Trouble Shooting Skills (tip?)

Hello everyone.

Yes, we all know by now that "validate" is something I say so often I keep
it on my clipboard so I can just cut and paste . . . BUT (sorry about that
;-)).

The fact is that _almost_ every single solitary post that hits this list
with the topic "_____ won't display" or "Works fine in NN but not in MSIE"
is caused by one single solitary problem:

NON-compliant (incorrect) HTML.

I have to admit to being a bit tickled by the "I viewed it in NN and MSIE -
but now it doesn't work", and I have to also admit it gives me a "power
rush" to be able to reply within seconds solving a mystery such as those
commonly posted under these subjects.

However.

I propose it would be tremendously useful to each and every "newbie" on
this list to *first* validate the page prior to posting this type of
message. Heck, I have been doing this stuff (writing HTML) for what is
proportionately a very long time now. Here is how it works for me (very
briefly):

First:

Open an ASCII text editor, write the code.

When you are ~done~ with the document take a look at it in a graphical
browser (it doesn't matter which one!). If everything shows up, move on to
step two, if not go back to the editor and fix it so it does.

Second:

Post the page to your own test area (I have created a directory in my
domain named "test" ie: http://www.canopy.net/test) along with the
associated images and directory structure.

Third:
*no* don't open the page in your browser, there is no need! Go directly to:

http://validator.w3.org

and validate the page(s). Note the errors if there are any (hell yes I make
them too!!). Now. Close the browser - resist the temptation to look at the
page again!

Fourth:

Open the editor again and fix the errors the validator pointed out. If you
don't understand what the validator told you - post your question(s) to
this list PDQ. I guarantee you *someone* on this list has seen them all
before (>;-)).

Fifth:

Repost the corrected pages, and revalidate them. Repeat steps three and
four until you get that beautiful "No errors found!" message.

Sixth:

Upload the files to your customer's site. Take a look at the pages, again,
it doesn't matter what browser you use as long as it is capable of
displaying whatever graphical content you have included. Make sure that all
the elements (graphics?) are there.

Seventh:
Give that customer a written guarantee that your work ~will not~ break
anyones browser or freeze anyones OS.

Eighth:

Take that check to the bank.

See? If you know the language, if you validate the pages (files), you do
not actually need to even view the pages, much less view them in multiple
browsers !!! Honest to goodness, ~it works~ every single time.


I say this often, but I believe it bears saying again.

Validate your code - first and foremost. 

If the code you wrote simply will not validate - junk it - It WILL cause
problems for some of your viewers. Notice the lack of the word "might" in
that last sentence.

I hope you have all taken this message as constructive advise, NOT fuzzy
bitching at the list . . . or even worse . . . . Fuzzy bitching at *you*.

HTH,
Fuzzy
__________________________________________________________________
Captain F.M. O'Lary
webmaster(at)canopy.net
sysop(at)mail.ruediger.leon.k12.fl.us
sysop(at)mail.woodville.leon.k12.fl.us
Member of the HTML Writers Guild and 
International Webmasters Association
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