NVMUG eNews 8/21/2002
Last updated 8/22/2002
Warren Walker Explained HTML
Tom Cuddihy Demonstrated His eMac
Warren Walker explained HTML, the language of the Internet. Tom Cuddihy demonstrated his new eMac. Most people participated one way or another, and we had a great time.
1. The Newspaper Report of the Meeting
2. Warren Walker Explained HTML
1. The Newspaper Report of the Meeting
Warren Walker explained HyperText Markup Language, the basic language of the Internet, at the August 17 meeting of the Northern Vermont Macintosh Users Group at the Community Bank in St. Johnsbury. Tom Cuddihy demonstrated his new eMac.
HyperText Markup Language, better known as HTML, is the basic language of the Internet. The next two paragraphs are a bit technical, but I hope they give an idea of what HTML language is and does.
HyperText refers to the links to which you point the cursor and click to jump to a different web site, to a different page within a web site, or to a different location in the current page. When you go to a web page, the computer first goes to a page containing HTML code which may or may not contain the text that you read. When you see pictures, hypertext links brought them in from separate .html files.
All of the text was written as plain text, but may have tags around it so that you may see it as, for example, bold text. The tags may be logical tags like <Strong> Caledonian-Record </Strong> which tells your browser that it should be strongly emphasized. Or the tags may be literal, or physical, tags such as <B> Caledonian-Record </B> which tells your browser to display it as bold. If you forget the ending tag </B>,the rest of the text will all be bold until your browser finds the right ending tag. The logical <EM> and literal <B> tags may, or may not, display the same, depending upon your browser. But browsers that speak the words for blind people change the sound of the voice when logical tags are used and may not recognize literal tags. (Hey, I didn't know that until the meeting either.) And, if you are wondering what a browser is, it is the program like Internet Explorer that you use to connect to the Web
Warren distributed several pages of hypertext language, and then displayed the resulting web pages. They ranged from simple examples to quite complex projects that he did while studying HTML and web design.
Warren recommended Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing With HTML 4 In 21 Days,
as the best tutorial for learning the HTML language. He said Osborne's Web Design, The Complete Reference
is the best book for learning how to design web pages including the psychology behind their use. Designing Web Usability
by Jacob Nielsen is also very good because he actually studied what happens when people use different web page designs.
Tom Cuddihy brought in his new eMac which is the least expensive G4 computer from Apple. Originally it was intended solely for use in schools, but the demand was so great that they are now available to everyone. It is about the same size as the iMac used to be, and looks like one in an all white case, but it has the faster G4 CPU and a 17 inch screen in place of the older iMac 15 inch screen. It does not have the unique style, moveable LCD digital display, lighter weight, and smaller desktop imprint of the latest iMacs, but it does offer all the same computing capabilities at less cost.
2. Warren Walker Explained HTML
Now that you have read the story, here is what really happened.
First Warren booted his Power Mac G4 while holding down the C key. Usually that is what you do to boot from the CD, but Warren's computer has to look for a CD that is not there in order to find Mac OS 9.2. Stephen put OS 9.2 and OS X on Warren's machine during a meeting earlier this year. Warren has not used OS X because his machine is one of the first G4 computers and was built with the old G3 motherboard and. OS X was not reallly designed for it. Warren is thinking of getting a new Power Mac G4.
Back to the demonstration. Warren gave everyone 8 pages of HTML code. He wrote the code in text, then downloaded a demonstration version of BB Edit. BB Edit transformed the code into a nice style with part of the code in red, and with numbered lines. BB Edit has a menu listing all of the HTML tags. Clicking on a tag inserts it into your text Warren recommends BB Edit if you are going to code HTML by hand.
Warren recommended three books as reported in the news story. Sams 21 day books have more explanation than the 24 hour books. Each chapter takes an hour or so to read, then some playing around with. A CD comes with Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 4 in 21 Days.
Osborne's Web Design, a Complete Reference
seriously looks at web design, what works and what doesn't, and the human psychology involved. Designing Web Usability
is based upon laboratory tests on web pages and the people who use them. The author designed the web sites, then sat with employees to find out what works and what doesn't.
Warren explained the HTML code in the pages he distributed.
Most HTML statements start with a opening tag and end with a closing tag. Warren said that you are required to use <HTML> as your first tag, and end with but that, if you didn't, it would display anyway. Some codes, such as <HR> horizontal rule, do not require an ending tag.
Warren used his first page of HTML code to demonstrate character styles. Character styles may have literal tags such as <B> for Bold, and <i> for italic. Warren recommend using logical tags such as <STRONG> which means strongly emphasize, and <EM> which means emphasize. Character styles may also be named on how they are used, such as <DFN> and <CITE>.
Warren told us that it is better to use logical tags such as <STRONG> even though they may display the same as literal tags like <B> because logical tags are interpreted correctly into speech for the blind. Anything paid for with tax money must meet standard specifications for web sites for the visually handicapped. If you include a graphic, you must include an optional text description of the graphic so that the browser can interpret it orally for the blind. However, image maps cannot be done so that the visually handicapped can use them.
