Friday, November 21, 2008

Web Design on a Dime

Since I’ve been playing with Blogger, Twitter, and other web applications a lot this week, I thought that it was time to post some free web design tutorials/resources!

W3 Schools

This is a great resource for learning HTML, XML, and other scripts, such as JavaScript. All of the tutorials are free and include examples, quizzes, and other resources. You can also choose to get certification in a particular web language, though that does cost money.

My favorite part of this site (and the part I use most) is the Tryit Editor. This program allows you to type in your script and preview it. This is a lot easier than altering the text in your htm/html document, saving the document, and then viewing it again. It saves a lot of time. Many times, my web project will have an error that I just can’t shake…the Tryit Editor allows me to manipulate the text a little at a time to fix it.

HTML, XHTML, & CSS by Elizabeth Castro

This web site is actually supplemental material for Elizabeth Castro’s book HTML, XHTML, & CSS, 6th Edition. I highly recommend this site, as well as the book…which can be purchased from Amazon for under $25. It is a great beginner’s guide, but it also teaches some more advanced skills, making this a wonderful reference book that can guide you in years to come. The site itself has a lot to offer—examples, basic scripts, etc. One of the best ways to understand the examples, though, requires a little work. Click on the example, which will open up in a new tab or browser. Then go to View on your browser and choose Page Source (Firefox) or Source (IE). Then the code is there for you to explore. You can also find examples from the previous two editions online.

Basic HTML Tag Tutorial

This site doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the other two, but it does give straightforward instructions (along with examples). It is also indexed according to what the user wants to know. It is designed more with beginner’s in mind, so it may not be as useful to advanced users. But it is a good, simple resource.

Some cool sites…

HTML Color Codes: Can’t remember the code for blue? Not sure which shade you want in your site? This resource is for you! This site shares the codes for the different colors that can be used in web design. Simply select the color you want, and the code pops up. Have a code, but you aren’t sure what color it is? This site also has a section where the user can type in the code and view the color that corresponds!

E-Mail Icon Generator: Want one of those cool icons for e-mail? This site generates them, free of charge! Simply type in your email address and click generate. If you don’t like the design, click on the link Provider not available? Click here! to change it. You can even alter the font!

Check out mine!


FavIcons from Pics: This is one of my favorite resources! Take a look at the URL address bar…see the orange icon with a B? Want one of those on your site? With a picture of YOUR choosing? This is the site for making one. Simply upload the picture you want and click generate FavIcon.ico. You can choose a stationary icon or an animated one! Simply download the icon, and it is ready to be inserted into the coding for your page (with the proper coding, of course).

Bunny Burnstein

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