TT280 - Web Applications: Design, Development and Management

WARNING:

This web site has been prepared by TT280 students for TT280 students as a resource-only feature. It's sole aim is to act as an aide for study purposes. TT280 builds on the drawing together of information from everyone, and these web pages are merely a collection of that information, neither validated nor endorsed by the Open University, or any other source.

There is no attempt to 'style' this web site, justify its content or act as arbiter, it is simply a compilation of views submitted through the TT280 course conferences, and replicated here to save time and energy at having to trawl back through the messages to find that one snippet of vital information that you can remember but forgot to bookmark.

Due to unforseen circumstances, Kate Roberts has had to step down as co-ordinator for this site and asked me to step in on her behalf.

To add to the site, please send a brief summary of your contribution to John Gent

Please note, information given in quotes has been copied from the manufacturer's website, unless attributed to a fellow OU student.

• Browserola: http://www.bizdomain.com/browserola/editors.html which emulates IE 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, Netscape v 1-4 and checks HTML 2.0, 3.0, 3.2.
• Deja Vu: http://www.dejavu.org/ has an online browser emulator that can show you how your site would look in quite a few old browsers. The main disadvantages are that your site needs to be online, and that the emulation for graphics capable browsers seems to be a bit dodgy - sometimes your site will show with images, and sometimes without - still, this makes you painfully aware of the need for 'alt' attributes with your images". (Jon Ramsey,oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)
• Internet Explorer:
  
• Lynx (for text only) http://lynx.browser.org/ "Lynx is a World-Wide Web browser for users on both UNIX and VMS platforms who are connected to those systems via cursor-addressable, character-cell terminals or emulators (including VT100 terminals and desktop-based software packages emulating VT100 terminals, such as Kermit, Procomm, etc.). Lynx was orginally conceived and developed by Academic Computing Services at the University of Kansas. The most recent release of Lynx is release 2.8.3. "
• Mozilla, http://www.mozilla.org/ the browser emulator for browsers that can't understand CSS "Mozilla is an open-source web browser, designed for standards compliance, performance and portability. We coordinate the development and testing of the browser by providing discussion forums, software engineering tools, releases and bug tracking"
• Netscape 6:2: http://wp.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html?cp=brictrpr2br
• Opera 6.01: http://www.opera.com/ "I saw one of the course moderators mention that Opera with images turned off will give you a good idea of how text only browsers will render your content,but this isn't strictly true - Opera understands CSS positioning, but text only browsers don't - this can lead to very different renderings of the same content" (Jon Ramsey,oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)
  

• TopStyle (Cascading Style Sheet Editor for Windows): http://www.bradsoft.com/topstyle/download/index.asp
  

• Unsure how CSS works, then maybe try one of these websites http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-CSS1 ("a very long and complicated looking page for CSS1")
• I also found this page, when I was looking for HTML types, and it tells you what you can alter and how to do it in CSS. It seems quite a good start for CSS as I've never used them. http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/Style
• Maybe a clearer list of the properties at a non W3page (this is the spec for CSS2) can be found at http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_reference.asp

• EditPlus ("EditPlus is an Internet-ready 32-bit text editor, HTML editor and programmers editor for Windows. While it can serve as a good replacement for Notepad, it also offers many powerful features for Web page authors and programmers"): http://www.editplus.com
• Microsoft Notepad
  
• Microsoft Visual Sourcesafe:http://msdn.microsoft.com/ssafe
• Notetab ("NoteTab is a leading-edge text and HTML editor. The application does it all: handle a stack of huge files with ease, format your text to your heart's content, perform system-wide searches and multi-line global replacements, and use a spell-checker and thesaurus. Build document templates, add bookmarks, convert text to HTML on the fly, and take charge of your code with a bunch of handy HTML tools. Use a simple, power-packed scripting language to create anything from a text macro to a mini-application"):http://www.notetab.com
• TextPad ("TextPad ® is a powerful, general purpose editor for plain text files. Easy to use, with all the features a power user requires"): http://www.textpad.com

