Internet Explorer HTML Specification Tool Bar

Complete List of HTML Tags


Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0 adds many new features which are great for HTML authors. This document describes HTML tags supported by Internet Explorer version 3.0.

If you have problems viewing the information in the tables, you can modify your Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 font size by clicking the Fonts menu, clicking View, and changing your current selection.

Be sure to check out our Creating Great Pages Tour that highlights detailed examples of HTML tags you can use to create cool pages.



List of HTML Features Supported by Internet Explorer 3.0


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

ADDRESS

Renders text as italics. See also Cite, Dfn, Em, I.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Changes text to italic. <ADDRESS>Hi there!</ADDRESS> HTML 2

AREA

Specifies the shape of a "hot spot" in a client-side image map.

Client-side image maps are pictures which cause the browser to jump to different URLs depending on where you click. See Client Side Image Maps for a full explanation.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
COORDS="x1, y1, x2, y2, …" Coordinates that define the hot spot's shape. RECT hot spots, for example, use just two. <AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="50, 25, 150, 125" HREF="http://www.sample.com"> IExplore
HREF="URL" Specifies the destination of the hot spot. see above IExplore
NOHREF Indicates that clicks in this region should cause no action. <AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="50, 25, 150, 125" NOHREF> IExplore
SHAPE="shape type" Denotes the type of shape. Allowed values: RECT, RECTANGLE, CIRC, CIRCLE, POLY, or POLYGON. (CIRC/CIRCLE takes three coordinates, centerx, centery, and radius; POLY/POLYGON takes three or more pairs of coordinates denoting a polygonal region.) Rectangle: <AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="50, 25, 150, 125" HREF="http://www.sample.com"> creates a rectangular hot spot from (50, 25)to (150, 125) IExplore

B

Renders text in boldface. See also Strong.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Changes text to bold. <B>Hi there!</B> HTML 2
BASE

Specifies 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

BASEFONT

Sets base font value.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
SIZE=n (n is between 1 and 7 inclusive; default is 3; 7 is largest) Sets the base font size. Throughout the document, relative font size settings -- for example, <FONT SIZE=+3> -- are set according to this. <BASEFONT SIZE=3> This sets the base font size to 3.
<FONT SIZE=+4> Now the font size is 7.
<FONT SIZE=-1> Now the font size is 2.		 Netscape

BGSOUND

The new BGSOUND tag allows you to create pages with background sounds or "soundtracks." The sound you heard when you opened this page is a background sound. (Choose Refresh from the View menu to hear it again.) Sounds can either be samples (.wav or .au format) or MIDI (.mid format).

For an example, go to Multimedia and Images.

Here are the attributes associated with BGSOUND.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
SRC=URL Specifies the address of a sound to be displayed. <BGSOUND SRC="boing.wav">You will hear a boinging noise as soon as Internet Explorer has downloaded the file Boing.wav. IExplore
LOOP=n LOOP=INFINITE Specifies how many times a sound will loop when activated. If n=-1, or if LOOP=INFINITE is specified,it will loop indefinitely. <BGSOUND SRC="boing.wav"LOOP=5>You will hear a boinging noise five times in a row.
<BGSOUND SRC="boing.wav" LOOP=INFINITE>You will hear boinging noises as long as the page is active. 		IExplore
BLOCKQUOTE

Sets apart a quotation in text.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Indents both left and right margins. Used to set apart quotations in text. <BLOCKQUOTE>Hi there! This is a lot of text … and this is the end of it. </BLOCKQUOTE> HTML 2

BODY

Specifies beginning and end of document 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. For an example of a background picture, go to Basics. <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 links 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 links that have already been visited. <BODY VLINK=#00ff00>This page has green visited links…</BODY> Netscape

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

CAPTION

Specifies a caption for a table and must be used within the TABLE tag.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
ALIGN=LEFT, RIGHT, or CENTER Draws the caption left-aligned, right-aligned, or centered with the table borders. <TABLE><CAPTION ALIGN=CENTER>This caption will be centered between the left and right borders of the table.</CAPTION><TR><TD>This is a cell in the table.</TD></TR></TABLE> HTML 3
VALIGN=TOP, or BOTTOM Draws the caption on the top or the bottom of the table. <TABLE><CAPTION ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=BOTTOM>This caption will appear centered below the table.</CAPTION><TR><TD>This is a cell in the table.</TD></TR></TABLE> 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

CITE

Renders text in italics. See also Address, Dfn, Em, I.

