1. Documents, Text Editors, and Web Pages
Class 3
LBSC 690
Information Technology

2. Agenda Questions Unix Survival Guide Document Creation Document markup
Web Pages
Project Overview

3. Unix Survival Guide WAM account Directory structure (mkdir, cd, .., /)
Eliminating unneeded files (rm)
Managing mail (pine, (attachments))
Moving files (mv, cp, ftp)
Editing files (pico, more)
Web anywhere (lynx)
How much space is used (du, ls -l)

4. Document Creation Editors Word Processors Desktop Publishing
Structured Documents
HTML/SGML/XML

5. Editors (Text Editing vs. Word Processing)
Purpose
Create and modify ASCII text
Examples
pico and emacs on WAM
Advantages
Compatible with virtually everything (VT-100)
Disadvantages
Limited format control, sometimes no mouse

6. Word Processors Purpose Examples Advantages Disadvantages
Create documents intended for human readers
Examples
Microsoft Word and Word Perfect in OWL
Advantages
Good format control
WYSIWYG (“What You See is What You Get”)
Disadvantages
No (universal) standard interchange format

7. Desktop Publishing Purpose Examples Advantages Disadvantages
Produce documents for wide distribution
Examples
Adobe Pagemaker in the WAM labs
Advantages
Allows very detailed layout control
Disadvantages
Requires fairly extensive user expertise

8. Structured Documents Purpose Examples Advantages Disadvantages
Specify logical structure of the documents
Examples
, HTML, LaTeX, SGML/XML
Advantages
Allows easy reformatting for different displays
Can be readily indexed
Disadvantages
Hard to read unless “rendered” before viewing
Contrast
Logical structure versus presentation layout

9. Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML)
Purpose
Structured document language for web pages
Advantages
Adapts easily to different display capabilities
Widely available rendering software (browsers)
Disadvantages
Direct control over layout is limited
The HTML “standard” is still evolving

10. HTML Document Structure
Markup tags (open and close) bracket content
<tag> … </tag>
Title shows up in the Web browser’s frame
Headers show up in the page itself
For each link, specify the URL and link text
<a href=“URL”>link text</a>
Inline graphics can replace the link text
<img src=oard.jpg>

11. HTML on WAM Files live in ~/../pub/ on WAM
from another unix directory directory: cp 690.html ~/../pub/
from a PC: ftp then binary then cd ~/../pub/ then put 690.html

12. HTML (by copying another html file)
Find a web page you like
Select “Document Source” in “View” menu
Compare HTML code with rendered version
Observe how to achieve each effect
Select “Save As” in “File” menu
FTP the file to ~/../pub/ on WAM
Edit the file using pico

13. Designing Web Pages Key design issues: Sources of information
Content: What do you want to publish?
Style: How do you want to present it?
Syntax: How can you achieve that presentation?
Sources of information
Online tutorials (Yahoo points to lots of these)
Technical materials (e.g., the HTML 3.0 spec)
ADA standards -

14. Style Guidelines Design for generic browsers
And test on every version you wish to support
Provide appropriate access points
User needs and navigation strategies differ
Design useful navigational aids
A web search may lead to the middle of a site
Include some indication of currency
Date of last update, “new” icons, etc.

15. HTML Editors Goal is to create web pages, not learn HTML!
Several are available
In Explorer, “Edit-Page” for Front Page Express
In Netscape, “File-Edit Page” for Composer
You may still need to edit the HTML file
Some editors use browser-specific features
Some HTML features may be missing entirely
File names may be butchered by FTP

16. SGML/XML Generalized Markup Languages These allow people to design
SGML - Standard Generalized Markup Language (for paper documents)
XML - eXtensible Markup Language (for Web documents) (see W3C)
These allow people to design
DTDs - Document-type definitions
A Document also needs:
DSSSL - Document StyleSheet Specification Language

17. Project Overview Goal: Solve a practical problem
One which is fairly complex
You choose the technology
Make a set of web pages (a web “site”)
Make a database
Do something else that is equally complex
Multimedia presentation, Java program, …
Three-person groups

18. Web Projects
Have significant content! (see “What is a Book” web site under CLIS Dean’s Award)
Multiple access points
Taxonomy, search engine, map, etc.
Be creative (in a useful way)! For example:
Choose a novel application
Engage the user with an interactive approach
Adopt an innovative organization
Implement a creative layout

19. Database Projects Your focus should be on scalability
What if the IRS decided to use your database?
The user interface is important
Designed to be used without taking 690 first!
Include enough content to allow testing
But focus on organization, not on content
The same creativity issues as web projects

20. Project Timeline Project description will be presented in class
The week after the midterm exam
Specification and Test Plan
Each team member can write one (separate grades)
Everyone can work together on all three (one grade)
Project demonstrations last week of class
Scheduled individually
All three team members get the same grade

21. Deliverables Specification Test Plan
Complete description of what the user will see!
Also specifies any other firm requirements
Test Plan
Detailed procedures to verify it works
Based on specification, done before project!