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Coding For The eBay Difference
The key to understanding the making of eBay pages (actually INSERTS into existing eBay pages!) is that these inserts or templates are not full web pages.
A full web page has a HEAD section and a BODY section contained within HTML tags, like this:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
this is the head section
</HEAD>
<BODY>
this is the body section
</BODY>
</HTML>
When we create or template for listing or me page, etc. it is inserted into the BODY section of the eBay page. eBay controls the HEAD section, the BODY tag and much of the body section. Our template is much like a guest in the eBay page. As a guest we should be on our best behaviour.
It is incorrect to have more than one HEAD section or BODY tag or section in a single web page -- this isn't an eBay thing, it's a good HTML coding thing -- so we don't want to code a full web page and then insert it or the result would look like this:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
eBay's head section
</HEAD>
<BODY>
eBay's body section
(we insert our template below)
<HTML> -- our inserted HTML tag, a no-no!
<HEAD> -- our inserted HTML tag, a no-no!
our new HEAD section -- a no-no!
</HEAD>
<BODY> -- our body tag (this makes two!) a no-no!
our body section -- this part would be okay if only it was enclosed within
eBay's body section without all those other "no-no" tags we've added!
</BODY> -- our closing BODY tag, a no-no!
</HTML> -- our closing HTML tag, a no-no!
(we insert our template above)
more of eBay's body section
</BODY> -- eBay's closing BODY tag.
</HTML> -- eBay's closing HTML tag.
What a mess we make with all these extra HTML, HEAD and BODY tags. Typically this mess will include TITLE, META, LINK and/or STYLE tags as well as the ones shown above. None of these tags belong in a listing template or other eBay page insert. Some of these tags, or the content they contain, can affect the proper operation of the eBay page and even result in the listing being cancelled. Like an unruley guest our listing might be ushered out!
Now, if you create your template in a "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) drag-and-drop editor that creates the HTML code for you, it will most likely use those HTML, HEAD, BODY and likely serveral other tags in it. The simplest solution is to just copy the section between, but not including, the opening <BODY> tag and the closing </BODY> tag. The only problem this solution presents is that depending on how your WYSIWYG program handles the code for your template it may put some essential items in the HEAD section or in the BODY tag itself. This means you need to re-code these things manually into the content of your BODY section code.
Some tags and functions are designed to be used, and only work, in the HEAD section of the page. Some JavaScript and all META tags and embedded STYLE sheets belong in the HEAD section and should therefore not be used in your template page. How do you know which HTML tags can safely be used for eBay templates? Check here.
You will find most, if not all, of the information you need to create correctly coded templates throughout this HTML Help site. Please feel free to poke around. Additionally, most things discussed on this site apply to listing templates and other pages used on a variety of auction and other online selling site.
If you would like an excellent HTML editor for coding your own templates, it's called 1st Page 2000, and it's free. You can get your own copy on the "About graphics..." page of this site.
It's always the right time to use good code!
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