Up | Home | About | Technology | Products | Users | Contact Us | Site Map | Search

Style Guide | HTML

General

• Write all pages to HTML4.0 specification with full compatability with HTML1.0.
• Label the document type.
• Always use the ".html" extension in lower case.
• Never use ".htm", ".ht3", ".shtml", ".htl" or ".asp".
• Always use pairs of tags where defined.
• Validate your work, especially page styles.
• The use of italics, bold and underline is banned.

Headings

• Always use "H1" for headings.
• Always use "H2" for sub headings.
• Always use "H3" for sub sub headings.
• Never use "H0", "H6", "H7", "H8" or "H9".

Paragraphs

• Never override default alignment or the default font settings for paragraphs of text. The default alignment and font settings are undefined, whatever the user chooses.
• Always pair paragraph tags.
• Headings, lists and tables should not appear within paragraphs.

Images

• Image sizes are only required within tables to prevent the shape of the table being distorted.
• If any image dimension is set, define all image dimensions.
• Only size the image to its true size or integer multiples of its true size in each dimension.
• Use the global, transparent, single pixel GIF to create space where needed.

Banned Tag List

• <H6>
• <Blink>
• <Marquee>
• <IFrame>
• <Div>
• <NoBr>
• &#9;
• &#32;

Compatability

Centring

Not all browsers understand the "Center" tag or centre alignment. Use the following sequences:

• <Center>
  <H1 Align="Center">Heading</H1>
  </Center>
• <Center>
  <P Align="Center">
  .
  :
  </P>
  </Center>

Tables

• Not all browsers understand tables.
• Search engines do not understand tables either.
• Space table cells one per line in the source code to space the text properly.
• Some browsers will not render nested tables, it is not part of the HTML specification.
• Only use tables where absolutely essential. Add line breaks within the last cell of a table row.
• Not all table capable browsers understand table background colours or table background images.
• Do not make table backgrounds essential.
• Some browsers accept poor table definitions. Use the following sequences:
  • <Table>
    <TR>
    <TD>row 0, column 0</TD>
    <TD>row 1, column 0<Br></TD>
    </TR>
    <TR>
    <TD>row 0, column 1</TD>
    <TD>row 1, column 1<Br></TD>
    </TR>
    </Table>

Symbols

• Not all escape sequences are understood by all software.
• Always finish the sequence with a semicolon.
• Use the following sequences:
  • TradeMark: <Sup>(TM)</Sup>
  • CopyRight: (C)
  • Registered: (R)
  • Multiply: &times;
  This allows maximum distribution through EMail.

Fonts

• Not all browsers understand font control.
• Do not use any dingbat symbols, especially those in platform specific fonts.
• Body text should always be the browser default, whatever the user chooses.

Subscripting And Superscripting

• Not all browsers understand superscripts and subscripts.
• Use the following sequences:
  • For exponents: ^
  • For chemicals: none.
  • For array indexes: square brackets.
  • For others: please consult.

Colours

• Not all browsers understand colour.
• Search engines exclude pages with suspect colour, never have text similar to the background colour.
• Always set all colours to an approved style.
• Always use six digit hexadecimal numbers.
• Always preceed six digit hexadecimal numbers with a sharp sign.
• For compatability, never use three digit numbers or colour names.

Images

• Some browsers have no support for images, always use the "Img Alt" tag component. If the image is just decoration use the following sequence:
  • <Img Src="image.gif" Alt="">
• Many browsers only support GIF images without animation.
• Use GIF wherever possible and ensure that the first frame of any GIF animation is meaningful.

Bullets

• Always use the standard HTML bullets. Use the following sequence:
  • <UL>
    <LI>item 1.
    <LI>item 2.
    </UL>

Numbered Lists

• Always use the standard HTML lists.
• For compatability, never depend on extended number formats or the ability to skip numbers.
• Use the following sequences:
  • <OL>
    <LI>item 1.
    <LI>item 2.
    </OL>
  • <OL Type="i">
    <LI>item 1.
    <LI>item 2.
    </OL>

Rules

• Always use the standard HTML rule.
• Use rules sparingly.
• Never rule before headers.
• Never use absolute rule widths.
• Never define rule heights or colours.
• Use the following sequences:
  • <HR>
  • <HR Width="71%">
  • <HR Width="50%">