You make lists every day – shopping lists, “things to do” lists, people to call lists. Indeed, lists are a very important part of our lives. That’s why when HTML was developed, its programmers just couldn’t help it – they created a way to add a list to a web page.
There are three kinds of lists that you can create:
– Unordered – Ordered – Definitions
Oops, another list right there! 🙂
1) Here is the HTML code for creating Unordered list:
-==-
The above code will simply create a list of bulleted items (bullets are small dots next to each item – sort of a check mark).
2) When it is important for you to list items in a particular order, create a numbered – or Ordered – list:
-==-
Obviously, order of items is important here (you don’t want to bake the batter that hasn’t been mixed yet 🙂
Finally, the Definition lists. They are most often used when you have a list of items to be defined or explained. Use
- and
to start and end your list.
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When you’re creating a complex list, with sub-items, you may use nested lists (list inside another list) and mix different kinds of lists together. Experiment with different combinations of lists to see what is the best way for you to organize items on your web page.
And here is the frosting! Hey, I bet even experienced webmasters might have missed the real flexibility of lists.
Every Ordered list begins counting with “1” by default. Every time you create a list, it automatically display “1” as the first item. But what if you don’t want a list to start with “1”? Is it possible for you to control what number it starts counting at?
Let’s say you are explaining different features of a product on your web page. You list the first 3 features, but then would like to stop for a moment and talk a little more about the 3rd feature. You have to end the list by using the tag. Then you will add the extra explanation about it in the next 2-3 paragraphs.
Now, you want to continue with your list. Oops! But you already closed it. If you start a new list, it will automatically begin with “1” again. But you need it to start with “4”, right?
Here is what you do:
-==-
All I did was add the word “value” and gave it a number. That number will start your list, and all the following list items will be counted from there.
And here is the sprinkles on the frosting. And this will REALLY blow you off!
In an Unordered list bullets look different in each browser. If you would like to have control over how bullets look on your web site, you can specify their type (options are – square, circle, and disc):
-==-
So there you have it. Three types of lists that you can mix, match, combine and completely control with enough practice and experimentation. Use them often. Especially when you have long web pages filled with text. Be easy on your readers’ eyes and they will be more likely to read what you have to say.
Milana Nastetskaya is a full time web developer and the author of the “65 Instant Web Design Answers”. http://www.instantwebanswers.com
