Writing Your Pages
Web pages are plain ASCII text files that are marked up with HTML tags. They can be written using any program that is capable of saving files as plain text. This includes basic text editors like Notepad and Wordpad and word processing programs if you use the Save As plain text option. The files must be plain ASCII text, but have the file extension htm or html for the browser to read them.
There are many different HTML editor programs available, some of which also include site management features. Some programs allow you to create web pages using templates and other tools, without using HTML tags directly. No matter what program you are using, it’s a good idea to have at least a very basic understanding of HTML, so that you can fix certain kinds of problems, add bits of tagging, or make corrections without being totally dependent on a particular program.
Try to Please Everybody
Remember that people are using a variety of browsers out there, from Lynx to WebTV, with different screen resolutions, different speeds, etc. You may not be able to please everyone, but you should try to avoid alienating whole groups of users.
- Always use the ALT attribute for graphics
- Prefer HTML over graphics, it makes your pages much faster
- Use relative sizes for tables and fonts, and watch out for tables that are next to wide graphics. Don’t assume a screen width more than 640 pixels.
- Keep graphics as small as possible. Use thumbnails if you are using large graphics or many graphics on a page
- Use relative sizes for tables and fonts, and watch out for tables that are next to wide graphics. Don’t assume a screen width more than 640 pixels.
Keep a copy of all of your files
NOBLE does a daily backup of the web server, and we can usually restore any files that are accidentally deleted or destroyed. However, in case we ever have a problem with the backup, or you destroy a file that has been updated since the last backup, you should always maintain your own backup copy of all files.
File Names
File names should be no more than eight characters long and should use the file extension htm. Some libraries use a system for naming different types of files, for example, having all files relating to children’s services start with the letter j. You might want to consider using some special system for naming files that are associated with a particular date, like new books lists. It’s a good idea to keep a complete list of your file names and the page titles.
The first file in your directory– your main page– should have the file name index.htm or index.html. This makes it the default file for the directory, so that your website’s address can be given as http://www.noblenet.org/libraryname/.
Subdirectories
You can set up separate subdirectories for different types of files. For example, all children’s booklists might be in a separate directory. You can create directories using WS_FTP. Some people find that subdirectories make file management easier, while others find that it makes things more complicated.
Relative Path Names
When you link your files together, you should use relative rather than absolute pathnames. This means that if I want to link to a file called museumpass.htm, my link says HREF=”museumpass.htm” and not HREF=”http://www.noblenet.org/mylibrary/muspass.htm.” Although either form is technically correct and will work, the relative path name will also work offline, and requires less manipulation if directory structures change.
If you are using a WYSIWYG publishing program, this is probably how it is setting up your internal links, but you should check and make sure.
Review Your Files
It’s a good idea to set up a system for reviewing each one of your files on a regular basis. Reviewing the file means checking the information to make sure it is still accurate and testing the links. It’s a good idea to have an update date at the bottom of each file, and to change it whenever you review the file, even if you haven’t made any other changes.
Cluster Frequently Updated Material
Some of the content of your website will be relatively stable, and only need occasional updating and revision, while other information will frequent revision or replacement. Consider planning your site so that the information that needs frequent updating is clustered together on a small number of pages. For example, you could have one single link for monthly or quarterly listings of library programs, rather than have the information integrated into the text describing the activities of each department. You don’t have to keep it all on one page, but you should plan to have seasonal or time-sensitive material arranged in such a way that it’s easy for you to maintain and for patrons to find.
Comment Your Files
You can add “comments” to your web pages– text which won’t be displayed by the browser, but will be visible to anyone viewing or working with the source. Comments look like this, and can be used to remind yourself (or other staff members) why you did something a certain way, or to make updating of complex web pages a little easier. Comments look like this:
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