If you are new to the web, then this section is for you. If not, then the only thing that probably concerns you is the next section, Navigating with frames.
The World Wide Web is a collection of computers connected to the Internet. The computers that you connect to to access the Internet are called servers. Servers are normally especially fast computers that run special programs, called operating systems, to provide Internet access to people like you. The Internet server that this web site resides on is running a special program that is part of its operating system called a web server.
This web server allows you to connect to it, using a web browser such as Netscape, NCSA's Mosaic, Sun Microsystem's HotJava, or Microsoft Inter net Explorer. Since this web site takes advantage of some useful technology only well rounded browsers are capable of displaying, we recommend using Netscape 2.0 or later, Java enabled. Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 beta two also supports the technology we use. Netscape is the best choice for the web site. It supports frames, as well as Sun's Java and JavaScript. NCSA's Mosaic for the Macintosh supports frames, but not Java/JavaScript. It is planned for further versions of Mosaic to support Java/JavaScript, proving that Netscape is setting the standards in the browser community. The Windows version does not yet support frames, but it is planned to in the future. Sun's HotJava browser supports Java Applets, but not JavaScript, tables, or Frames. Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 beta two supports Java, JavaScript, Frames, and Tables, although for some features, additional files need to be downloaded as well as the navigator itself.
After you have obtained a web browser, you need to know how to use it. Once you access a page, and the server gives you the document, your browser will render it and produce the page that the author created. Hyperlinks look like this. Clicking once on the underlined, colored word, or outlined (sometimes) image will take you to the target. You will quickly learn additional tricks to browsing the web, including how to resize frames (hold your cursor over the frame divisions, and if the document allows, click, hold, and resize to desired size), filling out forms (click inside the input box, and type, or check boxes or buttons, or selecting options from menus), and using Java applets, which have their own unique instructions, just like a regular program has.
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Frames are a relatively new introduction to HTML. They allow you to view multiple documents in different windows at the same time. As you can see, this web site uses three frames. The frame below is used mainly for navigation, this frame is for help, and special information, and the larger frame to the right is where you do most of your work.
To resize a frame, click and hold on the frame divider. Then, drag in the direction you want to resize. While this web site allows resizable frames, others dont, so be warned. Frames also can be scrolled through, as you have learned, because you scrolled down in this frame to reach this part of the document.
To go back in a frame, click the right mouse button once inside the frame, then select "Back in Frame".
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Java and JavaScript are another new feature that are supported by the newer browsers. They are the latest technology, and they help to create interactive and exciting web pages. JavaScript is an interpreted language imbedded in an HTML file. Most of the programming in JavaScript on this web site is used for event trapping. Event trapping is simply waiting for an event to happen, then producing and effect when it does. Java applets are miniature programs themselves, precompilied into class files. Input to the class files is imbedded into the HTML files. There are many instances of Java applets on this web site.
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Quizzes can be accessed through the control menu below, using the link labeled Quizzes. When you are ready to take a quiz, follow that link, then select the quiz you would like to take in the menu that will appear to the right.
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Adding information to this web site is a very powerful option that you can exercise to help us out. Follow the link below labeled Addtions, and browse the frame at right for full instructions.
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