This document explains, in simple terms, how to use a web browser. A browser is a program that lets you read documents stored on other computers. These documents may contain text, pictures, and links to other documents. By selecting a link, you move from one document to another.
This browser window has several parts.
In the early years of the Web, browser guides often described this as moving through a universe of documents. That is still a good way to think about it. Each page may lead to many others.
Most pages are simple to use. Read the text in the main document area. When you see underlined or coloured words, those words are usually links. A link points to another document. Move the mouse pointer over a link and select it to open that document.
A browser is not like a single long book. It is more like a room full of labelled doors. Each link is a door to another page.
If you know the address of a page, type it into the URL field. Then press the Enter key or select the Open button. The browser will attempt to retrieve that document and display it.
An address may look like this:
http://example.org/ about.html notes/welcome.html
In a local static site, you may open pages by typing their file names, such as about.html or links.html. If the file is in the same folder as this browser shell, it should load in the main panel.
The most important buttons are these:
Older Mosaic guides explained these very plainly: the Navigate menu and the browse buttons both let you go Back, Forward, and Home. That remains the easiest rule to remember. If you get lost, use Back. If you wish to begin again, use Home.
When you select Back, the browser shows you the page you saw earlier. It is a way of retracing your steps. This is called your history. A browser keeps a short record of where you have been during your session.
If you move back too far, use Forward to move the other way. This lets you explore without fear. You may follow a link, inspect the new page, and then return to where you started.
Home is the page the browser returns to as its starting point. In some browsers this is a helpful default page. In a small local site, it is often the main welcome page. Think of it as the front desk or entrance hall.
Sometimes a page may fail to appear. If that happens, check the following:
If the document still does not appear, the address may be wrong or the file may not exist. Try going Home and starting again.
A link is a promise that another document exists. Sometimes the promise is fulfilled at once. Sometimes it leads nowhere. This is normal. The Web has always contained pages that moved, vanished, or were renamed. Do not be discouraged by an occasional dead end.
A practical way to browse is:
Many older browsers used the word Hotlist. Modern browsers often say Bookmarks or Favorites. These all mean roughly the same thing: a saved list of pages you wish to visit again later.
If your browser shell includes a Hotlist page, it is simply a page of useful saved links. It is a memory aid. Use it for pages you expect to revisit.
Early browser users were often new to the Internet itself. For that reason, old help pages were written in direct language. They explained that a browser retrieves documents, displays them in a window, and allows the user to move among them by choosing links. That simple description is still correct.
Mosaic became important because it made this process easier for ordinary people. Its buttons were clear, its pages were visual, and the act of moving through linked documents felt natural enough for a beginner to learn quickly.
Type an address to open a page, select links to move to other pages, use Back and Forward to retrace your path, and use Home to return to the beginning.
End of help document.