Getting Started
Jump In, the Water's Fine!

	Create a folder called Project in your hard drive. Use the Windows Explore program to create the folder. Put all files for your project in this folder. By doing this, you will simplify the creation of links to your individual pages and graphics. Don't just put all your individual pages and graphics in the My Files folder.
	Choose a theme. Your web site is like a book. It needs a theme to tie your ideas together and tell an interesting story. If your theme is a personal one, I suggest that you don't put your last name on the site. This will help keep the weirdoes from locating you.
	Begin planning the layout of your site. Think how you want your site to look. What text might you write to describe your theme? What graphics might you want to emphasize particular points? From the artistic viewpoint, how do you want your site to look? Not only will your site convey written information, it will present a picture of your ideas. In addition, it will convey a picture of you, because your personality will be involved in the creation of your site. You will  find it helpful to sketch the layout of your pages, showing the approximate placement of text and graphics.

 

Get graphics. The page on Finding Graphics Files will point you to other web sites that have graphics you can download for backgrounds, buttons, lines, and icons. Be careful, however, that you do not violate copyright law. Remember: to download graphics, put your mouse cursor on the graphic you want and click the right button. Select Save Graphics As... Then enter the path to your project folder; the graphics will be downloaded to that folder.

Think about how many pages you might want in your site.  Usually, the home page is short and general and introduces your site.  It links other pages in your site that give details about your theme. That is, you divide your theme into categories and have a separate page for each category. Each page is a HTML file that has a .htm or .html extension. When you create these pages, the names can not contain spaces.

 

	Name the first page you create index.html, because that name is the default name used by web browsers, and the use of it will make the address of your web site shorter. This file is the initial screen (home page) that appears when your site is accessed
	Read the section on Organizing Your Project to help you decide how many pages (HTML files) you might need and what they should contain. You must have at least two pages.
	Getting started creating your web pages. You will be using a template program to create your web pages. This program is provided for free by the companies that provide free web sites. The Publishing page of this site has links to free web sites. Choose a free web site and then read the site to learn how to access and use the builder program.

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