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A HTML file is a plain text file, using no special internal formatting, unlike a file created
by a word processor program like Microsoft Word, which is typically larger then would be expected
based on a word / letter count of the document and is virtually unreadable if viewed in a text
editor..
HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) achieves its formatting via HTML instructions, tags, which are
enclosed in greater that and less than arrows, < & >.
Most HTML tags use the format <tag> to set a parameter and </tag> to turn it back off
A basic HTML file looks like this
<HTML>
<head>
<title>This text appears in the browsers title bar</title>
</head>
<body>
Text here appears in the main browser area
</body>
</HTML>
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When creating HTML for use in an item description or an about me page you do not need to
write the HTML, head, title or body tags. you are just creating some formatted text to insert into a
page which already contains other HTML elements.
<HTML>
<head>
<title>Auction Sites Name, Item Title etc</title>
</head>
<body>
Standard page header, link menu, Item Title, Current Price, Seller, Bidder etc etc
Your Description Text is inserted here
Place your bid section, links to help pages, standard page footer
</body>
</HTML>
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You can create your HTML listing using a Program like Microsoft Word or FrontPage which work in
a graphical manor letting you add HTML elements via pull down menus, tool bars etc which can be
easy to use. But these programs will
automatically add the head & body elements which are not needed, also some features of FrontPage are
not supported by eBay and should you ever need to tweak the HTML by hand you will find it difficult.
For the following lessons I would recommend that you create your HTML in a basic text editor like
Notepad (Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad).
- Open Notepad
- Write your document including the HTML tags
- Save file with a .HTML extension
- Double click on the saved file
- Your browser should open and display your file
- If you need to make any changes Switch back to Notepad
- Make corrections
- Save
- Switch back to browser, refresh (F5)
- Repeat from 6 until you are happy with the results
- Copy / paste from Notepad to eBay
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To copy your HTML from Notepad to eBay
- In Notepad take menu option Edit > Select All to highlight the whole file
- Take menu option Edit > Copy (or press Ctrl+C)
- In eBay click on the item description box and either
- right click and select Paste
or
- press Ctrl+V
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With Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator & most other web browsers, there is a menu
option which lets you view the HTML source for the currently displayed page.
It is possible to learn / improve your HTML by using this.
In IE the Source option is found in the View Menu,
the HTML source is then opened in notepad.
The eBay pages can be very large and complex but with some experience it is possible to find the section
of the source you are looking for and see how a specific effect is achieved.(You may want to look at
less complex pages, like this one first).
Microsoft have a developer add on for IE5 which allows you to highlight a section of a web page, right
click on it, select View Partial Source and the HTML source for the highlighted section is then
displayed in notepad.
Download from
Microsoft Web Developer Accessories (This appears to also work on
IE 6, use at your own risk)..
eBay's Turbo Lister
has its own built in HTML editor which is used as follows.
The editor is reached via the design view button in an items details screen.
You can use the Design View to enter formatting elements via the menus.
You can enter your own HTML via the HTML View (or copy in code segments from other places).
When you have finished editing your description you can use the Preview to check it.
If you are creating a template it can be save as your default via the option in the left hand menu.
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Your Comments / Thoughts / Additions / Corrections etc 
