HTML Language
Lesson #03 
Authoring Tools Checklist
Written By C-Pimp
This lesson will show you how to get your hands on the right HTML related tools. You need to familiarize yourself with the appropriate programs before you can actually start creating and publishing HTML documents online for all to see.
I've already touched base on the HTML editor in the previous lesson. You will also need a browser to view your pages, an FTP program to transfer your pages from your computer to the Internet, image editing software to create graphics to your documents and web space to store your pages online for surfers to enjoy.
You absolutely need an Internet browser to view your pages. You obviously already have one since you're surfing the Cozy Academy website. Browsers enable you to surf the web and view HTML documents.
When working with HTML, your browser will interpret the HTML tags and display the document you’ve created as it should appear on the web. This will come in handy when you preview your work. Here are the three most common browsers on the web, one of which you're probably using at this very moment.
Keep in mind that all three browsers display pages with often slight, and in some rare cases, drastic differences. Things like font sizes, form boxes, complex designs may look different from browser to browser. I highly recommend downloading and installing a copy of each one to properly preview your work before publishing online. This will help ensure that the page looks like you want it to look when surfers come by your site with either browser.
An FTP program is necessary for you to actually publish your HTML documents and web pages online for everyone to see. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol which basically means transferring all your HTML documents, images and related files from your computer on the web. You can then upload to a web space provided by a hosting company or to your very own web server.
Once your documents are online and associated to an actual Internet address, (also referred to as a URL or Domain) the world will be able to see your pages whenever they access your internet address. FTP programs can also be obtained FREE of charge and might, in some cases, be included with your HTML editor. Here is a short list of recommended FTP programs.
I suggest you give them all a try if possible and pick the one that works best for you. I've been using both "FTP Explorer" and "WebDrive" for several years and use them both equally depending on the task. I will also be using "FTP Explorer" as the sample program for how-to info and screenshots in future lessons because it is 100% Free and easy to use with it's "Windows" inspired interface.
You will need Imaging Software to edit and/or create graphics for your web documents. You can use free graphics and clipart images found on the web, you can find those by visiting the search engines and typing in Free Graphics, Icons, or Clipart. You can also get your hands on some great graphics I've made by stopping by Cozy Frog's Goody-Frog area.
I've listed two programs that can handle your web designing needs. The first one is without question, THE most used graphic imaging software on the planet. The second one is a lot more affordable with a slightly easier learning curve and limited features. The choice is yours - choose wisely!
The server is where you put all your documents for surfers around the world to see. You will need to contact a hosting company and get yourself setup with an account that fits your needs. Of course, there are a gazillion hosts that will host your adult pages for free. Look for them under "Free Hosting" in the Cozy Academy Library. This would be the best way to get familiarized with the uploading and FTP process. Once you've got a grip on how things work - you can move up to paid hosting. Paid hosting these days is very affordable often running you a few dollars a month to startup.
Your hosting provider will set you up with an FTP account that you will use to upload your web pages. Surfers will be able to view your pages using your website address.
If you are new to the Internet game, you need to understand how things work before you can even think about actually coding in HTML. To break it all down in simple terms; when you create pages with your HTML editor and preview them on your PC, no one else can see them until you FTP them to your server. Once your web pages are transferred over to a server, the world can view them by clicking over to your URL (Internet Address).
Got it? Good! It's that simple. Next lesson we will take a look at how HTML tags work. Tags are the tiny bits of code that are woven together to make a web page.
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