In article <fu93od$rdu$1@news.datemas.de>, rhino writes:
>I am getting an HTML error on my page that I'm having trouble tracking down.
>
>I'd like to emphasize that I am _not_ asking someone to tell me exactly what
>is wrong with my specific HTML in this case. I'm trying to determine a good
>technique for finding my own problem through skillful debugging techniques.

Well, the most useful technique is to go to the W3C validator and then
fix all of the errors that it lists. For instance:

>Line 109, Column 60: document type does not allow element "SELECT" here;
>missing one of "P", "H1", "H2", "H3", "H4", "H5", "H6", "PRE", "DIV",
>"ADDRESS" start-tag .

What this means is that you can't put a select where you put it; it has
to be in a paragraph or div or something.

>The mentioned element is not allowed to appear in the context in which
>you've placed it; the other mentioned elements are the only ones that are
>both allowed there and can contain the element mentioned.

The above text tells you exactly what you need to know. You can't put
a select element directly into a form; it needs to be enclosed in a
block-level element.

>One possible cause for this message is that you have attempted to put a
>block-level element (such as "<p>" or "<table>") inside an inline element
>(such as "<a>", "<span>", or "<font>").

Or, in this case, that you have attempted to put a select element into
a form without enclosing it in something.

Fix this problem first, and then see if the next one goes away.

> Line 117, Column 6: end tag for "FORM" which is not finished .
></form>Most likely, you nested tags and closed them in the wrong order. For
>example <p><em>...</p> is not acceptable, as <em> must be closed before <p>.
>Acceptable nesting is: <p><em>...</em></p>

>The messages are referring to a very simple form that is situated on my
>page. Here's the code:
>
>================================================= =================
>108. <form action="*" enctype="text/plain" name="StyleChoices">
>109. <select name="Style" size="1" onChange="Change_Style(this);">
>110. <option value="0">Original</option>
>111. <option value="1">Green on White</option>
>112. <option value="2">Yellow on Magenta</option>
>113. <option value="3">Green on Blue</option>
>114. <option value="4">Blue on Salmon</option>
>115. <option value="5">Black on Grey/Patterned</option>
>116. </select>
>117. </form>
>================================================= =================
>
>I am confident that there is nothing wrong any part of the form itself.

Why are you confident of this, when the validator, not only told you
that there was something wrong with the form, but told you WHAT WAS
WRONG WITH IT?

>Can anyone suggest techniques that will me track down what is wrong
>elsewhere on the page?

Fix the error that the validator reported, then revalidate and fix the
next error that it reports. Try believing what the validator tells you.

--
Michael F. Stemper
#include <Standard_Disclaimer>
If this is our corporate opinion, you will be billed for it.