4.01B Authoring Languages and Web Authoring Software

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4.01B Authoring Languages and Web Authoring
Software

• 4.01 Examine webpage development and design.

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Authoring Languages

• Used to control the appearance and functionality
  of webpages when displayed in a browser
• Examples include
• HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
• XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
• XHTML (eXtensible HTML)
• HTML 5

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HTML

• HyperText Markup Language
• First and still primary language for developing
  webpages/sites.
• Uses codes, or tags, to instruct the browser how
  to display text and images.
• Is platform independent.

• Example of HTML code
• lthtmlgt
• lttitlegtStudent Websitelt/titlegt
• ltbgtWelcome to my website!lt/bgt
• lt/htmlgt

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XML

• eXtensible Markup Language
• Describes data types to facilitate data
  processing
• Designed to carry data, not to display it
• Allows the author to define tags to identify each
  data entry so that the data can be easily
  imported into other applications
• Metadatadata about data

• Example of XML code
• ltweathergt
• ltcitygtAtlantalt/citygt
• ltstategtGeorgialt/stategt
• lttempgt75lt/tempgt
• lt/weathergt

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XHTML

• eXtensible HyperText Markup Language
• Combination of HTML and XML
• Allows the designer to mix HTML and XML so that
  browsers can display and manage data correctly
• Originally intended to replace HTML as dominant
  authoring language
• Places restrictions on HTML tags so that code is
  cleaner and can display data as the author
  intended
• Requires all HTML tag sets be closed
• Requires lowercase tags
• Many devices cant interpret bad HTML code
  (mobile phones, PDAs)

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HTML 5

• The latest revision of HTML.
• It has been adopted by the W3C as the next HTML
  standard.
• It merges some of the features of HTML and XHTML.
• It is still being developed.

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Website Enhancement Tools

• Style Sheets
• Describe how browsers should present or display
  information on a webpage.
• Give web developers more control over layout and
  page formatting.
• Scripting Languages
• Lightweight programming languages used to create
  interactive webpages.
• Applets
• Short programs written in Java code that can be
  embedded into webpages.

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CSS

• lthtmlgt
• ltheadgt
• ltstyle type"text/css"gt
• h1 color 00ff00
• h2 color dda0dd
• p color rgb(0,0,255)
• lt/stylegt
• lt/headgt
• ltbodygt
• lth1gtThis is header 1lt/h1gt
• lth2gtThis is header 2lt/h2gt
• ltpgtThis is a paragraphlt/pgt
• lt/bodygt
• lt/htmlgt

• Cascading Style Sheets
• Separates content from appearance and gives web
  authors more control over layout and page format
• CSS code instructs the Web browser how to format
  each item.

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Pros and Cons of CSS

• Advantages
• One style sheet can control the formatting for
  multiple webpages.
• An entire website can be reformatted by editing
  one CSS file.
• Styles can also be set internally. The CSS code
  is keyed in the header section of the html
  document.

• Disadvantages
• May alter the ability of some devices to
  accurately read and display information.
• Not all browsers recognize style sheets,
  especially older versions of browsers.
• Many browsers do not recognize all the styles in
  CSS.

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JavaScript

• An object based scripting language that allows
  creation and execution of procedures within a
  webpage.
• Does not require plug-ins (additional programs
  for the user to install).
• Widely supported by most browsers.

• The JavaScript below displays this dialog box in
  the browser window

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Java Applets

• Short programs written in Java code
• Added to basic HTML and XHTML
• Used to add multimedia, animation, gaming, and
  other interactive elements to webpages to make
  them more interesting.
• http//java.sun.com/applets/

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Web Authoring Software

• There are several web authoring software
  solutions available for authoring and managing
  websites.
• Text Editors allow developers to write code in
  plain text.
• Examples Notepad and Wordpad
• Web Editors - provides a graphical user interface
  with menus containing commands to make webpage
  creation easier for developers. Examples include
• Adobes Dreamweaver
• Microsofts Expression Web
• Kompozer open source software
• Seamonkey open source software
• Website hosts also provide proprietary web
  software authoring solutions for managing pages
  stored on their sites.