Writing HTML documents

Dividing text to different files, organization of files

• Before writing documents writer should know (or have some kind of idea of) subdirectories where different files are going to be located. Writer should also think how text is to be divided into HTML files, e.g. each chapter is separate file and has links to previous chapter, next chapter and table of contents.

  If writer don't know organization of files it is very difficult to create links to other documents and pictures. For example it could be usefull to have pictures in their own subdirectory.

• It is important to name files so that file name tells something about the content of the document (e.g. chapter1_3.html). Even more important is to use valid title text in HTML documents HEAD element, because many WWW search engines uses title text for queries (e.g. <TITLE>Chapter 2: Structure in information retrieval.</TITLE>)

• There should always be link to "previous" document or to "next" document. Person who is browsing files should always know where to go next or how to get back.

Source material, right tool for each task

• If there is large amount of existing texts to be converted to HTML documents conversion programs might be useful. There are lots of shareware converters that convert word processor formats to HTML by recognizing elements and marking them with HTML tags. Using converter don't exclude manual work, because in most cases conversion is not accurate or complete.

• For writing documents from the scratch there are many HTML editors or word processor add-ons that makes writing easier. Most editors have buttons and menus from which writer can select and insert tags to document. Writer don't have to memorize all possible HTML tags

• Most HTML editors work on personal computer, PC or Macintosh, but HTML documents (WWW servers) are usually in UNIX computers. If there is need for updating files, minor updates can be done by some UNIX text editor, e.g. Emacs.
• If the documents to be written are small, it could be wise to write them directly in UNIX with text editor, so that there is no need for moving or copying files from PC to UNIX.

Copying files to server

• If HTML files are created or edited in PC, they must be moved to WWW -server, most cases UNIX machine.
• Files can be moved or copied with terminal program or FTP program.

• After files are moved to UNIX, their rights have to be changed, so that WWW browser can access files.
• For HTML files and pictures (GIF, JPG) rights can be changed in UNIX with command chmod a+r *.html.
• If files are in subdirectory, rights for the directory must be changed too, e.g. chmod a+rx DIR_NAME/.