Authoring Languages and Web Authoring Software 4.01 Examine web page development and design.

Authoring Languages  Used to control the appearance and functionality of web pages when displayed in a browser  Examples include:  HTML (HyperText Markup Language)  XML (eXtensible Markup Language)  XHTML (eXtensible HTML)  Java Applets

HTML HyperText Markup Language  First and still primary language for developing web pages/sites  Uses codes, or tags, to instruct the browser how to display text and images  Treats all data the same— for display only Example of HTML code Student Website Welcome to my website!

XML eXtensible Markup Language  Describes data types to facilitate data processing  Designed to carry data, not to display it  Uses author-defined tags to identify each data entry so that the data can be easily imported into other applications  Metadata—data about data Example of XML code Atlanta Georgia 75

XHTML eXtensible HyperText Markup Language  Combination of HTML and XML  Allows designer to mix HTML and XML so that browsers can display and manage data correctly  Aimed to replace HTML as dominant authoring language  Places restrictions on HTML tags so that code is cleaner and can display data as author intended  Requires all HTML tag sets be closed  Requires lowercase tags  Many devices can’t interpret bad HTML code (mobile phones, PDAs)

Java Applets  Short programs written in Java code  Added to basic HTML and XHTML  Add multimedia, animation, gaming, and other interactive elements to add interest to the page

Presentation and Scripting Languages  CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)  JavaScript

CSS 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. h1 {color: #00ff00} h2 {color: #dda0dd} p {color: rgb(0,0,255)} This is header 1 This is header 2 This is a paragraph

Pros and Cons of CSS Advantages  One style sheet can control the formatting for multiple web pages. An entire web site can be reformatted by editing one CSS file.  Styles can also be set internally. The CSS is in the header of the html document. Disadvantage  May alter the ability of some devices to accurately read and display information.

JavaScript  An object based scripting language that allows creation and execution procedures within a web page  Does not require plug-ins (additional programs for the user to install)  Widely supported by most browsers  JavaScript example displays this dialog box in the browser window: JavaScript Example var foo="Greetings, visitor!"alert(foo);

Web Authoring Software There are several web authoring software solutions available for authoring and managing web sites. Two major solutions are Microsoft Expression Web2 and Adobe Dreamweaver CS4. Web site hosts also provide proprietary web software authoring solutions for managing their sites.

Web Authoring Software  Microsoft Expression Web2 (replaces Microsoft FrontPage) Overview.aspx?key=web  Adobe Dreamweaver CS4