Web Building

1. Web Building

2. Web Building Every Web developer has to know the building blocks of the Web: • HTML 4.01 • CSS • XHTML • XML and XSLT • JavaScript • ASP or PHP • Managing data with SQL

3. HTML 4.01 • HTML is the language of the Web. • HTML 4.01 is very different from HTML 3.2. • When tags, like <font> and color attributes, were added to HTML 3.2, it started a developer's nightmare. Development of web sites where font information must be added to every single Web page is a long and expensive job. • With HTML 4.01, all formatting can be moved out of the HTML document, and into a separate style sheet. • HTML 4.01 is also important because XHTML 1.0 is HTML 4.01 "reformulated" as an XML application. Using HTML 4.01 in your pages makes the future upgrade from HTML to XHTML a very simple process.

4. CSS – Cascading Style Sheets • Styles define how HTML elements should be displayed, just like the <font> tag in HTML 3.2. • Style sheets are normally saved in external files. External style sheets enable you to change the appearance and layout of EVERY page in your Web site, just by editing a single document. If you have ever tried changing something like the font or color of all the headings in all your HTML pages, you will understand how CSS can save a lot of work!

5. XHTML • XHTML stands for Extensible HyperText Markup Language. • XHTML is a reformulation of HTML 4.01 in XML, and is supported in all major browsers.

6. XML • XML - A Tool for Describing Data • XML is NOT a replacement for HTML. XML describes data, while HTML displays the data. • XML is as a cross-platform, software-, and hardware-independent tool for storing and transmitting information. • XML is as important to the Web as HTML was to the foundation of the Web, and XML will be the most common tool for all data manipulation and data transmission.

7. XSLT • XSLT - A Tool for Transforming Data • XSLT is used to transform XML documents into other formats, like HTML, WML, etc. • XSLT can transform an XML file into a format that is recognized by a browser. • XSLT can also add HTML elements, rearrange and sort data, make decisions about which data to display, and more.

8. Javascript • JavaScript - Client-Side Scripting • Client-side scripting is about "programming" the behavior of a browser. • Delivers more dynamic web content. • JavaScript gives HTML designers a programming tool • JavaScript can put dynamic text into an HTML page • JavaScript can react to events • JavaScript can change HTML elements • JavaScript can be used to validate data

9. ASP or PHP • ASP or PHP - Server-Side Scripting • Server-side scripting is about "programming" an Internet server. • Delivers more dynamic web content • Dynamically edits, changes, or adds content of a Web page • Responds to user queries and forms data • Accesses databases and returns the result to a browser • Accesses files and returns the result to a browser • Transforms XML data to HTML data and returns the results to a browser • Customizes a Web page to make it more useful for individual users • Provides security and access control to Web pages • Tailors your output to different types of browsers • Minimizes network traffic

10. Managing Data with SQL • SQL is the standard language for accessing and manipulating databases. • SQL is used to access and manipulate data in MySQL, SQL Server, MS Access, Oracle, Sybase, DB2, and other database systems. • Knowledge of SQL is a must for anyone wanting to store or retrieve data from a database.

11. Web Design • Less is More • Keep the paragraphs as short as possible. • Keep the pages as short as possible. • Keep the chapters as short as possible. • Use a lot of space! Pages overloaded with text will kill your audience. • If you have a lot to say, break your information into smaller chunks and place it on different pages!

12. Navigation • Create a consistent navigation structure that is used by all the pages in your Web site. • Don't use hyperlinks inside paragraphs, to send visitors to every page of your Web. This will destroy the feeling of a consistent navigation structure. • If you must use hyperlinks, add them to the bottom of a paragraph, or to the menu.

13. Download Speed • Sometimes developers are not aware of the fact that some pages take a long time to download. • Most visitors will leave a Web page that takes more than 7 seconds to download. • Test your web pages over a low-speed modem connection. If your pages take a long time to download, consider removing graphic or multimedia content.

14. Visitor’s Monitor • Not everyone on the internet has the same monitor as you. • If you design a Web site to be displayed on a monitor with a 1024x768 resolution, visitors with lower resolution monitors (like 800x600) might have problems reading your pages. • Make sure you test your Web site on different monitors.

15. Browsers • Don't forget to test your Web site on different browsers. • The most popular browsers today are Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. • One wise thing to do when designing Web pages is to use correct HTML (or XHTML). Strict and correct coding will help a browser to display your pages correctly.

16. Web Standards • To make internet a better place, for both developers and end-users, it is important that both browsers and Web developers follow the Web standards. • When developers follow the Web standards, the development is simplified, since it is easier for a developer to understand another's coding. • Using Web standards will help you to ensure that all browsers, will display your Web site properly, without frequent and time-consuming rewrites. • Web pages that conforms to the standard are easier for search engines to access and index, easier to convert to other formats, and easier to access with program code (like JavaScript and the DOM).