A font tag for colored text can override a browser setting. Warren told of a woman who could only read two characters on a screen, and then only if they were in maximum contrast black text on a white background. If you set a web page for white text on a black background, a blind woman could be trying to read white on white.
These styles are interpreted by your browser, and eachbrowser may interpret them differently. Warren has three browsers, Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Opera so that he can see how the pages he designs look on each. When designing pages for an intranet inside a corporation, you may know the browser being used. Otherwise you must test on a number of different systems, or do the best that you can and just hope.
Warren's second example covered lists, both ordered lists <OL> and unordered lists <UL> and showed how to change the type of bullet in unordered lists. You can insert an unordered list within an ordered list and it will indent correctly.
Someone asked about using AppleWorks to create web pages. Warren said that HTML indicates the start of a heading with, for example, <h1> and leaves it up to your browser to determine what the heading looks like. When you save an AppleWorks document as HTML to create a web page, AppleWorks tries to insure that the result will look like it did in the AppleWorks page, so it adds break tags. If the width of the viewer's page does not match the original document, you can see a line wrap to display one or a few words on the next line. Also, the beginning and ending tags may not appear in the right order, which may not change the display, but does make the code messier and harder to work with. But, AppleWorks does work to create a web page, and with a little tweaking may look fine to the user.
Warren included an example of tables. He recommends that you sketch your table before you start writing your HTML. Since HTML does not care about white space, you can even layout your table code in the shape of the table if that helps you. Table widths can be defined in pixels or in percent of the page width. If the user changes the display width, a table defined with percentages changes to fit. However, while a table can stack words, you cannot force a table narrower than its content.
Warren included an example of framesets, a more advanced concept. They are very useful when you want a consistent web page layout where you can change the contents within its frames. His example HTML demonstrated setting the first dimension in pixels, then including an asterisk, *, to allocate the rest of the space to the next column (or row). Then he used links to the contents to be put within the frames. Scroll bars are created by the browser when necessary.
While used in fabulous web site designs, frames take up more space, and you cannot study their source code in your browser because the code is in a separate document. Framesets do not work well with visually impaired or saving bookmarks, and often does not print what people think they will get. You might offer a separate pdf or printer friendly version.
A web page first downloads as text, then calls for graphics as separate requests for information. If you provide the specific dimensions for each graphic, the browser allows space for each graphic, and people can read the text while the graphics are loading.
Warren included another advanced concept, styles. Using styles you can define, for example, the way you want a heading to look just once, and use then use it throughout your web site. You do not have to define it again for each use. If later you find that a different style would be better, you can change the style and all of those headings will change accordingly. He said the page renders just the same when linked to an external style sheet as when styles are encoded within the html file.
Warren showed two pages he developed as class projects while studying HTML. In one he used GIF images as borders for a table with text about Bigfoot in the middle, then brought in a Vermont map and a picture of Bigfoot from different web pages.
Another class project included a map of a confederacy battle with links, and a calendar with links and dates that could be changed. Warren said that this kind of project is better written in XML and using a database.
I found this the best and clearest presentation on HTML that I have ever seen. I will be studying his examples for several days, and seeing how they look on my browser. I asked Warren if he would e-mail people his HTML pages if requested, and here is his answer:
I would be willing to distribute the HTML code, but most
web pages can be veiwed as source code in the browser. Anyone really
interested in learning HTML should get a book, take a class, or find an
online tutorial. A quick search of Google found plenty of tutorial sites,
including
http://www.w3schools.com/
Warren
If you send an e-mail to me using the address on the home page, I will forward it to Warren.
3. Tom Cuddihy Demonstrated His eMac
Tom Cuddihy showed his eMac, and talked about his experiences with OS X. His eMac is the least expensive G4 Macintosh computer, and for $300 more you can get it with the Superdrive which makes it the least expensive computer that can record DVDs.
Tom had some problems when he connected his Kensington Mouse. It helped when Stephen said other people had the same problem, and that Kensington was no doubt working to fix it. Tom had no problem using the Macintosh mouse, and has had no other problems with his eMac. He also said that Apple support was very good when he called them about his one problem.
Tom downloaded Fruit Menu software to return the Apple menu to his old OS 9 capabilities. He was used to the Apple menu, and it is up beside the menu bar. He did not want to use his desktop space for the Dock, though he easily brought it up when he wanted it. He did say that he is using the Dock more than he was.
Tom downloaded MenuStrip because he likes to have only one application on the desktop at a time, and MenuStrip enables him to do that and quickly change active applications. Now he is using it a little less and the yellow button more to compress an application down into the Dock. I asked him to try Open-Apple H which, on my Mac, hides the current application's windows until you click on the application again in the Dock. He tried it, but it did not work. Someone suggested that Open-Apple H did not work because of MenuStrip.
Tom downloaded and uses Weather-Pop, which keeps him connected to a weather server where he gets the current temperature all the time. (Tom has a fast Internet connection which, I believe, is connected all the time.)