• http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/DB/

• http://www.easily.co.uk(£10 for domain name, with email forwarding and URL masking if required. Hosting costs are stepped according to how much traffic you have - starts at around £30 pa, includes 100Mb + CGI-bin and other extras)(Sandi Cotton,oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)
• http://www.domainnamesgb.com (charge about £40.00 for 2 years of hosting and give 50mb web space with unlimited pop3 email addresses. Downside is that they don't support FrontPage extensions.)(Maurice Varney,oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)
• http://www.lowcostnames.com (£30 per year, domain cost £7.50 for 2 years.)(Jacqui Bourne,oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)
• http://www.name2host.com ("Register a new domain with us or transfer your existing domain to our server, pay only for the $25 domain annual fee ") (Kate Roberts, oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)
• http://www.vianetworks.co.uk (£200pa, mainly for businesses. Includes domain, hosting, CGI + other extras, full site stats)(Sandi Cotton,oufcnt2.open.ac.uk)
• http://www.100best-free-web-space.com/ (This has a constantly updated list/description of the 100 best free web space providers on the web. Most sites have an overall ranking, reviews by users, and a description of how much space you get, whether there are banner ads, etc. Very handy resource! (Michelle A. Hoyle mah383@tutor.open.ac.uk)
• http://www.redstation.com/ Their entry level solution includes 500MB webspace, ASP enabled, unlimited email forwarding, ODBC database support, POP mailbox, FTP account and tech support. £45 plus VAT pa. Domain registration £8 plus VAT for 2 years.
• http://www.34sp.com. Bargain hosting at £15 pa (or £12.5 pm) - WOW. Includes: Free www.yoursitename.34SP.com address. Use your own domain for free (www.yourdomain.name), 30MB storage (extra available), Full CGI-BIN: Perl, PHP4, Java , Python, TCL and C/C++, Database suport (MySQL) with PhpMyAdmin interface, Full FTP access, 500MB monthly burstable transfer bandwidth (extra available), SSI support, WAP support, 10 POP3 email Addresses, 10 email redirects and 10 autoresponders. - Thanks to Frances for this.

• CuteFTP: http://www.cuteftp.com/
• LapLink FTP: http://www.laplink.com/products/llftp/overview.asp
• Shuttle FTP (shareware): http://www.waveflow.com/shuttleftp/
• Terrapin: http://www.tpin.com
• WS FTP: http://www.ipswitch.com/

• Adobe GoLive: http://www.adobe.com/products/golive/main.html
• Adobe Photoshop: http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html
• CoffeeCup's Firestarter (Flash)("The Fastest way to make Killer Flash Effects for your Website"): http://www.coffeecup.com/firestarter/main.html
• Fireworks ("Powerful creative tools. Extensive format and standards support. Seamless integration. Macromedia Fireworks MX is the easiest way to create, optimize, and export interactive graphics in a single, web-centric environment") : http://www.macromedia.com/software/fireworks/
• GIMP ("The GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. This site contains information about downloading, installing, using, and enhancing GIMP. This site also serves as a distribution point for the latest releases, patches, plugins, and scripts. We also try to provide as much information about the GIMP community and related projects as possible"): http://www.gimp.org/And another one to try http://www2.arnes.si/~sopjsimo/gimp/
• hit counter from www.fastcounter.bcentral.com/fc-join
• Microsoft Gif Animator: http://www.microsoft.com/FRONTPAGE/previous/imagecomposer/page5.htm
• Paint Shop Pro 7: http://www.jasc.com/
• ProJPEG - plugin for Adobe Photoshop/Paint Shop Pro: http://www.boxtopsoft.com/get.html - it really does get the file size of jpg's down.
• Screen calipers ("The Screen Calipers are a unique on-screen measurement tool. They resemble real life calipers in both form and function. The Screen Calipers can be used with any program where fast and accurate measurements are required. Originally created for graphics and web professionals, the Screen Calipers are currently being used by thousands of people for hundreds of uses. These include engineers with CAD drawings, Architects with blueprints, Designers with illustrations, even an Orthodontist who uses the Screen Calipers to measure teeth on X-Rays."): http://www.iconico.com/caliper/
• adding a search facility to your site: www.picosearch.com (It's free, you just register and they send you the html code.)
• SmartDraw ("Draw anything easily: Flowcharts, Org Charts, Networks, Forms, Floor Plans, Time Lines, Presentations, and lots more"): http://smartdraw.com/
• Swish (Flash): http://www.swishzone.com/
• Xara 3D: http://www.xara.com/products/xara3d/

• 1st Page 2000 ("1st Page 2000 is a professional HTML editing software which lets you create great websites fast! The visually appealing program comes bundled with over 450+ Javascripts and supports all the latest web languages. To learn the benefits and features of 1st Page take the product tour or visit the download center to get yourself a 100% free licensed copy"): http://www.evrsoft.com/
• Ace HTML Pro 5: http://www.visicommedia.com
• Arachnophilia (Careware):http://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia/
• AOLPress
  
