Lesson 1 Markup Language and Site Development Essentials

Lesson 1: Markup Language and Site Development Essentials Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Lesson 1 Objectives • • • Discuss Web page creation Discuss mobile and cloud issues Introduce text editors and markup languages Introduce graphical user interface (GUI) editors Discuss the history of markup languages Introduce the HTML Web development trifecta Discuss Web site development principles Introduce hosting and Web service providers Introduce the Habitat for Humanity Web site Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Creating Web Pages • Web page authoring is becoming a standard skill set for many careers • You must know: – Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) – Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) • Additional technologies include: – Flash – Java – Active. X – Microsoft Silverlight Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Mobile and Cloud Issues • Web site development has been impacted by: – Smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices – The cloud • Cloud services – Do not require knowledge of HTML to create Web pages – Users simply "point and click" the available Web site tools to design a personalized page Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Text Editors and Markup Languages • You do not need to use a special editor application to create markup – You can use a simple text editor (e. g. , Notepad or Vi) • When creating HTML files, you must: – Save the text as plaintext – Save the file using either the. html or. htm file name extension Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Graphical User Interface (GUI) Editors • GUI HTML editors: – Create HTML code for you • You type page text as you would with a standard word processor • You point and click with a mouse • Popular GUI HTML editors include: – Adobe Dreamweaver – Microsoft Expression Web – Mozilla Sea. Monkey – Adobe Go. Live – Kompo. Zer – Bluefish Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Why Learn Markup Languages? • GUI HTML editors do not keep pace with the latest improvements in markup language • You can add features to pages not supported by the editor • You will not be limited by the GUI editor’s capabilities Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

History of Markup Languages • Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) – Originally created by IBM in 1986 – A metalanguage, meaning it is used to create other languages – The basis for HTML, XHTML and XML – You create your own document rules using a Document Type Definition (DTD) Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

History of Markup Languages (cont'd) • Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) – Based on SGML, invented by Tim Berners-Lee – Allows hyperlinks – HTML vs. SGML • HTML versions include: – HTML 3. 2 – HTML 4. 01 (the most popular version of HTML) • HTML 4. 01 flavors include: – 4. 01 Strict – requires all container tags and does not allow deprecated tags – 4. 01 Transitional – allows deprecated tags, not as strict – 4. 01 Frameset – for use with frames Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

History of Markup Languages (cont'd) • Extensible Markup Language (XML) – A subset of SGML, also a metalanguage – XML describes data instead of formatting – HTML or XHTML provides formatting and document structure • Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) – Combines HTML with XML – XHTML allows HTML to become XML-compliant Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

History of Markup Languages (cont'd) • HTML 5 – The latest version of HTML under development by the W 3 C – Provides modern requirements for the Internet with fewer plug-ins Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Universal Markup Creation • Follow W 3 C standards • Benefits of following standards include: – Code will render as expected in more browsers – Pages will be more scalable (as you add more sophisticated content, you will not run into problems) – Pages are more likely to be available to disabled users Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

The HTML Web Development Trifecta: HTML 5, CSS and Java. Script • The future of Web design lies within three technologies: – HTML 5 – Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) – Java. Script • These technologies used together provide Web pages that easily adapt to smartphones, tablets, gaming devices and smart TVs, as well as to traditional PCs Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Project Management and the Web Development Project Cycle • • Create and document an initial Web site plan Obtain relevant input from stakeholders Communicate the Web site plan Consider technical and non-technical concerns Develop the site Publish the site Manage the site Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Developing Accessible Web Pages • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – Enforced by the U. S. Justice Department – Requires Web designers to create "reasonable accommodations" for disabled users: • Ensuring that all images have text-based descriptions • Providing text-based alternatives to all non-text content (e. g. , Java applets and Flash presentations) • Providing easy-to-read forms Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Developing Accessible Web Pages (cont'd) • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) – Provided by the W 3 C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) – A product of worldwide cooperation • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act – All federal agencies must ensure that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by federal agencies be comparably accessible to users with disabilities – Based on the WCAG Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Verifying Web Page Accessibility • Many tools available, including: – W 3 C Page Validator – Total Validator – Cynthia Says – Vischeck – MAGpie • Adopt a single W 3 C standard and apply it consistently throughout your site Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