Tom said the flood gates are starting to open up on Mac OS X software. Warren said that much of it is coming from Unix applications being brought to the Mac now that the Mac has Unix.
Geof told about Scott Pelok being where Airport units were sitting around and all you had to do was open up your Powerbook and you were connected. The system was set up to restrict the amount of e-mail that would come in. So Scott used his Unix to code a computer in Michigan to control his server directly. Scott had two guys with him in Michigan who used Linux on the side. They became so excited about what they could do with Unix that they sold their PCs and bought Macs.
Tom is an educator, and could have bought his eMac for maybe $80 less through Apple, but he bought it through a mail order company that offered more RAM free. He did not order the turntable for $50 more, and thinks he does not need it. Tom bought an external FireWire drive for back up. The drive came with a CD but Tom did not use it. Tom just plugged it in and it worked. (AppleWorks User Group news sent out this announcement: Educators can buy Mac OS X 10.2 directly from Apple for $69. To order, go to the Apple Store at
http://www.apple.com/store
and click on Education
in the bar near the top of the screen. Educators should always check the Education area in the Apple Store before buying any Apple products.)
Tom's eMac cost about $1,100 last month with a CD-RW drive. This month it is available at the same price with a DVD playing CD-RW drive. Tom says you can never buy a new machine because by the time you get it, there is something newer.
I missed some of his description of the features on his eMac because I was taking pictures. If you want the specifications, just check http://www.Apple.com. I needed pictures for the newspaper report, and to show my wife who thought the iMac looked to much like a lamp.
Tom is not sure if he wants to spend about $150 for three years of AppleCare warranty. (It is really three years of AppleCare and a two year extension added to the one year warranty. A TechTools maintenance program is included.
Tom asked about buying other maintenance software. Stephen recommended against it. He said the developers are all working to improve their maintenance software, but are not good enough yet. He recommended leaving your Mac OS X machine on, and Unix runs a log routine at night that is pretty good. Tom has MacJanitor which runs the same Unix programs when he wants.
4. .Mac
Stephen said that we now get NVMUG e-mail on iTools which is being replaced by .Mac and will cost us $50 for one year. For the $50 we will get more storage, can put our web page on .Mac, will get some virus protection, but most important it will continue our presence automatically, and will support Apple. After some discussion, we agreed to buy .Mac for one year, and see whether we want to continue after that.
5. And Other Items
Dual 1 GHz Power Mac G4
The new dual processor Power Mac G4s sound awesome. Mac OS X is designed to take advantage of more than one processor, and most of the programs that really need this speed are designed use the power of dual processors. They should sell well to folks that need that power.
For now the dual processors get around the problem of keeping up with Intel. At the meeting people discussed a problem that may have been caused when IBM dropped out of the partnership with Motorola to develop computer chips. The development costs for Motorola may be too high to give a high priority to competing with Intel with Apple as their only customer. The question is what has happened to the G5 chip? Will Apple have to change to an Intel chip? I think I heard somewhere that it might not be that difficult to port Mac OS X to an Intel machine. So far, it is all just rumor and speculation, but, if true, you can bet the result will be a Mac, not a Windows machine.
Midge's E-Mail
Midge and Richard were in New York City for a week to attend an International Gift Show. When they got back to work, Midge had 180 e-mails waiting, and at home Midge had about 140 e-mails and Richard had about 40. So, if you sent someone and e-mail, and did not get an answer right away, maybe there was a reason.
Too Much To Learn
I want to go over my notes on iPhoto: The Missing Manual because, while I am using some of what I learned, there is much that I am not using. What I have learned is fun. I think I have organized most of the pictures I have taken since iPhoto first came out. But, I would like to organize the digital pictures I took before that.
I am just beginning to learn a free sound editing program, Spark ME. I am using iTunes to import CDs and change the tunes to MP3s. I also want to learn to use iTunes Library Manager.
I have used Epson Scan to File to create PICT files of the HTML code from Warren. I used OmniPage Pro to change one page to AppleWorks text so far, and want to do the rest. It sure will be grand when I can use TWAIN which is in Jaguar to scan into OmniPage Pro and the Epson scanning software is improved. I would like to experiment with Warren's HTML so I understand it better.
I'd also like to order Jaguar, but will follow Stephen's advice and wait just a little because my wife is thinking of buying a Mac, possibly in November.
I bought Adobe PhotoShop Elements 2.0 when I learned that I qualified for the upgrade price. If you have ever registered any of the free, comes with your Mac, Adobe photo programs, you probably qualify for the $30 rebate. I telephoned Adobe sales, I believe it was their 800-879-3219 number. They checked and found that I had registered two of the free programs, was eligible for the $30 discount, and could order using my credit card for $69 plus shipping. It came with a 256 page manual. It is going to take me something close to forever just to learn some simple things. So far I have learned that using their automatic adjustments on a portrait produces a disaster.
Too much to learn! Isn't it wonderful! It is all magic.