• Dreamweaver: http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver
• HTML- Kit: http://www.chami.com/html-kit/
• Hot Dog Pro 5: http://www.sausage.com/
• MS FrontPage 2000: http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/
• Netscape Composer: http://wp.netscape.com/communicator/composer/v4.0/index.html
• Net Objects Fusion: http://www.netobjects.com
• Notetab Pro: http://www.notetab.com/

• W3C (world wide web consortium): http://www.w3c.org
• CSE HTML Validator Pro 4.05: http://www.htmlvalidator.com/

• .net magazine: http://www.netmag.co.uk/
  This is a very good magazine to buy. A monthly issue, with a CD packed with useful applications, this magazine is a MUST for all Web users, designers and professionals alike.
• Web User: http://www.web-user.co.uk/
• Internet: http://www.internet-magazine.com/
• Computer Active: http://www.computeractive.co.uk/
• PC Plus: http://www.pcplus.co.uk/
• Net Advisor: http://www.netadvisor.co.uk/

• PCAnywhere ("pcAnywhere is the world's leading remote control software. With powerful encryption and authentication, it gives you peace of mind that your remote sessions will be secure. Speed up performance with the new optimization wizard. You can also use pcAnywhere with cable and DSL modems for faster remote control sessions. Now it's even faster and easier to navigate directories on both machines when you're transferring files. Use the AutoTransfer function to upload or download multiple files automatically. Whether you need to support servers, customers, or friends, choose award-winning pcAnywhere, the world's best-selling remote control solution"): http://www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/
• Xenu link checker ("Find broken links on web sites"): http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html
• A very useful site for finding web design tools and web management tools can be found at http://www.download.com. On this site you can download various shareware, and freeware programs. Very useful, they also have a user rating section and a user comments section which are very useful in reading before downloading a large file.

• http://www.addme.com

• Windows Telnet

• Q: (Frances J. Foot writes) Just a thought. If (say) you have your webpages validated with W3C, then, is it necessary to check with other browsers to see how they look - as, by definition, they should be perfect?
  A: (from Michelle A. Hoyle, Associate Lecturer (T171/TT280)(mah383@tutor.open.ac.uk) - In a "perfect" world, no, Frances. However, as you'll probably quickly discover, just because the W3C says it's correct, doesn't necessarily mean that all browsers will agree with that. In practice, what actually happens is that different browsers support different subsets of standards and they vary in their interpretation of standards. At the moment, of the browsers I personally use, Opera seems to be the best in terms of actually adhering to all the most recently W3C recommendations for HTML specifications up to and including XHTML 1.0. I've heard a rumour that Internet Explorer 6 for the PC (I'm using my trusty Macintosh) is supposed to be Microsoft's most standards-compliant browser ever, but Ihaven't checked that out myself. The Gecko engine, present in Netscape 6+ and Mozilla, is also supposed to be very standards compliant. Prior to those four browsers, how much support is there for CSS (Cascading Stylesheets), JavaScript, and HTML standards can vary drastically. Even going between the same browser with the same version number ondifferent platforms can result in different performance.
  Therefore, it's always a good idea to understand who the intended audience your pages are aimed at and what kind of displays (800x600, 1024x768), platforms (Windows, MacOS, Unix), browser family (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera), and browser versions (3.x, 4.x, 5.x, 6.x) they're likely to be using. Then you design your pages to work as best as possible for those and degrade gracefully for the small minority outside your guessed range. The idea is that the site might look best for whatever specific browsers/platforms you designed it for, but it's not completely unusable for someone else visiting. Unless you're developing corporate intranets, where everybody's hardware/software is strictly controlled, it's unlikely you'll should just develop something that only looks good and works in Internet Explorer for Windows XP.

• http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/web-localization.html (this has a good bit about localization, something else I hadn't thought about - especially screens reading left to right))
• http://www.martindesigns.com/ (this one has their pricing policy on it)
• http://www.parawebsol.co.uk/aboutusn.htm (this one mentions the phased approach which I hadn't thought about but seems a good idea for newbies)
• http://usability.gov/methods/planning.html (this one explains about developing a prototype)
• http://www.fortressdesign.com/planning.html ( I liked the bit about "Bobs Web Site")
• http://www.fortressdesign.com/planning.html (This site has a link to web browser statistics)