CODE

Specifies a code sample. See also Samp.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in a small font. (If no FONT FACE is specified, the font used is fixed-width.) <CODE>Here is some text in a small fixed-width font.</CODE> HTML 2

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

DD

Specifies a definition in a definition list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Indicates that the text is a definition of a term and should therefore be displayed in the right-hand column of a definition list. See DL. HTML 2

DFN

Renders text in italics. See also Address, Cite, Em, I.

DIR

Denotes a directory list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Specifies that the following block consists of individual items, each beginning with an <LI> tag and none containing more than 20 characters, which should be displayed in columns. <DIR> <LI>Art
<LI>History
<LI>Literature
<LI>Sports
<LI>Entertainment
<LI>Science</DIR> 		HTML 2

DL

Denotes a definition list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Specifies that the following block is a definition list: that is, an automatically formatted two-column list with terms on the left and their definitions on the right. <DL> <DT>Cat<DD>A furry cute animal that purrs and likes milk.
<DT>Lizard<DD>A weird desert animal with a long tongue.</DL> 		HTML 2

DT

Specifies a term in a definition list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Indicates that the text is a term to be defined and should therefore be displayed in the left-hand column of a definition list. See DL. HTML 2

EM

Renders text in italics. See also Address, Cite, Dfn, I.

FONT

Changes the font.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
COLOR=#rrggbb or COLOR=color name Sets font color. rrggbb is a hexadecimal number denoting a red-green-blue color value (the number sign is optional). Can also be set to a colorname. See Using Color. <FONT COLOR=#ff0000>This text is red.</FONT>
or
<FONT COLOR=RED>This text is also red.</FONT> 		IExplore
FACE="name [,name2] [,name3]" Sets the font. A list of font names can be specified. If the first font is available on the system, it will be used, otherwise the second will be tried, and so on. If none are available, a default font will be used. <FONT FACE="Arial,Lucida Sans,Times Roman"> This text will be in either Arial, Lucida Sans, or Times Roman, depending on which fonts you have installed on your system.</FONT> IExplore
SIZE=n SIZE=+n or -n Specifies font size between 1 and 7 (7 is largest). A plus or minus before the number indicates a size relative to the current BASEFONT setting. (See BASEFONT.) Note: Relative font sizes are not cumulative. Putting two<FONT SIZE=+1> tags in a row does not result in the font size being increased by 2. See example. <BASEFONT SIZE=3> This sets the base font size to 3.
<FONT SIZE=+4> Now the font size is 7.
<FONT SIZE=-1> Now the font size is 2.
<FONT SIZE=+2>Now the font size is 5.
<FONT SIZE=1>Now the font size is 1. 		Netscape

FORM

Denotes a form.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
ACTION="URL" Specifies the address to be used to carry out the action of the form. If none is specified, the base URL of the document is used. <FORM ACTION="http:// www.sample.com/bin/search"> … </FORM> HTML 2
METHOD=GET or POST Indicates how the form data should be sent to the server. GET means append the arguments to the action URL and open it as if it were an anchor; POST means send the data via an HTTP post transaction. <FORM ACTION="http:// www.sample.com/bin/search" METHOD=GET> … </FORM> HTML 2

FRAME

Denotes a frame.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
SRC= Displays the source file for the frame. <FRAME SRC="frame1.htm"> Netscape
NAME= Provides a target name for the frame. <FRAME NAME="top"> Netscape
MARGINWIDTH= Controls the margin width for the frame in pixels. <FRAME MARGINWIDTH="20"> Netscape
MARGINHEIGHT= Controls the margin height for the frame in pixels. <FRAME MARGINHEIGHT="10"> Netscape
FRAMEBORDER= Provides the option to display or not display a border for a frame. <FRAME FRAMEBORDER="Yes"> IExplore
FRAMESPACING= Creates additional space between frames in pixels. <FRAME FRAMESPACING="30"> IExplore
SCROLLING= Creates a scrolling frame. <FRAME SCROLLING="Yes"> Netscape
NORESIZE Prevents the user from resizing the frame. <FRAME NORESIZE> Netscape

FRAMESET

Denotes a frameset which allows you to display more than one pane (or frame) in its main window.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
COLS= Creates a frame document with columns. You can specify the column dimensions by percentage (%), pixels, or a relative size (*). <FRAMESET COLS="25%, 100, *"></FRAMESET> Netscape
ROWS= Creates a frame document with rows. You can specify the row dimensions by percentage (%), pixels, or a relative size (*). <FRAMESET ROWS="15%, *, 300"></FRAMESET> 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

HR

Draws a horizontal rule.

