Internet Explorer HTML Specification Tool Bar

Basics


This following information is described here:



Basic Document Structure


Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0 supports various HTML tags that form the basic structure of the document.

HTML

Denotes the file as an HTML document.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Denotes the file is an HTML document. <HTML><P>This is an HTML document.</P></HTML> HTML 2

TITLE

Specifies a title for the document.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Specifies a title for the document. Internet Explorer uses this for the window caption. <TITLE>"Welcome To Internet Explorer!"</TITLE> HTML 2

BODY

Specifies the beginning and end of the document body. This tag also allows you to set the background image, the background color, the link colors, and the top and left margins of the page.

The HTML used to insert the background image of this page is:

<BODY BACKGROUND="watermrk.gif" BGPROPERTIES=FIXED BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF TEXT=#000000 LINK=#ff6600 VLINK=#330099>

Here are the attributes associated with BODY.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Indicates where the body of an HTML document begins and ends. <HTML> <BODY>Here's a Web page!</BODY></HTML> HTML 2
BACKGROUND=" URL" Specifies a background picture. The picture is tiled behind the text and graphics on the page. <BODY BACKGROUND="linoleum.gif"> … </BODY> HTML 3
BGCOLOR= #rrggbb or colorname Sets the background color of the page. rrggbb is a hexadecimal number denoting a red-green-blue color value (the number sign is optional). BGCOLOR and each of the other color attributes here can also be set to a colorname. See Using Color. <BODY BGCOLOR=#ff0000>This page has a red background.</BODY>
or
<BODY BGCOLOR=RED>This page also has a red background.</BODY> 		Netscape
BGPROPERTIES= fixed Specifies a watermark, which is a background picture that does not scroll. <BODY BACKGROUND="linoleum.gif" BGPROPERTIES=FIXED>The background on this page is fixed so that it does not scroll.</BODY> IExplore
LEFTMARGIN=n Specifies the left margin for the entire body of the page and overrides the default margin. Set to "0", the left margin will be exactly on the left edge. <BODY LEFTMARGIN="60" TOPMARGIN="0">The left margin of this page is 60 pixels wide.</BODY> IExlpore
LINK=#rrggbb or colorname Sets the color of hyperlinks that have not yet been visited. <BODY LINK=#0000ff>This page has blue links.</BODY> Netscape
TEXT=#rrggbb or colorname Sets the color of text on the page. <BODY TEXT=FUCHSIA>This text is fuchsia.</BODY> Netscape
TOPMARGIN=n Specifies the margin for the top of the page and overrides the default margin. Set to "0" the top margin will be on the precise top edge. <BODY LEFTMARGIN="60" TOPMARGIN="0">The top margin of this page is 0 pixels high.</BODY> IExlpore
VLINK=#rrggbb or colorname Sets color of hyperlinks that have already been visited. <BODY VLINK=#00ff00>This page has green visited links.</BODY> Netscape

Hn

Renders text in heading style.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Use H1 through H7 to specify different sizes and styles of heading.(H1 is the largest.) <H1>Welcome to Internet Explorer!</H1> HTML 2
ALIGN=CENTER Centers the heading. <H2 ALIGN=CENTER>How to Use Internet Explorer</H2> HTML 3

P

Denotes a paragraph.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Inserts a paragraph break and denotes a paragraph. The ending tag, </P>, is optional. <P>This is a paragraph.</P> HTML 2
ALIGN=CENTER Centers the paragraph. <P ALIGN=CENTER>This is a centered paragraph.</P> HTML 3

CENTER

Causes subsequent text and images to be centered.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Causes subsequent text and images to be centered. <CENTER>Hi there!</CENTER> Netscape



HTML Feature that Supports Hypertext Links


A

Stands for anchor and specifies a hypertext link.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
HREF="URL" Specifies a destination address. Everything between the <A HREF…> and the </A> (both text and pictures) becomes a clickable hyperlink to that address. <A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com"> This is a link to Microsoft.</A> HTML 2
HREF="filename" Specifies a destination file. The server looks in the directory that the current document is stored in to find the file. <A HREF="home.htm">This is a link to a file called Home.htm in the same directory as this page.</A> HTML 2
NAME="name" Specifies an anchor point within an HTML document. Anchor: <A NAME="map1"> Links that point to that anchor: <A HREF="#map1">…</A>, <A HREF="http://www.sample.com/ home.htm#map1">…</A> HTML 2



HTML Feature that Sets the Base URL


BASE

Specifies the document's URL.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
HREF="URL" Specifies the document's full URL in case the document gets read out of context and the reader wants to refer to the original. <BASE HREF="http:// www.sample.com/hello.htm"> HTML 2



HTML Feature that Inserts a Comment


COMMENT

Indicates a comment.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Indicates a comment. The text between the tags is ignored, unless it contains HTML code. <COMMENT>This won't be printed.</COMMENT> HTML 2



HTML Features that Produce Line Breaks


Internet Explorer 3.0 supports 3 different HTML tags that produce or inhibit line breaks.

BR

Inserts a line break.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Inserts a line break. <BR> HTML 2
CLEAR=LEFT, RIGHT, or ALL Inserts vertical space so that the next text displayed will be past left- or right-aligned "floating" images. LEFT inserts space so that the next text appears aligned with the left margin directly below a left-aligned floating image; RIGHT is the same, but for the right side; and ALL puts the next text past all floating images. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" ALIGN=LEFT> Here's some text to the right of a picture.
<BR CLEAR=LEFT>Here's some text beneath the picture. 		HTML 3

NOBR

Turns off line breaking.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text without line breaks. <NOBR>Here's a line of text I don't want to be broken . . . here's the end of the line.</NOBR> Netscape

WBR

Inserts a soft linebreak in a block of NOBR text.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Inserts a soft linebreak in a block of NOBR text. <NOBR> This line of text will not break, no matter how narrow the window gets.<WBR> This one, however<WBR>, will.</NOBR> Netscape



HTML Feature that Creates a Horizontal Rule


HR

Draws a horizontal rule.

The HTML used to create the horizontal rule above is:

<HR SIZE=5 NOSHADE>

Here are the attributes associated with HR.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Draws a horizontal rule the width of the window. <HR> HTML 2
ALIGN=LEFT, RIGHT, or CENTER Draws the rule left-aligned, right-aligned, or centered. <HR ALIGN=CENTER> HTML 3
COLOR Adds color to the rule. <HR COLOR=#rrggbb or colorname> IExplore
NOSHADE Draws the rule without 3-D shading. <HR NOSHADE> Netscape
SIZE Sets the height of the rule in pixels. <HR SIZE=5> Netscape
WIDTH=n% Sets the width of the rule as a percentage of window width. <HR WIDTH=50%> Netscape
WIDTH=n Sets the width of the rule in pixels. <HR WIDTH=250> Netscape



HTML Feature that Indicates the Presense of a Searchable Index


ISINDEX

Indicates the presence of a searchable index.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Displays the following message followed by a text box: "You can search this index. Type the keyword(s) you want to search for:" When the user enters text and presses ENTER, that text is posted back to the page's URL as a query. <ISINDEX> HTML 2
ACTION=filename Specifies the gateway program to which the string in the text box should be passed. <ISINDEX ACTION="search"> Netscape
PROMPT="prompt text" Specifies a prompt to be used instead of the above. <ISINDEX PROMPT="Type in keywords here."> HTML 3

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