4.02 Develop web pages using various layouts and technologies. Publishing a Web Site 4.02 Develop web pages using various layouts and technologies.

Before Publishing Check site in multiple browsers. Check site in Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, etc. Notice differences and adjust as necessary.

Before Publishing (continued) Validate source code. Validating checks for errors in HTML code such as: Tags spelled incorrectly Tags left open Validating does not find spelling errors in text. Some validators correct errors while others just highlight the error. Many web editors contain internal validating utilities. For sites created in a text editor, validating is available online and via free downloads. http://validator.w3.org/

Before Publishing (Continued) Check spelling Spelling errors can turn visitors away from site. Use web editor’s spell checking utility or view page in browser and copy to an advanced word processor to check for spelling errors if text editor doesn’t have a spell checking utility. Check relative and absolute links. Many web editors contain a link-checking utility. If no link-checking utility, test each link manually in browser. Common link errors: Forward slash in relative link http:// before a relative link Mistyping a web address using wrong case or mistaking a _ for a blank space

Choose a Web Host Types: ISP is most common web host. Free Shared Dedicated ISP is most common web host. Usually package Internet access, email, and limited web site storage for its customers Can be a solution for personal or small business use

Free Web Hosts (Continued) Advantages No cost May include free email account May include online web editor with GUI Disadvantages No domain names; usually combines the free site’s URL with the path to specific site Limited storage space Limited technical support Allows pop-up advertising in exchange for hosting site Good for family, hobby or personal site with low traffic

Shared/Virtual Web Hosts (Continued) Advantages Low cost is shared with others. Own domain name Better technical support Disadvantages Restrictions on traffic volume (more traffic costs more money!) Many options such as email, database support and multiple web editor compatibility Good for small businesses with average traffic

Dedicated Web Hosts (Continued) Advantages Web site is hosted on its own server—not shared with others. Very powerful—can accommodate any kind of software Disadvantages Very expensive Requires high level skills Good for large businesses with high traffic and multiple domain names

Comparing Web Hosts Cost What can the customer afford? Storage How much storage space can the customer afford? What size is the site? Check the cumulative size of the root folder if no web editor. Reliability Are backup servers in place to host site when main server is offline?

Comparing Web Hosts (Continued) Traffic Does the host allow a maximum number of “hits” per billing cycle? What is the fee for exceeding the traffic allowance if the site becomes popular? File transfer technology (ftp, webDAV, editor compatibility) Some hosts do not support some web editors and may require the use of their ftp program.

Obtain a Domain Name Use assigned name provided by web hosting service. Difficult for users to remember if name is unrelated to site purpose and content

Obtain a Domain Name (Continued) Register a unique name for a fixed period of time (usually 1 year but no more than 10 years). ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) maintains a list of accredited registrars. Registrars are the only companies allowed to assign domain names. Registration can be free or costs can vary. ICANN manages InterNIC, a searchable list of URLs. Has a WhoIs feature that provides information regarding the registered owner and the registrar that assigned the domain name.

Publish! Upload files to a web host. Know protocol being used. FTP—File Transfer Protocol Non-secure transfer that doesn’t encrypt access password or allow data encryption during transfer WebDAV-Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning Secure file transfer that uses Web Folders to encrypt password and data during transfer; useful when using multiple authors to create site Does the host require an external uploading application? Does the host accept internal uploading utilities from web editing programs like Microsoft Expression Web2 or Dreamweaver?

Publish! Upload files to portable media. Site too large? CD Thumb/USB drive PDA Site too large? Reduce number and/or size of multimedia. Reduce number and/or size of images. Edit pages and remove links to files that are removed. Remove unnecessary files from host server. Pay for additional storage space.