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web development
Web sites are a unique part of the Internet. They provide information about companies,
organizations or everyday people. Depending on the purpose, web sites can vary in
appearance, complexity and price. Independent of their purpose are, however, the four
basic skills needed to create a web site. They are HTML, Client-Side
Programming,
Server-Side Programming and databases. The course teaches
these four skills as well
as web site design and web authoring tools. A brief description is listed below. Note that
no previous programming knowledge is needed to begin. All that is needed will be covered
in class.
HTML language
HTML is used to create web pages. Simple HTML commands are used to format text,
add images or create hyperlinks to other web pages. Advanced commands such as
tables and frames determine the layout of the page. Our web site design also covers
an introduction to XML -- similar to HTML but more customizable, and CSS -- cascading
style sheets.
Client-side programming
Web sites may offer services such as rate calculators, currency converters or shopping carts.
Language used for those is most often JavaScript. A small and simple programming language, it
can control various parts of the Internet browser. Further, it can help web sites remember
you visited them, with cookies.
Server-side programming
Data submitted on a web site, such as credit card information or a mailing address, needs
to be sent to the web server for further processing. Web site design explains how to create
the HTML forms needed to submit the information, how to pass the information to the server
using the CGI protocol, and finally how to process the information with either Windows (ASP) or Java-based (JSP) technologies, depending on the type of environment the web server resides in.
Databases
Data needed for a web site is often stored in a database, rather then in a regular file. Web
site design covers the complete life of a database, including database design, queries and
updates, all accomplished with MS Access, a popular database management program.
Site design
Web site design principles are explained throughout the course. This section goes into details
of information architecture for the web, describing how to use the elements learned in the
course and combine them to make a quality web site, with well defined privacy, security and
accessibility policies.
Tools
Many of the tasks learned in this course can be accomplished with web design tools such as
Dreamweaver Ultradev, MS Frontpage or ColdFusion. Tools also help maintain a constant
look-and-feel across all the pages in a web site. Last quarter of the course is dedicated to
using the skills gained in the course, in combination with a web design tool, to create a
real-world web site.
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