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

Denotes the file is 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

I

Renders text in italics. See also Address, Cite, Dfn, Em.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in italics. <I>This text will be in italics.</I> HTML 2

IMG

Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 enables you to embed .avi (Audio Video Interleave) video clips in HTML pages. This is done by adding several new attributes, notably DYNSRC (Dynamic Support), to the IMG tag. Non–video-enabled browsers display still images in their place.

For an example, go to Multimedia and Images.

Here is a complete description of the new attributes.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
ALIGN=TOP, MIDDLE, or BOTTOM The surrounding text is aligned with the top, middle, or bottom of the picture. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE>This text is aligned with the middle of the graphic named Sample. HTML 3
ALIGN=LEFT, or RIGHT The picture is drawn as a left-aligned or right-aligned "floating image," and text will flow around it. (See BR CLEAR.) <IMG SRC="sample.gif" ALIGN=LEFT>This text will appear to the right of the graphic named Sample. HTML 3
ALT="text" Specifies text that will be displayed in place of the picture if Show Pictures is turned off. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" ALT="Picture of the Taj Mahal"> HTML 2
BORDER=n Specifies the size of a border to be drawn around the image. If the image is a hyperlink, the border is drawn in the appropriate hyperlink color. If the image is not a hyperlink, the border is invisible. <A HREF="sample.url"><IMG SRC="test.gif" BORDER=5>That was an image with a five-pixel-wide colored border around it.</A> Netscape
CONTROLS If a video clip is present, a set of controls is displayed under the clip. <IMG DYNSRC="fun.avi" CONTROLS>
The above video has a set of transport controls under it. 		IExplore
DYNSRC=URL Specifies the address of a video clip or VRML world to be displayed in the window. Stands for Dynamic Support. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" DYNSRC="test.avi"> If your browser Sources inline video, you will see the movie Test.avi; otherwise you will see the picture Sample.gif. IExplore
HEIGHT=n Along with WIDTH, specifies the size at which the picture is drawn. (If the picture's actual dimensions differ from those specified with WIDTH and HEIGHT, the picture is stretched to match what's specified.) Internet Explorer also uses this to draw a placeholder of appropriate size for the picture before it's loaded. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" WIDTH=320 HEIGHT=200> HTML 3
HSPACE=n Along with VSPACE, specifies margins for the image. Similar to BORDER, except the margins are not painted with color when the image is a hyperlink. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" HSPACE=5 VSPACE=10> This image has five pixels of space on its left and right, and 10 pixels of space above and below. Netscape
ISMAP Identifies the picture as a server-side image map. Clicking the picture transmits the coordinates of the click back to the server, triggering a jump to another page. The following inserts the picture Sample.gif into the document and indicates that when the user clicks it, the server should interpret the click according to the information in Jump.map: <A HREF="jump.map"> <IMG SRC="sample.gif" ISMAP></A> HTML 2
LOOP=n LOOP=INFINITE Specifies how many times a video clip will loop when activated. If n=-1, or if LOOP=INFINITE is specified, it will loop indefinitely. <IMG SRC="preview1.gif" DYNSRC="movie.avi" LOOP=3>
The above video will loop three times when activated.

