Books on Web page design and HTML are certainly a dime a dozen, as any trip to a nearby bookstore will attest. In light of this, there is a very strong need to determine which books are the most worth the money. Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages by Dave Taylor is unquestionably one that is worth the investment.
Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages has a very natural progression in its coverage of HTML. For anyone who is an HTML veteran, most of the early chapters will seem like a bore, but they do have something to offer. For example, Chapter 2, on URLs, is a nice introduction to build intuition for material covered later, while Chapter 3 goes over basic coding principles that a Web page designer should always keep in mind.
Taylor's coverage of tables and frames in Chapter 9 is very good. These are two of the more difficult aspects of Web page design, but this author learned them well from this. Following that is a good discussion of how to make a page aesthetically pleasing to visitors.
Later, he introduces non-HTML ways of enhancing Web pages, such as using JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX, and VRML. The coverage of these topics is certainly beyond the scope of this book, but he gives a good introduction to each, and leaves the reader with Web sites to visit for those who want to learn more about them.
In Chapter 16, he covers forms and HTML 4 additions very well, including those that cannot be illustrated because current Web browsers do not support them. While the concepts are "abstract", this author gained a good understanding of most of the new features discussed.
Throughout the book are many good examples of each concept, as well as the pros and cons of some features. He devotes time to discussing differences in browser support for various tags, as well as how to make sure that those with older browsers are not left in the dust if their browser does not support a relatively new technology, notably issues with images and some of the very latest additions, such as style sheets. Each chapter ends with a list of the new HTML tags introduced in the chapter.
The Appendices include good guides to the process of developing a Web page, ISPs that can be used to house the pages, a glossary, and a tag reference. The CD-ROM that accompanies the book is loaded; it has the HTML in each example in the book, as well as Web browsers, HTML editors, and other text editors (including an enhanced version of Notepad that is well-worth having).
This book is a great first book for someone who has never designed a Web page, and it has value for a hardened veteran of Web page design. It will be of more value to the former than the latter. Whether you want to simply design your own personal Web pages, or if you plan to do this for your company as part of your job, Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages is one book that you should have by your side.
Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages
Dave Taylor
IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.
0-7645-3201-4
Contact the author
Back to the main area of Phil Nation