Ask HN: Please help a newbie with his first stab at HTML | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Please help a newbie with his first stab at HTML

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Hi, a friend of mine is starting his first chapter in learning web programming. He wanted to ask the question on Hacker News, but stated he couldn't do so with a new account.

To all of you, it will be a very basic question, but he was wondering if you guys knew any HTML tips and tricks that would really impress recruiters (so as to set the applicant apart), or any resources for HTML beginners? Think back to the first day you started learning.

I've been guiding him with resources, but thought the collective can easily do better than I.

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If he's just starting to learn HTML, fancy tricks should be the last thing on his mind. Basics come first, and there are a lot of them. Most HTML jobs are going to assume a minimum of CSS and either JavaScript or graphic design (Photoshop) skills as well - and that's just the lowest entry point. Probably most will want experience in whatever CMS or frameworks are popular this week, and maybe some server scripting (PHP / Rails) as well. The days of random teenagers getting paid big bucks for being able to slap together a bare-bones website ended 10-15 years ago.

That rant aside, if he's still interested in showing off (or maybe getting inspired), I'd suggest looking more generally into web design and maybe toying around with the new HTML5 <canvas> element (requires JavaScript skill). It's a lot easier to impress people - especially non-technical hiring folks - with these sorts of visual things than by actual coding ability that they can't judge.

Learning HTML:

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML

I bought that book on a recommendation to use as a teaching aid. It was the single worst book I have ever seen, entire sections of the book where missing. I had to scrap it as a teaching aid all together and purchase yet another book. After that purchase I have never looked at another Head First book. I don't know if it has been corrected in later version but the omissions where so obvious that it gave the impression of just wanting to shovel crap on the market to grab a buck.

In an classroom setting, I wouldn't recommend it...or any of the Head First series for that matter. They are all essentially hands on self-paced tutorials, not text books or references.

The big advantage is that they model improvement in their exercises by using sample code that is half-right (and half-wrong) and then showing how to improve it.

All that to say that they aren't for everyone, and certainly are not targeted at people who prefer reference manuals. On the other hand, the exercises in Head First HTML really demonstrate how CSS formatting works (and doesn't work) better than other beginner level books.

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