2. LEARN A FEW FORMATTING TAGS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

Headings

HTML has a special function for headings (not to be confused with the header), so that they'll always be the same size in relation to the main text, and relative to each other, regardless of how the viewer has his or her browser set up. You'll want to use a heading at the top of your page, and smaller ones to begin each new section of the page. Headings come in six sizes, with Heading 1 being the largest.

(Heading 1 is in a 24-point font, compared to normal text, which is in a 12-point font. Heading 4 is also in 12-point, and 5 and 6 are even smaller. In case you're interested.) The tag for Heading 1 is <H1>, with a closing tag of </H1>. For Heading 2, the opening and closing tags are <H2> and </H2>. We leave it to the reader's vivid imagination what the tags for the remaining heading sizes are. The SYW female staffers have insisted we tell you that they LOVE big headings, no matter what you may have heard to the contrary.

Creating lists in HTML

In order to recount your professional activities, educational achievements, or recent criminal record, you will want to create a list. Each list, ordered (numbered) or unordered (not numbered), begins with a tag that identifies the type of list: <OL> for an ordered list and <UL> for an unordered (disordered?) one. An unordered list tag will add bullets instead of numbers in front of each item.

The <LI> tag denotes the beginning of each new list item. List item tags are closed by the introduction of a new list item, or by a tag ending the list, either </OL> or </UL> depending on the type of list.

Lists may be nested within one another as well, by creating a second list inside the first list?s opening and closing tags. Remember that with nested lists, however, you must be sure to close every list that you open.

Here is an example of the code for an ordered list, with an unordered list nested inside it:

. . .

<OL>

<LI>This is the first item in an ordered list.

<LI>This is the next.

<LI>The third item is itself the head of a list:

<UL>

<LI>First item in the nested list

<LI>Note that this is an unordered list; be sure to end both lists!

</UL>

</OL> . . .

When adding nested lists to your code, it's a good idea to indent the items on the inside list (as we did in our example above), so the code will be easier to read later. The document will look like this in a browser (assuming you've included the other essential parts):

  1. This is the first item in an ordered list.
  2. This is the next.
  3. The third item is itself the head of a list:
  • First item in the nested list
  • Note that this is an unordered list; be sure to end both lists!

Other useful formatting tags

<P> The paragraph tag allows you to separate your document into paragraphs, with double spaces between them. This can be particularly useful when adding tables or graphics, since it tells the browser to move further down the page and begin a new section. It's a good idea to begin each new section of code with the <P> tag, even if that section contains only a list, table or graphic. The <P> tag does not require a closing </P> tag, since the next <P> will end your paragraph when it begins a new one. It won't hurt anything if you do add one, however.

<BR> This tag creates a line break, to enable you to control
where each line ends
rather than relying upon the wraparound feature of most browsers.
(Useful for formatting
your embarrassing efforts
at composing
contemporary poetry.)

<B> </B> Makes your text bold-faced.

<I> </I> Puts your text in italics.

<CENTER> </CENTER> Centers your text or image.

<HR> Creates a horizontal rule (a line) on the page. Since there are no actual "pages" in cyberspace, this can be a handy way to divide up information.