|
Member of:
ISOC
 IWA
 ARTT
RTS
| |
Development Tools and Technology
Use appropriate tools and technologies
In the planning stage,
begin thinking about which technologies you will use to
build your site. Select technologies that best accomplish
your goals, that you have the skills and resources to work
with, and that your audience can use. Below are some of the
general benefits and constraints of some web technologies
and tools.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the primary technology
used to create all web sites. Some of the elements in the
most recent versions of HTML may not work with older
browsers. You will need to choose a version that best meets
your purpose and the needs of your audience. You can select
additional technologies, such as a scripting language, to
supplement HTML.
Benefits of HTML:
-
Loads quickly
(exception: Netscape waits for all table contents to load
before displaying any of the parts)
-
Can be learned and
implemented easily (easy-to-use HTML editors are
available)
-
Can be augmented with
sound, video, Java applets, and scripting languages such
as JavaScript and VB Script
Limitations of HTML:
-
Provides only limited
control over the way your page will be displayed, and over
the appearance of text
-
Is not programmable and
offers only limited response to user interaction events
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) were implemented in the
Netscape 4.0 and IE 4.0 browsers. They provide a way to
control and adjust layout for an entire site with a single
document that defines each style. For more details, refer to
"Cascading Style Sheets" in the "Production" section.
Benefits of Cascading Style Sheets:
-
Provide greater control
over layout and typographic properties
-
Facilitate consistency
of appearance
-
Separate content from
layout and presentation, which makes the development of a
web site more efficient and flexible
-
Manage conflicts in
style sheet specifications among documents, groups of
documents, and user browser set-ups by using a "cascade"
or system of preferences
-
Allow users to override
your font style, size, and color attributes with ones of
their own choosing, which is especially important for
users with vision impairments
-
Allow style changes
selectively
-
Can be used in
conjunction with JavaScript to provide features that give
users a richer sense of interactivity
-
Allow elements to be
positioned efficiently, eliminating the need for
memory-intensive transparent GIFs; files are smaller and
open more quickly
Limitations of Cascading Style Sheets:
-
Require more time to
learn and implement than other features of HTML
-
Are not supported by
older browsers
-
Are supported in
different ways in the new 4.0 browsers (some CSS features
do not appear in IE 4.0, and some do not appear in
Netscape 4.0)
Frames
Frames were developed as an extension to HTML 3.2 and are
supported by the newer Netscape and IE browsers (3.0 and
up). They create bookmarking and printing problems, so many
designers avoid using them.
Benefits of Frames:
-
Allow content pages to
be developed independently of navigation pages
-
Allow the user to scroll
through content without scrolling the navigation and
identification areas out of sight; navigation and
identification areas are always available
Limitations of Frames:
-
Present usability
problems for tasks such as printing, bookmarking,
searching, and using the browser back button
-
May necessitate a
no-frames version of your site to provide accessibility
for users with older browsers or those with disabilities
who use assistive technologies
-
Add more complexity
Scripting Languages
Scripting languages such as JavaScript and VB Script are
used primarily for client-side programming, while CGI
scripts are often used on the server side. Client-side
scripting allows for control and manipulation of HTML and
Cascading Style Sheet elements.
Benefits of Scripting Language:
-
Allows for interactive,
network-aware, and cross-platform applications
-
Is easier to learn than
Java
-
Adds dynamic and
interactive behavior to a web page
Limitations of Scripting Language:
-
Behaves differently on
different browsers and between browser levels
-
Can be read by only some
browsers as low as 2.0, and not by any 1.0 level browsers
-
Cannot be read by some
assistive technologies used by people with disabilities
-
Is difficult to debug
-
Provides limited
functionality compared with Java applets
Java Applets
Java Applets allow you to encapsulate a piece of function
and embed it in a web page.
Benefits of Java applets:
-
Allow for interactive,
network-aware, and cross-platform applications
-
May be used within other
applets or applications on the same page
-
Are not yet supported
well by assistive technologies used by people with
disabilities
Limitations of Java applets:
-
Are not yet supported
well by assistive technologies used by people with
disabilities
-
Must be downloaded
before they can run, can be a lengthy wait
-
Provide only limited
access to system resources
-
Function only when the
web page being viewed is in a browser window
-
Often require
substantial memory, and the files remain in the browser
cache until emptied
-
Can only be executed/run
by Netscape and IE versions 3.0 or later
| |
MultiMedia Services
Internet Marketing
Search
Engines Promotion
Online
Advertising
Web Design
Translation
Desktop Publishing
Word Processing
Business Consulting
Business Solutions
Subscribe Mailing Lists:
Afaceri/Internet
Afaceri/Internet Ezine ARTT
Home Internet Business
Ro Jobs
Made in Romania
Online Security
Teleactivitati
Teleactivities
Ro Telework
Teleworkers
Web
Design Help
Join Webrings:
Advertising
Autos
Books
Business
Cellular Phones
Chat
Clipart
Computers
Dictionaries
Dogs
Electronics
Free
Gambling
Games
Greeting Cards
Health
Jobs
Jokes
Lyrics
Maps
Movies
mp3
Music
News
Online Dating
Promotion
Real Estate
Romania
Search Engines
Shopping
Sports
Translation
Travel
Warez
Web Design
Web
Hosting
|