The Quest for Compliance: Using W3C Standards on Existing and New DOE Biological Research Web Sites

1
Making Possible the Impossible Through an
Information Collection and Dissemination Website
Sheryl Martin Marissa Mills Human Genome
Management Information System Oak Ridge National
Laboratory November 2003
2
The Scene

• Two months from start to finish including 2 weeks
  of Christmas holidays
• DOE Office of Science exhibit booth encompassing
  15 national laboratories, 6 SC Programs, and 2
  other DOE SC projects
• Coordinating booth setup production of 60
  posters covering 1600 square feet
• Graphics production coordinated at ORNL and PNNL
• Crisis communication disciplines, across computer
  platforms, user competence levels, and national
  laboratories

3
(No Transcript)
4
The Process

• Initial descriptions submitted
• Draw information from website
• Mockups submitted
• Drafts submitted
• Drafts reviewed and approved
• Final drafts created in PDF
• Final versions approved

5
The WebSite

• Simple design
• Cross-platform file types (web, PDF)
• Links to only necessary information
• Exhibit diagram
• Common elements
• Form submission
• Review of products
• Conference details
• Examples to follow

6
Examples and Common Elements

• Images of similar exhibits for guidance in design
• Modular structure and grommet system illustrated
• Consistent set of logos provided

7
The FTP Site

• Simple form
• Cross-platform compatible
• Coded in ColdFusion
• Controlled input
• Password secured
• Alternative contact provided

8
Feedback

• Upload success confirmed
• Contact for corrections
• Alert emailed

9
The Code
ltcfquery name"listing" datasource"meetings"gtSELE
CT institutelong.institutelong,
institutelong.institute FROM institutelonglt/cfquer
ygt ltcfif ((ParameterExists(form.uploadfile)) and
(form.uploadfile IS NOT "")) gt ltcfoutput
query"listing"gt ltcfif form.institute IS
"listing.institute"gtltcffile action"UPLOAD"
filefield"form.uploadfile" destination"hgmis\aaa
supload\listing.institute\" nameconflict"MAKEUN
IQUE"gtlt/cfifgt lt/cfoutputgt ltcfelsegtlth3gtYour file
can not be uploaded. Please use the Back button
on your browser to return to previous page and
reload.lt/h3gt ltcfabortgt lt/cfifgt ltcfquery
name"uploads_insert" datasource"meetings"
dbtype"ODBC"gt INSERT INTO aaas(name ltcfif
IsDefined("form.institute") and (form.institute
is not "")gt, institutelt/cfifgt ltcfif
IsDefined("form.phone") and (form.phone is not
"")gt, phonelt/cfifgt ltcfif IsDefined("form.email")
and (form.email is not "")gt, emaillt/cfifgt ltcfif
IsDefined("form.uploadfile") and (form.uploadfile
is not "")gt, filenamelt/cfifgt )
VALUES( ltcfif IsDefined("form.name") and
(form.name is not "")gt 'form.name' ltcfelsegt'name
not given'lt/cfifgt ltcfif IsDefined("form.institut
e") and (form.institute is not "")gt,
'form.institute'lt/cfifgt ltcfif
IsDefined("form.phone") and (form.phone is not
"")gt, 'form.phone'lt/cfifgt ltcfif
IsDefined("form.email") and (form.email is not
"")gt, 'form.email'lt/cfifgt ltcfif
IsDefined("form.uploadfile") and (form.uploadfile
is not "")gt, 'cffile.serverfile'lt/cfifgt
) lt/cfquerygt lthtmlgtltheadgt ltTITLEgtFile Upload
Confirmedlt/TITLEgtlt/headgtltBODY TEXT"000000"
BGCOLOR"FFFFFF"gt lth2gtFile Upload
Confirmedlt/h2gt lth3gtOffice of Science Exhibit
ltbrgt 2003 AAAS Conference ltbrgt Feb 13-19,
2003 ltbrgt Denver, CO lt/h3gt ltCFQUERY
NAME"qry_list" DATASOURCE"meetings"
dbtype"ODBC"gt SELECT id, name, phone, email,
institute, filename FROM aaas WHERE filename
'file.serverfile' lt/cfquerygt ltcfoutput
query"qry_list"gt Please check the following
information. If the information is incorrect,
please lta href"mailtomartinsa_at_ornl.gov"gtlet us
knowlt/agt.ltbrgt ltcfif trim(qry_list.name) is not
""gttrim(qry_list.name)ltbrgtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.institute) is not
""gttrim(qry_list.institute)ltbrgtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.phone) is not ""gtTelephone
trim(qry_list.phone)ltbrgtltcfelsegtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.email) is not ""gtEmail
trim(qry_list.email)ltbrgtltcfelsegtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.filename) is not ""gtFilename (may
be different than the name on your computer)
trim(qry_list.filename)ltbrgtlt/cfifgt lt/cfoutputgt lt
a href"http//www.newbiology.org/exhibitaaas/"gtRe
turn to Office of Science Exhibit
Websitelt/agt ltcfmail to"millsmd_at_ornl.gov"
from"uploads" subject"AAAS file
uploaded"gt ltcfif trim(qry_list.name) is not
""gttrim(qry_list.name)ltbrgtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.institute) is not
""gttrim(qry_list.institute)ltbrgtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.phone) is not ""gtTelephone
trim(qry_list.phone)ltbrgtltcfelsegtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.email) is not ""gtEmail
trim(qry_list.email)ltbrgtltcfelsegtlt/cfifgt ltcfif
trim(qry_list.filename) is not ""gtFilename
trim(qry_list.filename)ltbrgtlt/cfifgt lt/cfmailgt ltp
gtIf the above information is incorrect, please lta
href"mailtomartinsa_at_ornl.gov"gtlet us
knowlt/agt.lt/pgtlt/bodygtlt/htmlgt
10
The Receiving End

• Simple design
• Uploads organized by affiliation
• Data pulled from database by ColdFusion code
• Files immediately accessible
• Password secured, available to graphics and DOE

11
And then a miracle occurred

• Graphics staff created draft posters from the
  uploaded files
• Drafts were posted to a site for viewing and
  approvals (PDFs)
• Posters were approved by both laboratory and DOE
  SC staff
• Posters printed and shipped

12
Product Review

• Review site for draft files generated by ORNL and
  PNNL graphics
• Use acronyms for directory names
• Posted PDFs for cross-platform compatibility

13
The Results

• Time savings
• Cost savings
• Headache and stress reduction
• User confidence builder
• Self-propelled site
• Easy to monitor progress