<IMG SRC="preview1.gif" DYNSRC="movie.avi" LOOP=INFINITE>
The above video will loop indefinitely until stopped. 		IExplore
SRC Specifies the address of the picture to insert. <IMG SRC="http:// www.sample.com/test.gif"> HTML 2
START= FILEOPEN and/or MOUSEOVER For video clips: specifies when the file should start playing. FILEOPEN means start playing as soon as the file is done opening. This is the default. MOUSEOVER means start playing when the user moves the mouse cursor over the animation. <IMG SRC="preview1.gif" DYNSRC="skiing.avi" START=FILEOPEN>
The above video will start playing as soon as it is opened.
<IMG SRC="preview2.gif" DYNSRC="curling.avi" START=MOUSEOVER LOOP=5>
The above video will start playing when the user moves the mouse over it, and will loop five times before stopping. 		IExplore
The user can specify both together. <IMG SRC="preview3.gif" DYNSRC="windsurfing.avi" START=MOUSEOVER, FILEOPEN>
The above video will play once as soon as it opens and thereafter will play whenever the user moves the mouse over it.
USEMAP "map name" Identifies the picture as a client-side image map and specifies a MAP to use for acting on the user's clicks. See Client Side Image Maps for a code example. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" USEMAP "#map1"> IExplore IExplore
VSPACE=n See HSPACE. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" HSPACE=5 VSPACE=10> This image has five pixels of space on its left and right, and 10 pixels of space above and below. Netscape
WIDTH=n See HEIGHT. <IMG SRC="sample.gif" WIDTH=320 HEIGHT=200> HTML 3
INPUT

Specifies a form control.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
ALIGN=TOP, MIDDLE, or BOTTOM Used when TYPE=IMAGE. Specifies how the next line of text will be aligned with the image. <INPUT NAME="Control1" TYPE=IMAGE SRC="sample.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE>This text is aligned with the middle of the preceding image. HTML 2
CHECKED=TRUE or FALSE For check boxes and radio buttons, indicates that they are selected. <INPUT NAME="Control2" TYPE=CHECKBOX CHECKED=TRUE> HTML 2
MAXLENGTH= "length" Indicates the maximum number of characters that can be entered into a text control. <INPUT NAME="Control3" TYPE=TEXTBOX MAXLENGTH=10> HTML 2
NAME="name" Specifies the name of the control. <INPUT NAME="Control4" TYPE=TEXTBOX MAXLENGTH=10> HTML 2
SIZE="size" SIZE="width, height" Specifies the size of the control (in characters). For TEXTAREA-type controls, both height and width can be specified. <INPUT NAME="Control5" TYPE=TEXTBOX SIZE=30><INPUT NAME="Control6" TYPE=TEXTAREA SIZE="30,5"> HTML 2
SRC="address" Used when TYPE=IMAGE. Specifies the address of the image to be used. <INPUT NAME="Control7" TYPE=IMAGE SRC="sample.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE> HTML 2
TYPE Specifies what type of control to use. See Form Control Types. <INPUT NAME="Control8" TYPE=CHECKBOX CHECKED=TRUE> HTML 2
VALUE For textual/numerical controls, specifies the default value of the control. For Boolean controls, specifies the value to be returned when the control is turned on. <INPUT NAME="Control9" TYPE=TEXTBOX VALUE="Your Name">
<INPUT NAME="Control10" TYPE=CHECKBOX VALUE=TRUE> 		HTML 2

ISINDEX

Indicates the presence of a searchable index.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Displays the following message followed by a textbox: "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

KBD

Renders text in fixed-width and boldface type.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in fixed-width and boldface type. <KBD>this is text that the user is supposed to type</KBD> HTML 2

LI

Denotes one item of a list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none In a <UL>, <OL>, <DIR>, or <MENU> block, denotes a new list item. <UL> <LI>This is the first item
<LI>This is the second item
</UL> 		HTML 2
TYPE=A, a, I, i, or 1 Changes the style of an ordered list. Codes: A=use large letters; a=use small letters; I=use large Roman numerals; i=use small Roman numerals; 1=use numbers. <OL> <LI TYPE=A>This is item A.
<LI TYPE=1>This is item 2.
<LI TYPE=i>This is item iii.
</OL> 		Netscape
VALUE=n Changes the count of ordered lists as they progress. <OL> <LI>This is item #1.
<LI VALUE=3>This is item #3.</OL> 		Netscape

LISTING

Renders text in fixed-width type. See also Pre, Tt, Xmp.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in fixed-width type. <LISTING>Here's some plain text.</LISTING> HTML 2

MAP

Specifies a collection of hot spots for a client-side image map.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
NAME Gives the MAP a name so it can be referred to later. See Client Side Image Maps for an example of a client-side image map. <MAP NAME="map1"> <AREA …> <AREA…> </MAP> IExplore

MARQUEE

The new MARQUEE tag enables you to create a scrolling text marquee. Here is an example of one:

This is a scrolling marquee.

