Web development (Web Page design)
This topic is all about creating a Multi-media World Wide Web (WWW) site that informs and entertains. It is an evolving course and focuses on the production of multi-media content (WWW) using web design software (e.g. Java HTML script, FrontPage). The goal of this topic is for you to create a media enriched WWW site.
The software used to create website are:
- Text editors e.g. Notepad and WordPad etc
- Macromedia Dreamweaver
- HTML Kit
- Microsoft Home page
- Microsoft FrontPage etc
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In this chapter, you will be using Simple Text editors and FrontPage to create and maintain your WWW site, which will be stored on a secure server/hard disk.
2.1.1 Introduction to webpage design
If you have mastered this topic, you should be able to use the following terms correctly in your assignments and exams:
- HTML: Stand for Hypertext Markup Language, a simple scripting language to create a webpage
- Hypertext: Simply a piece of text that works as a link
- Markup Language: is a way of writing layout information within documents
- Tag: is a markup for telling the browser
- Make sure you know who your audience is. For example customers, Employees, Students, Friends, Family.
- If you are making a site for your company, make sure the goal is specific and quantitative.
- Keep your goal simple. A couple of sentences or a short paragraph is enough. If your goal is too long, your site will end up looking like it’s trying to do too much.
- Script: A list of commands that can be executed without user interaction
- Script language: A simple programming language which you can write scripts
- Perl: Script programming language that is similar in syntax to C language
- ASP: Server side scripting language that can be included inside HTML file.
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Microsoft FrontPage
A program you can use to create and manage Internet and intranet sites without programming; FrontPage is available as part of one of the Microsoft Office suites or as a stand-alone product.
What is a FrontPage Web site?
- A FrontPage Web site is a site created in FrontPage. It contains Web pages, graphics, documents, multimedia almost any kind of file you want.
- More importantly, a FrontPage Web site also contains hidden folders and files that support FrontPage specific functionality. These hidden items are the FrontPage metadata for your site. Don’t let this term intimidate you; as you’ll see in a second, FrontPage metadata is really quite simple.
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Two kinds of FrontPage Web sites
- Now that you know what a FrontPage Web site is, it’s important to know that there are two kinds: disk-based and server-based.
- In short, a disk-based site is a FrontPage Web site you create on your local hard disk and then later publish to a Web server. A server-based site is one you create and work with directly on a Web server, without the extra step of publishing.
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2.1.2 Prepare webpage structure
- Once your site’s goal is defined, we recommend sketching out the structure of your site beforehand.
- Use a pencil and paper (or a diagramming tool, like Microsoft® Visio®) to draw boxes for pages and arrows for links. Remember to keep your goal in mind as you do this.
- This is essentially the process of creating a visual outline. And it will save you a lot of time to do this on paper before your site is constructed. Just think: It’s easier to erase a few boxes and start over than it is to delete and rebuild pages in an already-built Web site.
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Sketch a common layout
After you’ve sketched a map of your site, it’s time to start sketching a common layout for each of your pages.
Some of the things you will want to consider as you are sketching the layout are:
- Should your site have a header and footer that are common to each page?
- Should your site have a consistent method of navigation on each page?
- Do you have any marketing requirements that must be fulfilled? For example, should you stick to certain fonts and color schemes?
- Does your site need any legal requirements, like a copyright notice?
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Later, when you’re ready
- Using your sketches as a model, you’ll eventually use FrontPage to design Web pages in HTML. You might use a table for the skeletal structure, or layout, of the page.
- Once the layout is defined, you can fill it with content. For example, you’ll want to add text, hyperlinks, pictures, and interactive buttons.