17 November, 2008

The Ultimate HTML Reference


Sitting at the foundation of every site is HTML. It's the only language that's essential to a web site's very existence. On the surface HTML may seem simple but there's much more to it that meets the eye. With different versions, many infrequently used elements and attributes, and varying ways that browsers interpret the language, only a comprehensive and up-to-date reference, like this book, has it completely covered.
The Ultimate HTML Reference is your definitive resource for mastering HTML. The entire language is clearly and concisely covered, along with browser compatibility details, working examples, and easy-to-read descriptions. Authored by one of the world's most renowned HTML experts, this is a comprehensive reference that you'll come back to time and time again.
This cross-referenced, easy-to-use book covers:
Every element and attribute in the HTML and XHTML Specifications, including an example of its correct use Coverage of deprecated and proprietary elements Detailed browser compatibility information will save you hours of painful debugging and frustration Summary: Simplicity Emphasized -- With WOW FactorRating: 5§ I strongly agree with the first reviewer that the aesthetics of this book are outstanding. The typography and layout are superb. Astute attention to these simple elements remarkably enhances the usefulness and readability of this book. An important aspect of my own job is transferring the same approach to the visual interfaces of Web applications, so I appreciate the sweat that went into this simplicity. Since I made my enthusiasm clear, I guess I can belabor my quibbles. I am not sure I would call this an "ultimate" reference because much has been left out. This is not particularly bad since the emphasis of the book is simplicity and usability. Most Web workers will surely want to use this book's approach, with all its fine organization and examples, rather than the W3C specs. What might you want more of? Well, there is no index for attributes. Each tag, like BUTTON, has plenty of attributes. Knowing what attributes are appropriate and most effective is important. For instance, this book covers the most critical attributes for BUTTON -- but not all of them. It mentions that IE has an incorrect default value for the TYPE attribute. This is very good to know, but even more important to know is that client-side script does not work for Firefox if the TYPE attribute does not have an explicit value of BUTTON. The world of HTML is fairly simple but can be treacherous. That is exactly why someone moving into this world will find this book a ready aid. § Summary: The ultimate HTML referenceRating: 5This book has become my go-to reference for anything HTML. Why do I like this book so much? Let me count the ways: (1) Every HTML tag past and present is covered in this book. (2) Each tag description is covered by telling you the proper open and closing tag, and available parameters; (3) An example HTML segment is given on how it's used; (4) Whether this is still valid HTML or an old, deprecated tag; (5) A brief text description on what the tag is used for, and when you should use it; (6) Browser support for the tag, with four browsers covered: IE, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. What version of the browser supports the tag, and its compatibility with past browsers. No other HTML reference that I know has this. (7) An index of each tag for quick look up. (8) A table of contents in logical segments: HTML Concepts, Structural Elements, Head Elements, List Elements, Text Formatting Elements, Form Elements, Image & Media Elements, Table Elements, Frame & Window Elements, Common Attributes with three appendixes: Deprecated Elements, Proprietary & Nonstandard Elements, and an Alphabetic Element Index. Now, to the aesthetics. The book is gorgeous. Type is well spaced, large, and laid out beautifully. Each tag is laid out in the same format with shaded areas for quick reference. And the piece-de-resistance, this is a hard-backed book, so when you pull it out of the bookshelf it feels solid and nice in your hand, not like a floppy fish you get with the soft covered tombs. What this book is not. A text on learning HTML. This is not a step-by-step guide. It is a beautiful dictionary for fast look up of HTML tags when your not sure of allowed options, format, whether it is a supported tag, or what browsers are supported. Five Stars for exactly what it is, "The Ultimate HTML Reference."

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