The HTML entry used to insert the marquee above is:

<MARQUEE BGCOLOR=#FFFFBB DIRECTION=RIGHT BEHAVIOR=SCROLL SCROLLAMOUNT=10 SCROLLDELAY=200><FONT COLOR="WHITE">This is a scrolling marquee.</FONT></MARQUEE>

Marquees can be left- or right-aligned, like images, and have a variety of attributes to control them.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Makes a scrolling text marquee. <MARQUEE>This text will scroll!</MARQUEE> IExplore
ALIGN=TOP, MIDDLE, or BOTTOM Specifies that the text around the marquee should align with the top, middle, or bottom of the marquee. <MARQUEE ALIGN=TOP>The following words, "Hi there!", will be aligned with the top of this marquee.</MARQUEE> Hi there! IExplore
BEHAVIOR= SCROLL, SLIDE, or ALTERNATE Specifies how the text should behave. SCROLL (the default) means start completely off one side, scroll all the way across and completely off, and then start again. SLIDE means start completely off one side, scroll in, and stop as soon as the text touches the other margin. ALTERNATE means bounce back and forth within the marquee. <MARQUEE BEHAVIOR=SCROLL>This text will scroll all the way on and then all the way off.</MARQUEE>
<MARQUEE BEHAVIOR=SLIDE>This marquee will scroll in and "stick."</MARQUEE>
<MARQUEE BEHAVIOR=ALTERNATE>This text will bounce back and forth.</MARQUEE> 		IExplore
BGCOLOR= #rrggbb or colorname Specifies a background color for the marquee, either as a RGB triple or using a "friendly" colorname. (See Using Color for a list of valid colornames.) <MARQUEE BGCOLOR=#FF0000>This marquee has a red background!</MARQUEE> IExplore
DIRECTION=LEFT or RIGHT Specifies which direction the text should scroll. The default is LEFT, which means scrolling to the left from the right. <MARQUEE DIRECTION=RIGHT>This marquee will scroll from the left in a rightward direction.</MARQUEE> IExplore
HEIGHT=n or HEIGHT=n% Specifies the height of the marquee, either in pixels or as a percentage of the screen height. <MARQUEE HEIGHT=50% WIDTH=80%>This marquee is half the height of the screen and 80% of the width.</MARQUEE> IExplore
HSPACE=n Specifies left and right margins for the outside of the marquee, in pixels. <MARQUEE HSPACE=10 VSPACE=10>This marquee will be separated from the surrounding text by a 10-pixel border.</MARQUEE> IExplore
LOOP=n LOOP=INFINITE Specifies how many times a marquee will loop when activated. If n=-1, or if LOOP=INFINITE is specified, it will loop indefinitely. <MARQUEE LOOP=5>This marquee will loop five times.</MARQUEE> IExplore
SCROLLAMOUNT=n Specifies the number of pixels between each successive draw of the marquee text. <MARQUEE SCROLLDELAY=5 SCROLLAMOUNT=50>This is a very fast marquee.</MARQUEE> IExplore
SCROLLDELAY=n Specifies the number of milliseconds between each successive draw of the marquee text. <MARQUEE SCROLLDELAY=5 SCROLLAMOUNT=50>This is a very fast marquee.</MARQUEE> IExplore
VSPACE=n Specifies top and bottom margins for the outside of the marquee, in pixels. <MARQUEE HSPACE=10 VSPACE=10>This marquee will be separated from the surrounding text by a 10-pixel border.</MARQUEE> IExplore
WIDTH=n or WIDTH=n% Sets the width of the marquee, either in pixels or as a percentage of the screen width. <MARQUEE HEIGHT=50% WIDTH=80%>This marquee is half the height of the screen and 80% of the width.</MARQUEE> IExplore
MENU

Denotes a list of items.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Specifies that the following block consists of individual items, each beginning with an <LI> tag. <MENU><LI>This is the first item in the menu.
<LI>And this is the second item in the menu.</MENU> 		HTML 2

META

Microsoft Internet Explorer Sources client pull using the META tag. The META tag must be inside the HEAD tag of the HTML document. The URL attribute requires a fully qualified URL (for example, http://www.sample.com/reload.htm).

