Help page (course navigation guide) —
web browser basics

The image on the right is a  "screen-shot" of a browser window, displaying an HTML "page" from this web-based course.

The red numbers in circles indicate features that are explained in more detail below.

Each "page" is one HTML file. An HTML file consists of code that tells a browser how to display text and where to place images.

A "browser" is a program that is used to view HTML files over the World Wide Web.

The most commonly used browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape. Although browsers share most features, they all behave in a slightly different manner.
  

Web browser use in this course
(linear and alternative navigation)

This web-based course consists of many pages, linked in a linear order with "previous" and "next" hyperlinks at the top and bottom of each page. Exceptions are some of the larger figures and cross-referenced material which have hyperlinks to them embedded in the text stream on the main course pages. You can also randomly access course pages by using hyperlinks in the tables of contents and index page.

Clicking on a hyperlink opens the figures and cross-referenced material in the browser window, replacing the page from which you linked.

To return to the page from which you linked, you can click on the browser's "Back" button (see below). 
 

Hyperlink basics
(visiting linked pages)

When you move your mouse cursor over a piece of text that is blue and underlined, the cursor will change to a hand. When this happens, you can click and be taken ("hyperlinked") to the related page. If you see a hyperlink or "link", that is purple, it means you have previously linked to the page. The purple link is still useable if you want to re-visit a page. 
 

You can move linearly through the pages of this course using the "Previous" and "Next" links at the top and bottom of main pages.
 

Alternative (non-linear) navigation

You may also randomly access pages via links embedded in the text, in tables of contents or from the index page accessible through links at the top and bottom of each page.
 

Once you have clicked on one or more links, you can use the browser's "back" button to return to pages previously viewed in the same browser session.

The "Back" button is often marked with a left-pointing arrow symbol.
 

To close the browser window and exit the course, click on the "close window" button in the upper right corner.