Browser Basics

What is a Web Browser?

A web browser is a software application that allows you to easily access text and graphic files located on computers around the world. Microsoft's aging Internet Explorer and newer Edge, Apple's Safari are the default web browsers for Windows and Mac computers. Other equally useful alternative web browsers are available. The open source Firefox and Google's Chrome are widely used. All of these browsers offer similar features and will work just fine for most purposes.

Exploring the Menu Bar

Spend a few minutes exploring the web browser's user interface starting with the Menu Bar. Click on each of the menu items (File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, Help, etc) to see what features are available.

If you are using the latest version of Internet Explorer or Edge, the Menu Bar may not be visible. Click on the Tools button and then on Menu Bar to make it visible.

Help Files

All browsers offer on screen Help for the new user. Exploring the Help files will be most useful as you develop your understanding of the features of the web browser that you are using. As you upgrade to newer versions of the browser software, this is where you will want to look first to figure out how to use the new features that are being continually added to each new release.

Take a few moments to locate and explore the Help files for the web browser that you are currently using. If you use a different browser on your personal computer, check the Help files the next time you use it.

URL's: Web Addresses / History

All the web browsers display the URL (web address) of the current web page in a location box located directly above the web page itself. There will often be a little downward pointing arrow on the right side of the location bar that will display recent locations when you click it. You can also view recently visited sites in the browser's history. Check the Help files if you do not see a history button or menu item.

Hyperlinks: Point and Click Navigation

When using your web browser, clicking on any underlined text displayed in a contrasting color or on any graphic image outlined in a contrasting color will take you directly to another location on the Web. A link that you have already visited will be displayed in a different color. World Wide Web navigation is a simple matter of pointing and clicking your mouse button.

Navigation Buttons

Above the URL/location box are located the basic navigation buttons or icons that you will use to navigate around the world wide web. The arrangement of these buttons may vary slightly different from browser to browser but the function of each is exactly the same.

Home

No matter where you wander on your journeys through the world wide web, clicking on the Home button will always return you to the web page you have selected as your home location. Most web browsers come preconfigured with a home location set by your Internet Service Provider, but you can change this page if you find a better web portal.

Stop

The Stop button is used to stop the download of a new web page if you suddenly change your mind or if the page is taking forever to download (an all-too-frequent occurrence these days with increasing web traffic and the increase in high-density, graphics-laden web pages!)

Print

You may have a Print button available in the navigation buttons. Clicking on the Print button or icon will initialize your printer and print a copy of the web page currently on your screen. If you do not see this button, you can print by clicking on the File menu and selecting Print.

Reload/Refresh

The Reload or Refresh button sends another request to the webserver asking it to download the current page again. You may need to do this if the graphic images on the web page you are downloading don’t display properly (This just happens sometimes… you will see an image icon displayed instead of the graphic that should be there. Clicking on Reload will usually take care of the problem.)

You will also want to use the Reload button when accessing websites that are frequently updated. The browser will, by default, load any pages that you have visited recently from the disk cache, a location on your hard drive where the browser temporarily stores the pages you have visited. If the browser sees that the web page you have selected is in the disk cache, it will load the older version rather than a fresh, new one. This is actually a great feature as it cuts down on network traffic and causes the pages to appear on your screen much quicker than if you had to reload each and every page. If you want or need a updated version of the web page, just click on Reload and you’ll get a fresh copy.

Back & Forward Buttons

The Back and Forward buttons also use the disk cache we mentioned a minute ago. After you have moved away from your homepage and followed several links in your current excursion on the Web, you can click these buttons to almost instantly navigate to previously visited pages. You will notice that these buttons don't work when you first open the web browser for a new session. You can’t go back if you haven’t been there and you can only go forward if you’ve already been there and then gone back… makes sense doesn’t it?

Most web browsers have a great little mouse trick that can save you the trouble of moving the cursor back up to the button bar. If you hold down the right mouse button on a PC (Mac users just need to hold down their one-and-only mouse button), a little menu will pop up on the screen giving you the option of going Back or Forward.

Bookmarks / Favorites

All browsers have another feature that allows you to easily return to the interesting websites that you find in your exploration of the world wide web. Can you imagine what it would be like if you had to write down all those URL’s for the webpages you find? Netscape, Firefox and Safari call this feature Bookmarks, Internet Explorer and AOL call it the Favorites list. The concept is the same for all browsers, but how you use it differs slightly. If you are not familiar with saving bookmarks or favorites, you will want to check your web browser's Help files now to discover how to add bookmarks or favorites.

