1. 1 UCISA-SG WebTools Forum An Evaluation Exercise David Lomas University of Salford

2. 2 The Need Clear need for: Evaluation of various types of web-related software To stand back and decide what we need Recommendations for CHEST deals Why? Prevent wasted effort in HE community through re-invention of the wheel Need to monitor both web developments and existing web applications Individual purchases are costly Community benefits of/from standardisation

3. 3 Issues Evaluation process more complex than for most UCISA-SG working groups: Rapid growth of the web Developments to existing web protocols (HTML -> Cougar, CSS) and new protocols (PICS, XML) Uncertainty in the marketplace (Netscape v Microsoft battles) Variety of models of institutional web provision Danger of taking on too much

4. 4 Areas Areas: Browsers and other end user tools Authoring and graphics tools Web page management tools Server software and server management tools Database integration Programming and application development environment tools Other areas:? Raise them at tomorrow’s discussion group

5. 5 Browsers & Other End User Tools Browsers Netscape and Internet Explorer Specialist browsers (e.g. for visually impaired, SGML / XML browsers, foreign language support) Architectural issues - support for plugins, ActiveX and Java Security Other End User Tools Key plugins Bookmark managers Client management software (filters, …) Tuners to support push technologies What else?

6. 6 Browsers: Issues Institutional Issues Platform issues (PC, Mac, Unix) and Windows (Win 3.x, 95 and NT) Importance of Network Computers (NC) Security - are Java and ActiveX permitted? Policies on "push" technologies Architectural Issues Browser architecture may change with modular browsers, open browser APIs Browser may become part of the (MS Windows) desktop Java support for 486 PCs

7. 7 Authoring & Graphics Tools Authoring Tools File based authoring tools (many available) Conversion tools (from RTF, DTP formats, etc) Word processor based tools Graphics Tools Image manipulation tools (e.g. Photoshop Pro) Graphical libraries (e.g. gd) Needed for dynamic generation of images

8. 8 Authoring Tools: Issues Institutional Issues Existing policies on word processing software Existing policies on graphical software (if they exist) Architectural Issues Importance of Cascading Style Sheets Development of collaborative authoring tools (e.g. work of IETF WebDAV group) Importance of PNG as replacement for GIF Other Issues Overlap with Workstations WG, AGOCG

9. 9 Web Page Management Tools Software for managing web sites or collections of related pages (e.g. NetObjects Fusion, MS FrontPage) Software for assisting information provider (e.g. link checkers, HTML validators,...)

10. 10 Management Tools: Issues Institutional Issues Software currently in use Architectural Issues Development of Web Collections protocols Overlap with metadata management tools Other Issues Possible overlap with Authoring Tools We operate in a “real” world Adapting tools not designed for the Web

11. 11 Server Software & Management Tools Server Software NCSA, Apache, Netscape, CERN Unix v Windows NT v NetWare Other platforms? (Mac, personal Windows 95) Server Management Tools Usage report generators Search engine support

12. 12 Server Software: Issues Institutional Issues Software currently in use Do institutions need commercial secure software for use with sensitive data? Architectural Issues Support for HTTP/1.1 Security e.g. includes 128 bit security Other Issues? Raise them at tomorrow’s discussion group

13. 13 Database Integration Software to provide dynamic access to database Software to provide updating of database from web forms Example include Cold Fusion, Microsoft dbWeb?

14. 14 Database Integration: Issues Institutional Issues Platform issues (Unix v Windows NT servers) Do institutions need commercial secure software for use with sensitive data? Architectural Issues ODBC JDBC Other Issues? Raise them at tomorrow’s discussion group

15. 15 Programming Tools Java development environments (e.g. Visual Café, MS Visual J++, Jamba) ActiveX development environments (e.g. MS Interdev Studio) Client scripting environment (e.g. Arcadia)

16. 16 Programming Tools: Issues Institutional Issues Policies on Java and ActiveX What is the demand? Architectural Issues Java, ActiveX and Javascript standardisation Other Issues Overlap with CBL authoring tools (e.g. Director)?

17. 17 What Won't Be Covered WebTools group does not intend to cover the following: VRML Filtering software Conferencing software Copyright management software... Comments?

18. 18 Where To From Here? Evaluation Criteria and Case Studies Other Sources of Information Reviews in Internet magazines Various web sites Other Groups Dutch evaluation group Your Involvement