

Ask HN: Please help a newbie with his first stab at HTML - rockstar9

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

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brudgers
Learning HTML:

 _Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML_

~~~
kls
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.

~~~
brudgers
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.

