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Hugh Mitchell
Courses Plus Student 258 PointsSome absolute basics I need clearing up!
I'm risking the ridicule of the whole internet here, and I have what I'm sure is a very stupid question.
I'm running the web development track, going through the videos on HTML, CSS, etc. At the end of each section is a 'challenge' and I'm completing those without any problems, but I don't really feel like I've understood what I've done, or why - I've simply done what I've been told and given a green tick.
Here's my question: regarding the Sublime Text 2 programme we're advised to download - is the idea that we actually mirror what's in the videos as we go along? As in, build the website in the text editor bit by bit, as we're watching? Or is the idea just to complete the 'challenges' at the end, and that's enough - and that advice about Sublime Text 2 was just a general FYI?
I did try to 'go along' with the videos using sublime, but various things didn't work out. Dragging the index.html thing into Chrome, for example, does nothing but bring up a 'web page could not be displayed', and refreshing it does nothing. The only way to get it to 'work' in Chrome is by double clicking the index.html file. Also, images didn't work - it always just came up with a little image icon rather than the image itself.
And what's with Text Editors? As in, how do you actually get your website up and running once you've coded the thing... Sure you can view it in your own personal browser, but presumably there's the whole giant matter of hosting, maybe using a CMS, getting your domain, etc?
I'm sure it's something very obvious, but I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, or even IF I'm doing something wrong.
Is there a knowledge base somewhere that can clear up the whole thing with images, using text editors, etc? Like, when I'm told the image is in the "img" folder, what does that MEAN? Is it just referring to the folder within my computer? Or is this folder somewhere online already?
Obviously, I'm confused as hell. Help!
3 Answers
Richmond Lauman
28,793 PointsIf you are going through the Beginner HTML course (https://teamtreehouse.com/library/html) The answers to the questions you are asking should be covered in the videos. They will explain things like how the root folder or directory (the main folder containing site files) can contain sub directories or folders (like an img directory for instance), They will explain the img tag and the src attribute and how an html file in the root folder can link to an image file in an img folder if the path is written correctly. If you are having problems with the results in the HTML course and not getting the results you should be getting (even if you are acing the challenges) you need to go back to the last video or videos before the problem began and watch it again, and again until you are getting the output you are supposed to get. It can be overwhelming at first. It can feel like there are too many little details, and too many ways for things to go wrong if your code is not exactly right. And that is true... but once you start getting it and becoming familiar with the logic and with paying attention to detail, and once you start getting the results you expect, it becomes easier and the sense of being overwhelmed is replaced with a sense of accomplishment. Do not worry about publishing your site to a server, or using CMS right now. Just concentrate on understanding the basics of HTML and getting disciplined to the attention to detail required. I promise that once you have a grasp on the HTML basics, the rest will come easy. The next step would be beginner CSS and then you can confidently look into hosting, ftp, content management systems, and the rest. Have Fun!!
Hugh Mitchell
Courses Plus Student 258 PointsThanks Richmond, that's hugely helpful. As all the challenges I'm doing are going fine, it is less about the actual code and more about the logistics of how everything comes together to make a website. I suppose I should be patient!
Thanks a lot again.
Richmond Lauman
28,793 PointsYou are welcome!