Browsers

Browsers are the software programs that allow you to surf or 'browse' the internet.

They can also do a range of other things, so it is important to know how to use them.

Browser software comes with most new computers or can be installed for free from the CD-Roms stuck to the front of most internet or computer magazines.

HTML

Browsers work by turning a special code that looks a little something like this: < html > < head > into regular web pages.

HTML is the language of the web and stands for Hypertext Markup Language.

The earliest versions of the internet were just boring old text, so without HTML we wouldn't have websites full of pictures, sound and multimedia.

Different browser versions

Lots of different companies make browsers. They often also make different versions of the software for PCs, Macs and other computers.

You can download the latest browser over the net by going online on your computer.

The latest version of your browser software will often have added features on it to make surfing the net even easier.

Opening your browser

To open your browser you have to double-click on the icon on your desktop. If you are already online, it will automatically connect you to the web.

Every time you open a browser the first web page it shows is called the browser homepage.

The default homepage will often be the main page of your ISP's website.

For example, if your ISP was WebWise, then your browser's homepage would be the first page of the WebWise ISP's website.

Every time you open your browser, it will always go to the same browser homepage unless you decide to change it.

Closing your browser

Whenever you want to close your browser just click on the close button - the little cross in a box in the top right-hand corner of the browser window.

On some browser software the close button is a little cross in a box, but it does vary from software to software.

Be sure to check as the close button can look different on different computers.

The address box

The first place most people look on a browser is the area devoted to showing the web page, but just above it is the all important address box.

The address box, or as it's called on some browsers the 'location box' or 'URL box', is where the web address of the site you are viewing is shown.

If you know the address of a specific website you are looking for then you would type it in the address box.

The browser window

In the centre of the browser window is the space in which all web pages appear.

If a web page looks like it continues below the bottom of the browser you must use the scroll bar on the right-hand side of the screen to move the page up or down.

The scroll bar consists of arrows at the top and bottom that you can click on to move the page up or down.

Browser buttons

Above the main web page area and the address box are a series of buttons on most browsers. These buttons are called the browser buttons.

Browser buttons are used all the time to move backwards and forwards around the web.

Next to the back and forwards buttons is a browser button that lets you return to your browser homepage at anytime. This is the home button and often looks like a little house icon.

The status bar

Along the very bottom of the browser window is the status bar. The status bar lets you know exactly what the browser is doing.

On the left of the status bar will be some text that tells you exactly what is happening to the page you are viewing - whether it is loading, has finished, or has any errors.

On the right of the status bar is a meter that shows how much of the page is still downloading from the net. This meter is called the 'progress bar'.

Additional features

The address of the website appears in the 'address box', but the name of the website appears at the very top of the browser window in the 'title bar'.

In addition to these main controls, you may want to 'look under the bonnet' of the browser software and play with some of the more advanced controls.

To do this you would click on the 'menu bar' at the top of the browser window.

When you click on one of the menu names it pulls down a list of extra buttons and this is where you find some of the more advanced browser features.

One of the most overlooked features on a browser is the browser logo, which appears in the top right hand corner under the close button.

The browser logo is the symbol that tells us which company's browser we're using. Different companies put their own logos there, and they often move to show when any online activity is happening.