10 Minute Guide to
HTML Style Sheets
by Craig Zacker
Published in February 1997 by Que Corporation
APPENDIX C
Glossary
- absolute value
- A measurement using a concrete scale such as points, inches, or
centimeters; the opposite of a relative value.
- attribute
- A parameter that can be added to an HTML tag to alter or enhance its
purpose. For example, the WIDTH= attribute can be added to the
<HR> to specify the length of a horizontal rule, in the
form <HR WIDTH=50%>.
- block element
- An HTML element that is automatically preceded and followed by a
line feed in the client browser (for example, <P> or
<H1>); opposite of an inline element.
- body
- The part of an HTML document that contains the actual content that
displays in the client’s browser; the part of an HTML document contained
within the <BODY> and </BODY> tags.
- border
- The rectangular line surrounding the contents of an element; the
dividing line between the padding and the margin.
- canvas
- The entire area of the web browser window in which HTML documents
are displayed.
- class selector
- A means to isolate specific HTML tags for the application of styles
by the addition of the CLASS= attribute.
- contextual selector
- A means to isolate specific HTML tags for the application of styles
by specifying their exact location in relation to other HTML tags.
- cursive
- A font that resembles a calligraphic longhand, except that the
letters are distinctly separated.
- declaration
- Part of a style rule consisting of a property and its associated
value.
- element
- The part of a document that is enclosed between any pair of opening
and closing HTML tags.
- em
- A unit of length corresponding to the width of a font’s capital M at
whatever size it is displayed.
- font
- In traditional printing, a typeface in a single size and a
particular weight and style; in current usage, a typeface family in any
size, weight, and style.
- granularity
- The degree to which like elements in an HTML document have had
individual styles applied to them through the use of distinguishing
selectors.
- hanging indent
- A text formatting expression defining a case when the first line of
a block of text is extended to the left, beyond the rest of the
paragraph.
- hexadecimal
- A counting system that uses 16 digits, traditionally notated as 0,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F.
- inline element
- An HTML element that does not cause the addition of preceding and
following line feeds in the client browser (for example,
<STRONG> or <I>); opposite of a block
element.
- justification
- The alignment of text in relation to the left and right margins
containing it.
- kerning
- The adjustment of the white space left between specific pairs of
letters to account for the architectural design of the typeface.
- leading
- The white space between an element’s lines of text.
- margin
- The white space surrounding an element’s rectangular border.
- padding
- The white space between and element’s border and the contents
itself.
- point
- A unit of measurement used in printing and publishing equal to 1/72
inch.
- property
- Part of a style that is used to define a particular aspect of an
element’s appearance or location.
- pseudo-class
- A means of selecting certain text in an HTML document, based not on
the HTML code of the document itself, but on other external conditions
applied by the web browser.
- pseudo-element
- A term used to identify a portion of another element according to
the way it is displayed by a particular web browser configuration.
- relative value
- A measurement that is based on a comparison to another measurement,
such as a percentage; opposite of absolute value.
- rule
- Part of a style sheet consisting of a selector and one or more
declarations.
- sans serif
- A typeface in which the letters do not have small decorative ends;
opposite of serif.
- selector
- Part of a rule indicating the element(s) to which the style should
be applied.
- serif
- A typeface in which the letters have small decorative ends, such as
those that descend from the ends of the crossbar on the letter T;
opposite of sans serif.
- style
- A collection of properties and their values that are used to modify
the appearance or location of HTML elements on a web page.
- tracking
- The amount of white space left between letters and words in a block
of text.
- typeface
- An alphabet of a unified design used for publishing documents by
mechanical or digital means.
- value
- A declaration of the specific way in which a property is to be
applied to the selected element(s).
- white space
- Any part of a document not covered by images or text (whether or not
the background of the page is actually white).