General Web Page Accessibility Considerations • Visual challenges – Text readability – Text support for images – Screen reader support • Audio challenges – Alternative audio support – Alternative speech input – Text support for audio elements • Cognitive and technical challenges Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Creating and Documenting an Initial Web Site Plan • Site plan is a rough outline of planned development – Site diagram – Storyboard • Wireframing – The process of developing an outline for a Web presence • Determining audience and message • Validating design issues – Consider issues such as central message, fonts, images, colors, ethnic and cultural diversity, and common color schemes Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Obtaining Relevant Input from Stakeholders • Stakeholders are relevant organization employees or contributors who can provide or help determine: – The purpose of the Web site – The services that the audience requires from the site – Development timelines • As you work with stakeholders: – Remember that non-technical people may be asked to approve your project – You must translate technical issues into non-technical language • Team members can include representatives from marketing, IT, sales and other areas of your organization Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Documenting and Communicating the Plan • Create a storyboard • Document decisions in meetings and follow up • Communicate the plan in various ways: – Calling relevant parties to ensure that everyone is satisfied – Sending e-mail messages – Sending postal ("snail mail") messages if necessary – Sending fax messages – Telephone calls Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Communicating the Web Site Plan • Use oral presentations and presentation aids, including: – Presentation software – Overhead projection – Whiteboards – Easel and poster paper – Charts – Published handouts Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Leading Discussions • Strategies leaders use to manage a meeting: – Make introductions – Recall past business – Create a list of action items, including timelines – Monitor time – Ensure proper discussion focus – Handle heated discussions – Distribute minutes Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Considering Technical and Non-Technical Concerns • Leaders can ensure communication by: – Regularly asking if anyone has questions – Asking team members to summarize their understanding of decisions – Asking a third party to deliver a summary of progress – Writing regular updates about the project Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Developing the Site • As your team develops the site, you will be engaged in various activities: – Creating markup code – Testing functionality – Approving the site – Publishing the site Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Testing Pages in Multiple Browsers • As you develop Web pages, test them using multiple Web browsers • Different generations of the same browser may interpret HTML somewhat differently • Browser vendors also implement standards differently • Browser types include: – Microsoft Internet Explorer – Mozilla Firefox – Google Chrome – Opera – Lynx Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Managing the Site • When managing a site, you must be prepared to: – Create new content – Update dead links – Remove old sites – Remove unused pages – Ensure connectivity – Report access troubles – Process feedback from customers and stakeholders Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Obtaining Feedback • Your Web team must process various types of feedback • Feedback can come from various sources • Ways to obtain quality feedback – Providing Web forms on the site that ask for customer input – Conducting surveys in person – Conducting surveys via e-mail Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Intellectual Property • A unique product or idea created by an individual or organization – Generally has commercial value • Never "borrow" content without express written consent • Review copyright and trademark issues (e. g. , trade secrets, licensing, infringement, plagiarism) • Understand copyright scope, reach and time limits • Consider ethical issues of copyright and plagiarism • Avoid copyright infringement, trademark infringement and plagiarism by: – Reviewing content – Obtaining express written consent – Creating reasonable deadlines Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Outsourcing • Increasingly, Web development work (including site design) is being outsourced to workers in remote locations – May save the company money – May require you to work with remote workers • As you use and work with remote teams, you may have to obtain: – Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) – Legal consultation Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Hosting and Web Service Providers • Internet Service Provider (ISP) – Provides basic services • Internet connectivity • Web server – You need your own experts • Cloud service provider – Provides more advanced services • Software-as-a-service (Saa. S) • Backup services and nearly unlimited hard drive space • Advanced Web and database connectivity • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Co-Location, Dedicated Hosting and Virtual Servers • Co-location • Dedicated hosting (co-hosting) • Virtual server Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Costs of Using a Cloud Service • Costs associated with a cloud service include: – Database connectivity – Per-service costs – Bandwidth – Customer support – Security – Application development Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Negotiating Web Services and Communicating Needs • Be prepared to detail your needs • Negotiate prices by providing information: – Potential amount of traffic – Hard drive space needed – Database and CGI needs – Additional services (e. g. , custom applications) Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Information You Need from Your Service Provider • • Account information IP addresses and DNS names of the server Instructions about file and directory locations Service provider's contact information Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

The Habitat for Humanity Web Site • A not-for-profit, volunteer-driven organization that builds and sells homes for families worldwide • Has built more than 150, 000 homes worldwide • A Web site example in this course • Like any Web site, it targets an audience – The site is part of a concerted effort to bring in volunteers – People with technical expertise must run the site – More than technical expertise is required – the Web design team must also understand the business goals Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved

Lesson 1 Summary ü ü ü ü ü Discuss Web page creation Discuss mobile and cloud issues Introduce text editors and markup languages Introduce graphical user interface (GUI) editors Discuss the history of markup languages Introduce the HTML Web development trifecta Discuss Web site development principles Introduce hosting and Web service providers Introduce the Habitat for Humanity Web site Copyright © 2012 Certification Partners, LLC -- All Rights Reserved