KEY INFORMATION SECTION 2. A basic web page has main elements: hypertext markup lan

A basic web page has main elements: hypertext markup language, text, graphics, tables and links.

Hypertext Markup Language is the code that browsers like Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer use to "read" a web page. A web page is a Hypertext Markup Language document. Netscape Composer translates your text, graphics and links into Hypertext Markup Language. Hypertext Markup Language documents are saved with the file extensions .html or .htm. When you save your web page in Composer, the .html extension will be automatically added. Learning how to read and use Hypertext Markup Language is a good idea, but it is not necessary for the beginner.

Textconsists of headings, descriptions, directions, and information that you wish to include in your web page. Text can be added to a web page by typing directly onto the open Composer page. Composer is a simple HTML editor that supports all the basic Web publishing capabilities, such as text, lists, images, and tables. Composer works much like a word processor. You type text in the editor, format text using a variety of tools, and create links using a simple dialog box. Composer provides other tools, too, which you use to accomplish a variety of publishing tasks. Whereas creating a Web page by hand might take several hours, you can create the same Web page in a few minutes with Composer. Text can also be added by copying and pasting a word processed document onto the Composer page. As much as possible, keep text short and to the point.

Graphics.Web page graphics are image files (photographs, icons, pictures, cartoons, animations) that you can insert into your web page. Graphic files are used as backgrounds, bullets, page dividers, signposts, illustrations, and sometimes, just for fun. Web graphic files typically carry the file extension .gif or .jpg.

There are many "ready made" free graphics collections on the web. You can save these graphics and insert them in your web page as needed. Some graphics are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission. Permission is usually easy to obtain with a short e-mail request to the designer. An "image source" link should be placed under or next to

a copyrighted image. It is a good idea to create a section of links to the graphics collections that you use-even if they are free. Warning! Graphics can take a long time to load and should be used sparingly.

A table is an HTML element, also referred to as a "tag," and is used to display web page content in an organized fashion. A page can be set up in columns and rows, can display table cells with or without a border, and can even have a color or image patterned background.

Tables can be used in anunlimited number of ways including:

- Organize the text and images
- Display the text in a newspaper format
- Add color and image backgrounds to text areas
- Display charts

Links (also called hypertext) are connectors. Both text and graphics can be linked.

Links are usually used in three ways: - Links can connect different parts of one long web page. You can do this in Composer by creating "Targets." - Links can connect your web page to someone else's web page. - Links can connect different pages of the same web site.

A web site is simply a collection of web pages linked together.