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The information found at a WWW site, referred to as a home page, must conform to certain rules which make that page readable by other computers that access it. The language that we use to make and store information on a page is called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). The most current version of this language is HTML 3.0. In order for a computer to read a page written in HTML, it needs an application called a browser.
The HTML language utilizes commands referred to as tags that are embedded in a document. These tags tell the browser how to display the information, such as what font type and size to use, where to place the data on a page, and what color to use to display it. For example, in the HTML code: <TITLE > Welcome to Netscape <TITLE>,the "<TITLE>" command (the tag) tells the browser that "Welcome to Netscape" is to go into the title bar at the top of the page. It is important for a browser to be able to interpret the most recent version of HTML, because, if the browser does not understand a certain tag, that information will be displayed incorrectly to the user.
Currently, the two most popular browsers used to access Web pages are Netscape's Navigator version 3.0, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer version 3.0. Both are capable of reading pages written in HTML 3.0. They both have the same main features, and are very compatible with almost any page on the Web. Each browser application, however, utilizes unique properties to try to stay ahead of each other and the competition.
Netscape Navigator 3.0
Navigator is the most frequently used browser on the Web, with 80 to 90 percent of the market. When Navigator came out with their first version, it was heads above any other browser. To maintain this powerful lead, Netscape is constantly working to update their browser with enhanced features and built-in applications.
The newest version, Netscape Navigator 3.0, utilizes Java. Java is an Internet programming code that extends the capabilities of Web pages by letting users interact with a site. For instance, within many sites, there are Java-controlled features such as pulldown menus and radio buttons. These features let users interact with the...