Creating a web page is your chance to tell the world all about you -- your studies, your interests, your family, your activities. This screen will give you a brief overview on how to create your web page.

You don't have to have special software to create your web page. People on Windows machines can use TextPad, WordPad, NotePad, or Microsoft Word. People on Macintosh computers can use SimpleText, BBEdit Lite (a free download), WordPerfect, or Microsoft Word.

Step 1
Open one of the applications listed in the paragraph above. Key in the following:

The indented code above is the basic shell of an html document. HTML is the coding language of the web. To make this code your own, replace the words "My Web Page" with the title of your web site. Then replace the words "Your text goes here" with the first paragraph of your text. Then replace the words "Paragraph 2 goes here" with your words for the second paragraph of your text. You can add as many paragraphs as you wish -- just remember to put the <P> command before the first word in your paragraph.

Alternate Step 1
Alternatively, we have a template file already coded. You can use the html code in this template file for your homepage. Here's how to do it:

1. Read all the information in items 1-8 in this list before you go to the template file. Print out this page if you need to refer to these steps.
2. Click on this link to go to the template file.
3. When you see the template screen, go to View - Page Source in your browser menu options. This will bring up a new window that has all the html code for the template file.
4. Highlight all the copy with your mouse and copy the text and html code.
5. Then paste the copy into your BBEdit, NotePad, or other application.
6. Save the file as index.html
7. Make the screen your own by modifying the words and creating links to other web sites.
8. If you use alternate Step 1, skip Step 2 and go on to Step 3.

Step 2
Once you've keyed in your text, save the file and call it index.html. You'll want to save the file to your computer's hard disk as well as to your VUspace on your desktop. That's all there is to it! You've now created your basic web site.

Step 3
If you'd like people to see your web site, give them your web address (your url). Your web address is your business card address (your email address without the @vanderbilt.edu). So, if your email address was jane.doe@vanderbilt.edu, your web address would be: http://people.vanderbilt.edu/~jane.doe

There's lots more you can do to your basic web site -- you can add graphics, color, and interactivity. Graphics are added with the <IMG SRC> command. Here's an example of how to add a graphic to your basic web page.

1. Find a copyright-free graphic on the web, or create your own with a paint program or imaging software like Photoshop or Fireworks.
2. Click and hold down your mouse button on the image you want to use (for Windows machines hold down the right mouse button).Save the graphic to your computer's hard drive and put it in the same file folder as your index.html file.
3. The image will have a name like bird.gif or calendar.gif.
4. Code the image into your index.html file. Here's an example:

Step 4
The true power of the web is unleashed with hyperlinks. With a click of the mouse, hyperlinks let you link to other pages of your web site or to web sites across the Pacific Ocean. There are two types of links:

1. Absolute links have the full url. An example of an absolute link is http://www.vanderbilt.edu/. You use absolute links when you are linking to a site away from your web site.
2. Relative links have a shortened url. An example of a relative link is webusage.html. You use relative links when you are linking to other web pages you have created. It's easiest if these other web pages are located in the same folder as your index.html file. There are also naming conventions you'll need to remember when creating these other pages:
* file names must end with .html or .htm
* there can't be any spaces in the file name
* there can't be any special characters in the file name like ¢, ò, or ©
* file names are easier to work with when they are short

Here's how to code in an absolute link:

Here's how to code in a relative link:

For more HTML information, try http://www.webmonkey.com/