Navigating to a New Web Page

You have several options for navigating to a new web page. The quickest option that works with all browsers is to hold down the mouse button while dragging across the URL currently in the location box above the web page (the text will become highlighted). You can also triple-click anywhere in the box to select the entire address. Type the URL of the new page in the location box.

Most browsers no longer require the user to type the entire web address. You can usually skip the http:// portion of the address. The browser will connect with the new page when you press the Enter/Return key and the new web page should appear on your screen.

Quick Search

Most web browsers now have built-in links to Search Engines that will help you quickly find information that you are looking for. Examine the browser toolbar and look for a box or a button named "Search" or something similar. This feature is often in the upper right corner of the web browser.

Resizing Browser Windows

Sometimes the default web browser windows are not the right size to view the content on a web page. You have several options to work around this. You can use the scroll bars to move the window content up and down or to the right or left. You can also use the arrow keys and the Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys. If you click the Resize buttons (top right corner on Windows, top left corner on Macs) the web browser will try to resize the window to fit the content. You can also click and hold on the bottom right corner of the web browser window and drag it make the window smaller or larger.

Open and Manage Multiple Windows

It is often advantageous to have multiple browser windows open at the same time. You can open a new browser window in several ways. Selecting New Window from the File menu always works. Right clicking on a link (click and hold on a Mac) will open a little menu with an Open Link in a New Window option. Typically new browser windows open with part of the original window still visible on the screen. You can switch between windows by clicking on a visible part of the window. You can also open a new window with a keyboard shortcut. Ctrl + n usually works on a Windows computer and Command (Apple key) + n works on a Mac. You can close the window by clicking the close button when you are finished using it.

Open and Manage Multiple Tabs

All of the most recent versions of the commonly used web browsers all make it possible to open new Tabs. Tabs work just like Windows but are easier to navigate. Instead of multiple windows cluttering your screen, the new windows appear with navigation tabs right above the window. You can navigate between tabs by clicking on these tabs and can close the tabs by clicking on the close button on the tab (typically an X).

Change the Tool Bar Settings

It is possible to customize the Tool Bar setting to display only the buttons that you really need. You may need to check the Help files for your web browser to find this feature since the location of this option varies from one browser to the next. You are looking for an item called Customize. This option is worth finding since it makes it possible to remove buttons that you do not need and add new buttons that you might need. In the classroom, customizing the navigation buttons can help keep students from being distracted.

Change the Home Page

You do not have to use the web browser home page that was set by your internet service provider. Specific instructions for resetting the home page to a new location are found in your web browser's Help files. However, a little shortcut that works on most web browser is to click and hold the little icon just to the left of the web address in the location bar and then drag it on top of the Home tool bar button. A little dialog box will usually appear asking if you want to change the home page. If you click Yes, the home page will change.

Configure the Web Browser Preferences/Settings

This is one option that requires a little bit of caution. It is possible to make changes that will render your web browser unusable so proceed with caution. Options or Internet Options is usually found under the Tools menu on Windows computers. Preferences are usually found under the Application Menu on Macs. Check the Help files if you can not find it. Read the Help files for more information on what each of those options does.

Hide and Display the Tool Bar and Menu Bar

It is possible to hide the Tool Bar and Menu Bar. Check the Help files if you do not find these options under the View menu where they are typically located.

It is possible to perform simple navigation using keyboard shortcuts or right clicks. On a Windows computer the Ctrl key and the arrow keys often work. On a Mac, the Command (Apple) key and the arrows often work. Some web browsers support the use of the Tab key to sequentially select links on a page which open when you click the Enter/Return key. Give it a try to see if it works on your computer. Again, the Help files will give you specific information.

Configure Printing Options

You can make some changes to the default printing options by clicking on Page Setup in the File menu before you print a page. You may find it useful to have the browser print the URL (web address) of each page that you print if you will be later needing to create a bibliography entry for the page. You can also change the print orientation (portrait or landscape) for a page. It is possible to adjust the scale if the page will not print on a single sheet of paper. Check the Help files for details.

Web Browser Helper Applications

Occasionally, you will run into a web page with content for which the web browser needs a Helper Application. This will typically be some sort of player like Flash, Shockwave, Real Player, Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player, etc. Your web browser will typically notify you if a helper application is needed and will then try to download and install the necessary software. Consult the Help files or your local tech guru if you are unsure of how to proceed.

Always Something New...

These are all the "Browser Basics" you will need to get started, You can count on new web browser features appearing on a regular basis. For the most part these will be enhancements to the web browser you are already familiar with.

When you upgrade your web browser and new features are added, updates to the Help files are typically added as well. Always check the Help files first when you notice a new feature.

Record your observations in the course logbook and note your assignment completion date.

Next: What the Web Is