The address for this web page is: http://fishcaro.crosswinds.net/day_19_more_header_tags.htm

On to the next lesson! Back to the COURSE SYLLABUS

19. MORE HEADER TAGS

(If you have Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, you should see a really neat rainbow effect on the heading for this lesson!)

Although the <TITLE> tag is the most common tag to include in the header (i.e., inside the <HEAD> </HEAD> container), there are two other tags that you should know about before tackling any big web project: the <BASE> and <META> tags.

INDEX CARD #19:

THE <BASE> TAG (19a)

What is the <BASE> tag used for? The <BASE> tag is used to give the full URL for the current document. It's optional: if you use it, it goes inside the <HEAD> </HEAD> container. For example, the tag for the current document would look something like this: <BASE HREF="http://fishcaro.crosswinds.net/day_19_more_header_tags.htm"> Then, whenever a relative URL is encountered, the file name ("day_19_more_header_tags.htm") is stripped away, and the remaining path is used as the base to get the absolute URL.
For example, if the tag <A HREF="graphics/pic_1.gif"> is encountered, the browser will actually request the absolute URL: http://fishcaro.crosswinds.net/graphics/pic_1.gif If there is no BASE tag, then the URL used to access the document forms the base for the absolute URL (which is usually what you want). One use of the BASE tag is for large, multi-page documents (like this web course). If someone were to copy a single page of this course (without a BASE tag) to their hard drive and load it into a browser, none of the relative URLs would work. With the base tag, however, all the relative URLs are "turned into" the proper absolute URLs.
(The BASE tag is also useful when working with frames, and will be discussed in a future lesson.)

THE <META> TAG (19b)

What is the <META> tag used for? The primary use for the <META> tag is to include information about a document, such as its creation date, author, copyright information, and keywords. This information is used by servers, web browsers, and search engines, but is invisible to the reader. The <META> tag must go inside the <HEAD> </HEAD> container.
The NAME attribute specifies the type of meta information you're giving (like "author"); the CONTENT attribute then gives the actual value, like this: <META NAME="author" CONTENT="Carol J.V. Fisher"> Some other typical NAME values are:

NAME="description": Give a brief description of the contents of your web page. Some search engines use only the first 20 words; get to the point quickly.
NAME="keywords": Give a list of comma-separated keywords that would be useful in indexing your web page.
NAME="generator": Give the name and version of the creation tool.

Printable version of Index Card 19a

Printable version of Index Card 19b

WORKSHEET #19:

(W19.1) Please continue with the online tutorial located at: http://www.cwru.edu/help/interHTML/toc.html (link is no longer valid) Read Chapter 3 (EVEN MORE HEADER ELEMENTS) and do all the exercises at the end of Chapter 3.

ASSIGNMENT #19:

(A19.1) Re-read page 95, and read pages 98–101 (starting with "Using <meta> Tags") in the Weasel Book. The HTTP-EQUIV attribute for the META tag is interesting; we'll talk more about it later on.
(A19.2) Put a <BASE> tag in your homepage file. You may have to check with your local computer guru to get the proper base.
(A19.3) VIEW the source code for this document, and look at the META information I've given.
(A19.4) Put the following META information in the header of your homepage file:
- <META NAME="author" CONTENT="your name">
- <META NAME="description" CONTENT="a brief description of your site">
- <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="keywords for your site">
- <META NAME="generator" CONTENT="name and version of the creation tool">
(A19.5) Go to the following site, and see a complete listing of possible name types for the META tag: http://vancouver-webpages.com/META/