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." By arguing your width andheight tags in images, you can be sure that your HTML is recommending that your browser prepare for specific image sizes.Background Color and ImageWhen selecting to use a background image, as Mama did with the tile background italy.gif, you can also find a color within the image that can be matched to a safe palette color.Apply this color in the <body> tag, arguing for both the loading of acolor and a background image.The following is the body tag from Mama's kitchen:<BODY BACKGROUND="./images/bkgnds/italy.gif">The following is the body tag with an added argument to load a safe palette color:<body bgcolor="#FFFF9c" background="./images/bkgnds/italy.gif">The preceding tag now commands the background color, a pale yellow, to also load.Colors are going to load faster than a graphic.Why? Well, colors are managed by the browser and the individual computer.Unlike images, they are not dependent onretrieving data from the server.Therefore, the color will load first, and then the background image.This creates a much smoother transition.Width and Height Arguments for Even Load TimesAnother extension of load-time pacing is to find the width and height of your images and argue them.This prepares the browser to size a field for the image, holding its place until the image information is received by the browser.This helps smooth outpage loading as well.The following is the image tag from Mama's kitchen:<IMG ALIGN=bottom SRC="./images/icons/learn-italian.gif" ALT="Learn Italian">The following is the image tag with width and height arguments:<img src="./images/icons/learn-italian.gif" align=bottom alt="Learn Italian"width=360 height=158>Scouts among you have probably noticed that I've changed the order of a few items.Again, this relates back to style, and my own preferences.In the preceding code example, having the align=bottom before the SRC argument is not necessarily wrong,I just prefer to argue my image first, and then its various attributes.For complete references regarding image control, check Appendix A.Safe palette colors and their hexadecimal equivalent can be found in Appendix C.alt.coffee: http://www.altdotcoffee.com/Figure 8.19.alt.coffee's home page.Did I say coffee and computers were inseparable? Well, to support my thesis, I suggest a surf over to alt.coffee.This Web site won't sell you any food or java per se, but it is a pure expression of what one of New York City's more unique coffee housesoffers up—both on and off the Web.Back in the '50s, the East Village was known for Beat.Jack Kerouac could be found drinking beer in its bars, and poets, musicians, students, and curious types snapped to new rhythms in its smoky coffee houses, inspired by espresso and au lait.alt.coffee is no throwback, although New Beat musicians play their jazz-inspired surf techno music while the children (I shudder to think that even the grandchildren) of those '50s Beats drink even better coffee and hang in front of computer terminalspowered by a smoking T1 pipe—in other words, a really fast connection to the Net.The Web site is as hip as those making the scene.It's well designed, with great graphics, nice use of frames, some Java (of course), and a really cool Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) area.In fact, VRML is so popular with those most on theedge that the New York City VRML Special Interest group makes alt.coffee its home on a regular basis.VRMLVRML is the language of virtual worlds.It is, according to one of its founding fathers, Mark Pesce, ".a three-dimensional equivalent of HTML." VRML is an evolving programming language that combines logic and objects to create a virtualobject you can, through a special browser, move up, down, side to side, spin around, move in closer, and explore, all with simple mouse movements.Currently VRML is in its second draft, and is evolving through participation of its authors and fans.VRML's primary present use on the Web is artistic or experimental in nature.That it is interactive—it requires the viewer to actively engage withit—is a definitive strength.Moreover, VRML allows links to be embedded within the code.So, if you're spinning through a virtual room and encounter a link, you can click on it and go to an attached Web technology.The potential future for VRML liesin the creation of games, fantasy environments, and scientific modeling, as well as some uncharted possibilities for the commercial realm.VRML for the Web DesignerA great deal of information on VRML is available, both on the Web and in books.It's not something that can be taught in a short overview, but for those Web designers with a little bit of time and a good deal of curiosity, VRML is undeniably an excitinglanguage to check out.Figure 8.20 shows alt.coffee's VRML.Because the VRML atmosphere is very visually rich and its interactive elements are highly compelling, Web designers can use it to showcase both products and environments.alt.coffee's example is a virtual coffeehouse, allowing the visitor to get a feel for the atmosphere of the real place via a virtual, imaginative creation.Figure 8.20.VRML on alt.coffee.Mixing It All UpIf you're like me, you love to eat, drink, and be merry.One way to keep an irascible Web critic from making snide comments about otherwise beautiful sites is to make sure she's had her recommended daily dose of coffee.Other ways includeSelecting appropriate voice for your Web site.Creating style conventions for HTML code and sticking to them.Designing Web sites that are consistent in design.Finding fun uses for the table cell background color argument.Have fun with fonts.Learn the art of the transparent GIF.Think about the philanthropic offerings your clients might have for their audiences.Remember that part of fine design is the way images are treated.Use clever photo treatments and follow simple steps to keep quality high but file size moderate to low.Place safe palette background colors in body tags whenever arguing a background color.Always argue width and height in image tags for smooth loads.Explore brave new virtual worlds with VRML.Imagination is the name of the Web design game, and nowhere is imagination more spontaneous than with children.The following chapter looks at various Web design techniques using the greatest kids' sites on the Internet.Use of this site is subject to certainCopyright (c) 1996-1998EarthWeb, Inc.All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of EarthWeb is prohibited.Please read the.Contact with questions or comments.Copyright 1998 Macmillan Computer Publishing.All rights reserved
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