Latest posts

thumbnail for article on Displaying Images in HTML

Displaying Images in HTML

7 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Besides showing you how to display images in HTML, I explain some common gotchas like why forgetting to set the width and height of the image can cause you trouble. I will also show you a couple of techniques you can use with Chrome Developer Tools. First, we test the page with simulated slower Internet connection. Then, I'll show you how to test what your page looks like when the server hosting your images is down.
thumbnail for article on Creating Internal & External HTML Links

Creating Internal & External HTML Links

8 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Links are pretty much what makes the web what it is: one thing connected to another. Specifically, in the case of HTML, one piece of content connected to another piece of content. In this article, I am going to go over different types of links and how you can create them in your HTML page.
thumbnail for article on HTML Character Entity References

HTML Character Entity References

8 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
There are many applications for HTML character entity references. In this article, besides explaining what HTML character entity references are, I will concentrate on the most common problems they solve. We'll look at a bunch of code examples, including one gotcha in the Chrome Developer Tools.
thumbnail for article on How to Make Lists in HTML

How to Make Lists in HTML

4 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Lists are a very common and convenient organization concept. In this article, I'll show you how to code up an unordered as well as ordered list in HTML. You will also learn my special, super secret Double Oreo cookie recipe. 😍
thumbnail for article on Modern HTML Semantic Elements

Modern HTML Semantic Elements

8 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
In this article, I discuss what semantic tags are, why they exist, and how we can utilize them to make our pages more readable and possibly earn a higher search engine ranking. We'll look at a couple of examples, as well as peek in on how Amazon.com is using one semantic tag to improve its chances of being a top search engine result hit.
thumbnail for article on Don't Ruin Programming with Math!

Don't Ruin Programming with Math!

5 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
DEAR PROGRAMMING TEACHERS, PLEASE STOP ruining programming for kids by introducing them to coding through math or physics problems! In this article, I explain why this is misguided and give some approaches for what to do instead.
thumbnail for article on HTML Content Models

HTML Content Models

6 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Understanding HTML content model categories is essential to basic HTML coding. Modern breakdown of HTML content models makes it seem a bit more complex than absolutely necessary. In this article, I will show you a practical way of approaching this subject and show a few code examples that will make these concepts clear. We'll also venture into validating our HTML code and seeing what breaks that validation when the wrong content model is used.
thumbnail for article on Basic Structure of an HTML Document

Basic Structure of an HTML Document

5 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Just like a regular document, the HTML document has a structure. The difference is that structure is mandated by the HTML Specification. In this article, I describe that structure and, by the end, we build and validate a full (yet simple) HTML page. Finally, we take the validator for a spin by purposefully creating an invalid page, letting the validator fail, then correcting the HTML and successfully rerunning the validator.
thumbnail for article on Anatomy of an HTML Tag

Anatomy of an HTML Tag

5 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
In this article, I am dissecting the HTML tag. 🔪😷😜 Ewww! Ok, not THAT type of dissecting! 😁 I'll explain how to construct one, what's allowed and not allowed, along with some examples and best practices.
thumbnail for article on HTML or HTML5? Who Controls HTML?

HTML or HTML5? Who Controls HTML?

6 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
When you want to know about the upcoming features of the Chrome browser, you look to Google for that information. Upcoming version of Internet Explorer or Edge? Microsoft should have the answer. But who controls HTML itself? And what version of HTML should we be learning? Is it HTML5? In this article, I answer those questions with some background and practical resources.
thumbnail for article on What is HTML?

What is HTML?

5 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
What is HTML? You can probably Google this question and get a good answer. However, in this article, we approach this question from the perspective of a beginner web developer. The web developer will need to know the answer to this question from the coding perspective. This article is the first in the Beginner Web Developer Series.
thumbnail for article on Love and Code

Love and Code

1 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Oh, how many perks there are to taking my courses! Understand core web dev concepts so you can code better, get a better (or your first) developer job, fall in love with a fellow student ❤️, etc. Wait, what?! Oh, yes! In this inaugural ClearlyDecoded.com post I will tell you all about that.
thumbnail for article on YES! You Can Still Take Coursera.org Courses 100% FREE!

YES! You Can Still Take Coursera.org Courses 100% FREE!

1 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Coursera.org is supposed to be a platform that allows anyone, anywhere to take higher education courses for free and only charge the person if they want a certificate. With the new redesign of their UI, it's very difficult to figure out where to click to take a course for free. In this article, I explain how to do just that.
thumbnail for article on I Went From Teaching 14 to 14,000!

I Went From Teaching 14 to 14,000!

2 min read |
| by Yaakov Chaikin
Creating and publishing my first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) was quite an experience! My first course went live mid-February (2016). Hitting that "Publish" button on the Coursera platform was a conflicting experience. Half of me was saying "Woohoo!" The other half: "I want my mommy!" Very intimidating.