Introduction

I come from a family of educators. My parents are both teachers, as is my brother. I was the only one in my family not to become a teacher. That said, I love helping others, spreading the knowledge I have about web design, and teaching when possible. To that end, I often speak at different conferences and schools, as well as host the occasional workshop. When doing so, I continually receive questions about HTML and CSS. So, I wrote this book to be that ideal, all-encompassing resource for learning HTML and CSS.

Traditionally, you’ll see books that teach HTML first and then CSS, keeping the two languages completely separate. But when they’re taught independently, things don’t really come together until the very end, which is frustrating for someone new to HTML and CSS. I wanted to take a different approach, teaching both languages at the same time so that you can see the fruits of your labor sooner rather than later. This book aims to bring instant gratification to the web design process.

It was also important to me that the book be project based, providing a completed website for readers who work through the book from start to finish. Not everyone learns by reading alone, so I wanted to provide a tangible website to allow people to learn experientially.

And let’s face it, HTML and CSS can be a little daunting at first. After all, the languages are ever changing, and the evolution requires a steady stream of up-to-date material. This book is written in a workshop-style format, with 12 easy-to-digest lessons. Starting with the basics, each lesson builds upon the previous one and breaks down the barriers to entry, showing you how you can start writing HTML and CSS today in practical examples. In fact, you build a simple web page in the first lesson. Then, in subsequent lessons, you learn not only how to make this web page more robust, but also how to create additional design-savvy and interactive web pages that, when combined, form an entire functional website.

Learn to Code HTML & CSS covers the latest technologies as well as the foundations of HTML and CSS that were set years ago. It also covers a range of topics and skills, from beginning to advanced. So if you’re looking to become a web designer or developer and you want to learn HTML and CSS, then this book is for you.