Troubleshooting — Stage 0: Create the Game Screen

Common Errors

The browser shows the raw HTML code instead of a page

Cause: You probably saved the file with the wrong extension, like index.html.txt. Some editors (TextEdit on macOS especially) add .txt silently.

Fix: Rename the file so it ends in .html and nothing else. On macOS, use Finder's Get Info panel or run mv index.html.txt index.html in the terminal.

The browser says "file not found"

Cause: You opened a path that does not exist, or you are in the wrong folder.

Fix: Run pwd (macOS/Linux) or cd (Windows) to see where you are. Make sure you are inside the box-runner folder, then run ls (or dir) to confirm index.html is there before opening it.

The page is blank

Cause: Usually a typo in the HTML — a missing angle bracket or a closing tag in the wrong place.

Fix: Compare your file byte-for-byte with the code block in steps.md. HTML is forgiving about whitespace but strict about < and >.

FAQ

Do I need a web server to view this?

No. Because there is no JavaScript, no images, and no external files, you can open index.html directly from your file system. The URL in your browser will start with file://, and that is fine.

Why am I not using Git yet?

So you feel the "before" state. When you hit Stage 1 and create the first commit, you will already have a real webpage in front of you. That makes the "save point" idea concrete instead of abstract.

Can I use VS Code, or do I need a specific editor?

Any text editor works. VS Code, Sublime, Atom, even Notepad. Avoid editors like Microsoft Word — those save their own special format, not plain text.

Does the order of the elements in the body matter?

Yes. HTML renders top to bottom. If you swap <h1> and <p>, the paragraph appears above the heading. Try it in the exercises section if you are curious.