HyperText Markup Language

Helpful Hints for Library of Congress Web Developers

Validate Your HTML

Weblint is a software program that reads your HTML document and identifies syntax and other errors in your coding. It validates for HTML 4.01. Two Weblint gateway forms are available on the RS7 for Library of Congress staff to validate HTML on the server (using a valid URL) or in a local file (by entering a local path and filename). The Weblint gateway is available at the following URL:

http://www.loc.gov/cgi-bin/loc/weblint-gw/

Other validators are available for HTML 4.01:

W3C HTML Validation Service: http://validator.w3.org/
W3C CSS Validator: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/

In addition, Dreamweaver and HomeSite have quite a bit of built-in HTML validation.

Test Your Pages on a Variety of Browsers

While you are developing your HTML files, you will need to test them on a wide variety of browsers. This will help you to identify problems with your coding that your "Browser Of Choice" may be tolerating. For instance, Netscape tolerates some inconsistencies that IBM Web Explorer does not. You will need to use LYNX to see how your ALT= attributes are working, etc (or try the LYNX View [http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.html], a LYNX emulator). You may also want to see how your pages look in the new Web TV browser, by downloading an emulator to your PC from the Web TV: Designing for Television page [http://developer.webtv.net/design/]

Common Errors

Often errors in your coding are hard to detect. However, there are some common errors that you can look out for.

Make sure the close tag has the "slash" (/) in it
Check to see if all of your quotes are double quotes (")
Check to make sure there is a closing quote for every opening quote
Make sure you aren't missing closing tags like </a>

New "clean-up" programs, like HTML TIDY [http://www.w3.org/People/Raggett/tidy/, are becoming available to tidy up your HTML problems. We have not yet tested them at the Library, but plan to do so in the near future.

Dreamweaver and HomeSite also have some built-in code "clean-up" functions, but use these with caution!

Proprietary Tags

Avoid using Netscape and Internet Explorer "extensions" to the HTML 4.01 specification. Library of Congress pages should be fully accessible to all popular browsers, including text-based browsers like LYNX. Use of some of these proprietary tags may cause strange results on other browsers and make your documents difficult to read.

Tables

If you wish to use tables for any reason, you will need to make sure that viewing the tabled information through other browsers does not make it unreadable. More information on HTML Tables is available.

Cascading Style Sheets

Consult the Library of Congress Guildelines for HTML 4.01 for more information on the syntax for and use of Cascading Style Sheets - http://www.loc.gov/iug/html40/40css.html

Using Dreamweaver and HomeSite

Any text editor may be used to create an HTML file. However, it is advisable for you to use the new Library of Congress standard editors: Dreamweaver and HomeSite. This software has been licensed for use in the Library, but copies will have to be pruchased for you under that license agreement. Automation liaisons should contact Belinda Urquiza in the Automaton Planning and Liaison Office for more information about purchasing this software.

Basic level training is available in the use of these software programs through the LC Internal University [http://www.loc.gov/staff/lciu/]. Intermediate training and a special workshop on using Cascading Style Sheets will be available in the near future.

Transferring HTML Files to the RS7

To load HTML files onto the production server, use FTP to connect to the RS7 and log in with your own username and password (request RS7 accounts through your Service Unit's automation liaison). Once connected you will need to change to the data area for the Library's Web site.

/prod/www/data

From there you will see all of the Web directories listed. For example, directories have been set up for each reading room under rr. Drill down to the directory using the mouse.

Once you have reached the location for your files, use your FTP software to move the files. HTML files must be transferred using ASCII and all other files are transferred using BINARY.

Note - Using Dreamweaver's Site Managment feature, you can even more easily transfer your files to the server without needing an intervening FTP software program.

The index.html Filename - Setting the default Home Page

For new Web projects, you may need to set the "default" home page for the directory. The special filename index.html will need to be linked to the actual filename for your home page. This can only be done by connecting to the server using TELNET, then changing to your directory (using cd /prod/www/data/...). Once in your directory, you will need to use the UNIX command ln -s.

For instance, if your home page filename is rbhome.html and it is stored in the directory /prod/www/data/rr/rarebook, you would TELNET to the RS7 and log in using your login and password. Then change to that directory:

cd /prod/www/data/rr/rarebook

Use the ln -s command to link your home page file to "index.html":

ln -s /prod/www/data/rr/rarebook/rbhome.html index.html

Once you have issued this command, the URL for your home page will be:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/rarebook/

Go to:

Library of Congress

Library of Congress Help Desk (January 11, 2005)