1.1: Introduction to Key Terminology: Behind-the-Scenes Web Technologies for Web Authors
1.1.1: Webpages, Websites, and Web Authoring
Several behind-the-scenes technologies must cooperate to deliver websites to users who type in a URL or click on a link. While a comprehensive understanding of these technologies is not necessary to build, maintain, or transform a simple website, the fundamentals are helpful as we move towards the skills of writing and editing HTML and CSS. In particular, correctly using terminology can help you successfully ask for help, whether in online forums or from coworkers, peers, mentors, or family members. Moreover, a basic understanding of these technologies may affect the decisions you make as you develop an example website, especially with respect to selection of an HTML standard, hosting your website, and coding for maximum browser compatibility.
This selection introduces fundamental key terms that many users of the Web will already understand. The distinction between web authoring, programming, and web design are important when talking with more experienced collaborators, or when seeking help on web forums. This selection concludes with questions and activities will help you think about what characteristics, features, or content elements you would like your practice website to demonstrate. Keep a record of your responses to these questions and activities.
1.1.2: Understanding Web Hosting and Domain Names
This selection introduces more fundamental concepts that many users of the Web will already understand. The first general chapter titled "The Web" includes a rather theoretical discussion of "Publishing Webpages" that may be skipped. Also note that the chapter on the Domain Name System is quite technical and only the main idea needs to be understood. The chapter on Web Hosting establishes a fundamental understanding of how we move from functioning HTML and CSS files on our home computers to a functioning site on the Web. This topic will be addressed in more detail in the last unit, but a fundamental understanding of how these technologies work together to create the Web experience will be helpful background as you move through later lessons.
1.1.3: Understanding URLs
Identifying URLs in existing HTML files will be an essential skill as you look at HTML source code. Additionally, without a firm understanding of how the naming scheme for specifying files works on the Web, it will be impossible to link CSS files, images, or other external data to your HTML documents.
1.1.4: Development Environments and Content Management Systems
In the contemporary workplace, use of development environments like Dreamweaver has become commonplace. While this software can make some complicated tasks easy, it is best to learn how to directly manipulate the underlying code, as some tasks cannot be easily achieved using the graphical interface, including many common debugging, site maintenance, and custom design tasks. The use of Content Management Systems (CMS) with highly developed Graphic User Interfaces (GUI) tends to abstract the user away from code-level concerns; even so, knowing how to directly edit HTML and CSS is a crucial skill for the CMS user. This video introduces both development environments and content management systems at a beginner's level. This unit is not a substitute for taking a class or following an online tutorial on the specific setup or software you will be using.
1.1.5: (X)HTML Variants in Widespread Use
At this moment, the Web is undergoing a significant transition from serving web documents using HTML4-based markup toward HTML5. Mark Pilgrim's book advocates for the use of cutting edge HTML5 technologies, and in this chapter he gives a brief history of how HTML4, XHTML, and HTML5 came into being from the standpoint of an insider. For the purposes of this course, we will be primarily learning the HTML4 standard, but we will occasionally look at HTML5 alternatives. Many of the features of HTML5 that distinguish it from HTML4 are useful for kinds of functionality that are outside of the scope of an Introduction to HTML and CSS; for further information, consider reading Pilgrim's book after completing this course.
1.1.6: Browser Compatibility
In the past, different web browsers could not be relied on to display code in exactly the same ways. While this problem is much less of an issue today, there are certain features available on some browsers that are not available on others. Perhaps more importantly, different browsers have implemented the emerging HTML5 and CSS3 standards in different ways. While a complete account of these different implementations is beyond the scope of an introductory course in HTML and CSS, learning the fundamentals of browser compatibility may save the beginner some frustration.