| Learn how to design, build, and maintain a website in this broad survey course that covers everything from basic html to web design tools to promoting your site. As part of the course, students will design an entire web site and implement its framework.
The course focuses on creating web sites to international standards as set out by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) and WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative). Students will develop web site projects using XHTML and CSS - also known as “best web practices”. See: Patrick Donoahue Why and how to build web sites to W3C standards
Students will be required to create a web site in a team environment as well as a personal site, such as a blog, CV or brochure page. Other subjects to be covered include: XML, JavaScript, CGI, PHP, Templates and search engine optimization.
Session #1 – Create basic three page site. Make connection via FTP to university server and upload web site.
Session#2 – CSS, Templates. Learn to create sites to W3C standards using CSS and XHTML templates. This is the heart of the course.
Session #3 – Graphics and the web. Learn the best formats to use, which include JPEGs, GIFs, PNGs, and SVG (scalable vector graphics).
Students will also learn how to optimize graphics with Photoshop.
Session #4 – Forms. Learn to create forms for gathering information and how to create CGI scripts through a major hosting company’s control panel. .
Session #5 – Search Engine Optimization. Learn invaluable information on how to optimize your site and dramatically improve your website traffic. In this class students will learn the 5 more important elements of SEO.
Session #6 – JavaScript and AJAX. (AJAX is a combination of JavaScript and XML). JavaScript has hundreds of useful scripts to spice up your site including rollovers, drop down menus, print page, games, clocks, counters, form validation and many more. AJAX represents the next level with the advantages of XML.
Session #7 - Databases, Middle Ware. We’ll look at MySQL and PHP. Students will look at how their web sites can interact with a host of services from e-commerce to research. PHP and XML will be looked at as popular examples in today’s Internet.
Session #8 - Course review and team project presentations. Everything comes together in this final class. The class will discuss what they have learned and the challenges they faced.
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