Attribute Explanation Example Source
HTTP-EQUIV= "REFRESH" Causes a document to be automatically reloaded on a regular basis, specified in seconds. <HEAD><META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" CONTENT=2><TITLE>Reload Document</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
<P>This document will be reloaded every two seconds.</BODY>		 Netscape
CONTENT="n; URL=URL" Tells the browser to reload in n seconds. If a URL is specified, the browser will load the URL after the time specified has elapsed. If no URL is specified, it will reload the current document. <HEAD><META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" CONTENT="5; URL=http://www.sample.com/next.htm"> <TITLE>Load Next Document</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
<P>After five seconds have elapsed, the document "http://www.sample.com/next.htm" will be loaded.</BODY>		 Netscape

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

NOFRAMES

Insert HTML here for browsers that do not support Frames.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
<NOFRAMES> Provides HTML for browsers that do not support frames. <NOFRAMES>You need Internet Explorer 3.0 to view frames!</NOFRAMES> Netscape

OBJECT

Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0 supports objects according to the HTML 3.0 object model. Objects add functionality to Internet Explorer 3.0 by providing you with a single source for inserting images, video, and programs (JAVA and OLE Controls) into your HTML documents. Details of this model are available at http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/TR/WD-object.html.

Note: This link points to a server that is not under the control of Microsoft Corporation. Please read our disclaimer before continuing.

For further information and to view examples of the OBJECT tag, go to the ActiveX Development Kit.

OL

Draws lines of text as an ordered list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Specifies that the following block consists of individual items, each beginning with an <LI> tag. The items are numbered. <OL> <LI>This is the first item in the list.
<LI>And this is the second item in the list.</OL> 		HTML 2
START=n Specifies a starting number for the list. <OL START=3> <LI>This is item number 3.</OL> Netscape
TYPE=A, a, I, i, or 1 Changes the style of the list. Codes: A=use large letters; a=use small letters; I=use large Roman numerals; i=use small Roman numerals; 1=use numbers. <OL> <LI TYPE=A>This is item A.
<LI TYPE=1>This is item 2.
<LI TYPE=i>This is item iii.</OL> 		Netscape
OPTION

Denotes one choice in a list box.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none In a <SELECT> block, denotes one of the choices that will appear in the list. See SELECT. HTML 2
SELECTED Indicates that this item is the default. If not present, item #1 becomes the default. See SELECT. HTML 2
VALUE Indicates the value that will be returned if this item is chosen. See SELECT. HTML 2
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

PLAINTEXT

Renders text in fixed-width type without processing tags.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in fixed-width type. Also turns off HTML parsing until the browser encounters the </PLAINTEXT> tag. <PLAINTEXT> Here's a sample of HTML: <A HREF="sample.url">This is a shortcut to sample.</A></PLAINTEXT> HTML 2

PRE

Renders text in fixed-width type. See also Listing, Tt, Xmp.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in fixed-width type. <PRE>Here's some plain text</PRE> HTML 2

S

Renders text in strikethrough type.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in strikethrough type. <S>This text has a line through it.</S> HTML 2

SAMP

Specifies a code sample. See also Code.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in a small font. (If no FONT FACE is specified, the font used is fixed-width.) <SAMP>Here is some text in a small fixed-width font.</SAMP> HTML 2

SELECT

Denotes a list box or dropdown list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Specifies a list box or dropdown list. <SELECT NAME="Cars" MULTIPLE SIZE="1">
<OPTION VALUE="1">BMW
<OPTION VALUE="2">PORSCHE
<OPTION VALUE="3" SELECTED>MERCEDES</SELECT> 		HTML 2
MULTIPLE Indicates that multiple items can be selected. See above. HTML 2
NAME Specifies a name for the list. See above. HTML 2
SIZE Specifies the height of the list control. See above. HTML 2

STRIKE

Renders text in strikethrough type. See S.

STRONG

Renders text in boldface. See B.

TABLE

Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0 supports HTML tables according to the HTML 3.0 table model. Details of this standard are available at http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/TR/WD-tables.html.

Note: This link points to a server that is not under the control of Microsoft Corporation. Please read our disclaimer before continuing.

Example Table
Hello
there!

As shown here, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 extends the table specification with color. By adding BGCOLOR=#nnnnnn to each opening TD tag, each individual cell can have its own background color. You can also add a caption to the table by using the CAPTION tag.

