eye candy
).
Allow me to explain that prior thought as I may have confused you. Yes, HTML provides many ways you may define the appearance of your Web pages. Appearance is important, I agree, since it can deter or lure someone in to read your content. Yet I cannot stress enough that aesthetic appearance is secondary as HTML's main focus should be upon the content of the page itself.
HTML's appearance elements can be unpredictable to some degrees and those degrees may be out of your control. This could be dependent upon the browser, particular browser version, and preferences set within that browser on the user's side. Remember, HTML was created to help define appearance, but that's all it can do: help.