Web page

A Web page or webpage is a "page" of the World Wide Web, usually in HTML/XHTML format (the file extensions are typically htm or html) and with hypertext links to enable navigation from one page or section to another. Web pages often use associated graphics files to provide illustration, and these too can be clickable links. A web page is displayed using a web browser.

Related Topics:
World Wide Web - HTML - XHTML - File extensions - Htm - Hypertext - Links - Graphics - Web browser

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A web page can contain any of the following:

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• Text
• graphics (gif, jpeg or png)
• Audio (.mid or .wav)
• Interactive multimedia content that requires a plugin such as Flash, Shockwave or VML
• applets (subprograms that run inside the page)which often provide motion graphics, interaction, and sound

Web pages also contain content that cannot be seen in the browser:

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• Scripts (usually JavaScript) which add functionality to the page - e.g. powering rollover effects or verifying form input.
• Meta tags - hidden content with information about the page, instructions for search engine robots, etc. The keywords and description meta tags help search engines categorise the page and provide information for search results.
• CSS Stylesheets which determine how the page is formatted
• Comments

Web pages can be larger than the web browser window. They are often taller than the browser window and require vertical scrolling. Pages often have additional content on the right which is not visible in smaller windows without horizontal scrolling. Pages designed to scroll horizontally are less common, partly because they do not print out well, but can be used to good effect for galleries or to add interest to a site. See also page widening.

Related Topics:
Scrolling - Page widening

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A web page can be either a single page, or a frameset made up of separate pages (frames). Each frame contains an HTML page. Frames can cause problems with navigation and printing and unless expertly handled can adversely affect search engine ratings. Their main merit is to allow some content (usually a naviagation menu) to stay in one place while other content is scrolled.

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A collection of web pages stored in a single folder or within related subfolders of a web server is known as a website. A website includes an index page. This is a file called index.htm, index.html, index.php, index.asp etc. When you type in a web address URL which doesn't include a page (e.g. www.mysite.com) the web server will look for an index page and serve that to your browser. If no index page exisits, you will see either a listing of the folder's contents, or an error page (usually 'permission denied').

Related Topics:
Web server - Website - URL

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A consideration in designing and testing web pages is that they should be suitable for many browsers and browser settings and different screen resolutions, as well as accessible to people with disabilities (e.g. sight impairment), older browsers and text-only browsers. Target audience, budget and lack of awareness of accessibility issues often mean that a site is not as acessible as it could be. Using features which only work in one browser without providing alternative content is considered bad practice; the W3C works with browser manufacturers to develop web standards and encourage standards compliance.

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