Here is the HTML entry that produces the table shown at right:

<TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 WIDTH=20%>
<CAPTION ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT FACE="COURIER NEW" SIZE=1>Example Table</FONT></CAPTION>
<TR><TD BGCOLOR=#FFFFBB>Hello</TD></TR>
<TR><TD BGCOLOR=#CCECFF>there!</TD></TR>
</TABLE>

The following attributes remain with the lowest-level component if they are nested. For example, TH and TD attributes override TR and TABLE attributes, and TR attributes override TABLE attributes. For more information about TABLE, TR, TH, and TD, please see the HTML 3.0 standard mentioned above.


TABLE, TR, TH, and TD

Here is a complete description of the additional attributes supported by TABLE, TR, TH, and TD.

Attribute Explanation Example Support
ALIGN=LEFT, or RIGHT Specifies that the table or the text can be left- or right-aligned. The default is left-aligned for TABLE, TR, and TD. The default is center-aligned for TH. <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 width=20%> <TR><TD>This table is right-aligned.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE BORDER=1 width=20%> <TR><TD ALIGN=RIGHT>The text in this cell is right-aligned.</TD></TR></TABLE> 		IExplore
BACKGROUND=" URL" Specifies a background picture. The picture is tiled behind the text and graphics in the table, table head, or table cell. <TABLE BACKGROUND="linoleum.gif"> … </TABLE> IExplore
BGCOLOR= #rrggbb or colorname Sets background color. 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. <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 BGCOLOR=RED width=20%> <TR><TD>This table has a red background.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 width=20%> <TR><TD BGCOLOR=RED>This cell has a red background.</TD></TR></TABLE> 		IExplore
BORDERCOLOR= #rrggbb or colorname Sets border color and must be used with the BORDER attribute. rrggbb is a hexadecimal number denoting a red-green-blue color value (the number sign is optional). BORDERCOLOR can also be set to a colorname. See Using Color. <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 BORDERCOLOR=RED width=20%> <TR><TD>This table has a red border.</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 width=20%> <TR><TD BORDERCOLOR=RED>This cell has a red border.</TD></TR></TABLE> 		IExplore
BORDERCOLORLIGHT= #rrggbb or colorname Sets independent border color control over one of the two colors used to draw a 3-D border, opposite of BORDERCOLORDARK, and must be used with the BORDER attribute. rrggbb is a hexadecimal number denoting a red-green-blue color value (the number sign is optional). BORDERCOLORLIGHT can also be set to a colorname. See Using Color. <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 BORDERCOLORLIGHT=RED width=20%> <TR><TD>This table has one half of the 3-D border set to red.</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 width=20%> <TR><TD BORDERCOLORLIGHT=RED>This cell has one half of the 3-D border set to red.</TD></TR></TABLE>		 IExplore
BORDERCOLORDARK= #rrggbb or colorname Sets independent border color control over one of the two colors used to draw a 3-D border, opposite of BORDERCOLORLIGHT, and must be used with the BORDER attribute. rrggbb is a hexadecimal number denoting a red-green-blue color value (the number sign is optional). BORDERCOLORDARK can also be set to a colorname. See Using Color. <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 BORDERCOLORDARK=RED width=20%> <TR><TD>This table has one half of the 3-D border set to red.</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1 width=20%> <TR><TD BORDERCOLORDARK=RED>This cell has one half of the 3-D border set to red.</TD></TR></TABLE>		 IExplore
VALIGN=TOP, or BOTTOM Specifies that the text can be top- or bottom-aligned. The default is center-aligned. <TABLE BORDER=1 width=20% VALIGN=TOP><TR><TD>The text in this table is top-aligned.</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE BORDER=1 width=20%><TR><TD VALIGN=TOP>The text in this cell is top-aligned.</TD></TR></TABLE>		 IExplore


TABLE BASICS

These tags are specific to HTML 3.0 tables.

Attribute Explanation Example Support
THEAD Defines the table header. <TABLE>
<THEAD>This is the header section of a table.
<TR>
</TR>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
TBODY Defines the table body. <TABLE>
<TBODY>This is the body section of a table.
<TR>
</TR>
</TBODY>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
TFOOT Defines the table footer. <TABLE>
<TFOOT>This is the footer section of a table.
<TR>
</TR>
</TFOOT>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3


TABLE COL, COLGROUP

Provides additional information for table columns.

Attribute Explanation Example Support
COL SPAN= Sets the amount of columns affected by the element. <TABLE>
<COLGROUP>
<COL WIDTH="1*" SPAN=3>The width will affect three different columns.
</COL>
</COLGROUP>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
COL ALIGN="center", "justify", "left", "right" Specifies the column and text alignment. The default is center. <TABLE><COL ALIGN=RIGHT>This column is right-aligned.</COL></TABLE> HTML 3
COLGROUP ALIGN="center", "justify", "left", "right" Specifies the column group and text alignment. The default is center. <COLGROUP ALIGN=LEFT><COL>This column group is left-aligned.</COL></COLGROUP> HTML 3
COLGROUP VALIGN="baseline", "bottom", "middle", "top" Specifies the vertical alignment of text within a column. <COLGROUP VALIGN=BOTTOM><COL>The text within this column group is bottom-aligned.</COL></COLGROUP> HTML 3


TABLE FRAME

Provides additional information for table frames. You may only specify frames for tables containing the THEAD, TBODY, and TFOOT elements.

Attribute Explanation Example Support
FRAME="void" Removes all outside table borders. <TABLE FRAME=void>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
FRAME="above" Displays a border on the top side of the table frame. <TABLE FRAME=above>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
FRAME="below" Displays a border on the bottom side of the table frame. <TABLE FRAME=below>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
FRAME="hsides" Displays a border on the top and bottom sides of the table frame. <TABLE FRAME=hsides>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
FRAME="lhs" Displays a border on the left-hand side of the table frame. <TABLE FRAME=lhs>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
FRAME="rhs" Displays a border on the right-hand side of the table frame. <TABLE FRAME=rhs>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
FRAME="vsides" Displays a border on the left and right sides of the table frame. <TABLE FRAME=vsides>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
FRAME="box" Displays a border on all sides of the table frame. <TABLE FRAME=box>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3


TABLE RULES

Provides additional information for table rules. You may only specify rules for tables containing the THEAD, TBODY, and TFOOT elements.

Attribute Explanation Example Support
RULES="none" Removes all interior table borders. <TABLE RULES=none>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
RULES="basic" Displays horizontal borders between THEAD, TBODY, and TFOOT. <TABLE RULES=basic>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
RULES="rows" Displays horizontal borders between all table rows. <TABLE RULES=rows>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
RULES="cols" Displays horizontal borders between all table columns. <TABLE RULES=cols>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3
RULES="all" Displays a border on all rows and columns. <TABLE RULES=all>
<THEAD>
</THEAD>
</TABLE>		 HTML 3

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

TT

Renders text in fixed-width type. See also Pre, Listing, Xmp.

U

Renders text underlined.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text underlined. <U>This text has a line under it.</U> HTML 2

UL

Draws lines of text as a bulleted list.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Specifies that the following block consists of individual items, each beginning with an <LI> tag. The items are bulleted. <UL> <LI>This is the first item in the list.
<LI>And this is the second item in thelist.</UL> 		HTML 2

VAR

Renders text as a small fixed-width font.

Attribute Explanation Example Source
none Renders text in a small fixed-width type. <VAR>Here's some plain text.</VAR> HTML 2

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

XMP

Renders text in fixed-width type. See also Listing, Pre, Tt.




Using Color

Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0 allows you to use the following colornames. These supported colornames can be used with the BODY, FONT, HR, MARQUEE, and TABLE tags. View the detailed page on Using Color for further information.


SUPPORTED COLORNAMES
Black
White
Green
Maroon
Olive
Navy
Purple
Gray
Red
Yellow
Blue
Teal
Lime
Aqua
Fuchsia
Silver


Note: This feature is not compatible with Netscape v2.0.



HTML Tags Grouped by Category

For further information, see the following topics.

Category Description
Basics Lists the basic tags you need to create an HTML file.
Client Pull Client Pull provides the ability to automatically load a new document in the specified time or reload a document on a regular basis.
Client-Side Image Maps The most common use of image maps is to allow users to access different documents by clicking different areas in an image.
Color Lists the supported colornames and the tags which support these colornames.
Forms Includes tags which produces forms, form control types, and list boxes.
Font Formatting Lists the different tags used to format fonts.
Frames Includes the Internet Explorer 3.0 frame tags to create frames.
Lists Includes all of the tags which support different list types.
Objects Lists the tags to embed OLE Controls.
Multimedia and Images Learn how to use tags to embed video clips, sound, and marquees.
Table Support Includes the Internet Explorer 3.0 table tag extensions to support HTML tables.

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