HCU

Web Developer's Quick Reference


Development Processes

  1. Planning: define target audience, purpose, objectives, and policies for information development and use.
  2. Analysis: check technical construction of web with validation tools; evaluate information consistency and verify correctness of domain information.
  3. Design: separate information into page-sized chunks; connect pages along routes of use and user thinking; provide information, context, and navigation cues; create a consistent look and feel.
  4. Implementation: create an extendible directory and file structure; use HTML tools where helpful; use templates for supporting consistent look and feel; check implementation in various browsers.
  5. Promotion: target publicity releases for general Web audiences, potential users, and current users; follow online community norms and practices; innovatively connect with users to meet their needs.
  6. Innovation: continuously and creatively work for improvement to meet user needs; use testing, evaluation, and focus groups to shift and change web's content as user needs change.

HTML Reference

Document Structure and Meta Tags
<HTML></HTML> start and end of HTML document
<HEAD></HEAD> document meta-information start and end
<TITLE></TITLE> document title; goes in HEAD
<BASE Href="URL"> base reference URL of document; goes in HEAD
<BODY></BODY> content of document displayed by browser
<!-- comment --> comment; not displayed by browser
Anchors
<A Href="URL">Hotspot</A> anchor linking Hotspot text to document URL
<A Name="Jump">Text</A> anchor with name Jump associated with Text
<A Href="URL#Jump">Hotspot</A> anchor with jump from Hotspot to anchor named Jump in document URL
Blocks of Text
<BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> extended quotation
<UL></UL> unordered list (items marked with <LI>)
<OL></OL> ordered list (items marked with <LI>)
<MENU></MENU> menu list (items marked with <LI>)
<DIR></DIR> directory list (items marked with <LI>)
<DL></DL> definition list (terms marked with <DT>, definitions marked with <DD>)
<ADDRESS></ADDRESS> address; often used for document author identification
Separators
<H1></H1>... <H6></H6> headings from level 1 (major) to 6 (minor)
<HR> horizontal rule
<BR> line break
<P> paragraph start (end paragraph, </P> optional)
Physical Character Formatting
<B></B> bold
<I></I> italic
<TT></TT> typewriter
<PRE></PRE>
preformatted text; 
preserves line breaks
Logical Character Formatting
<EM></EM> emphasized
<STRONG></STRONG> strongly emphasized
<KBD></KBD> keyboard entry
<CITE></CITE> citation
<VAR></VAR> variable name
<SAMP></SAMP> text sample
Images
<IMG Src="URL"> inserts image at URL into document
<IMG Src="URL" Alt="string"> displays string for non-graphical browsers instead of image
<IMG Src="URL" Align="top|bottom|middle"> sets alignment of text after image
Forms
<FORM Action="URL Method="get|post"></FORM> a Form with a gateway program at URL and using a method
<INPUT Name="name" Type="checkbox |hidden |image |password |radio |reset |submit |text"> Input element with a specific type and symbolic name, name
<TEXTAREA Name="name" Rows="R" Cols="C"> Text area (lines of editable text) with symbolic name, name and R rows and C columns visible at a time
<SELECT Name="name" Size="N" Multiple"> Select element with symbolic name, name, N selections visible at a time; and multiple selections possible; selections defined using OPTION
<OPTION Value="string"> Option element used with SELECT; with returned value string
Tables
<TABLE Border></TABLE> start and stop of a Table with a border
<CAPTION></CAPTION> start and stop of the caption
<TR></TR> start and stop of a row
<TH Colspan="C" Rowspan="R"></TH> start and stop of a header cell spanning C columns and R rows
<TD Colspan="C" Rowspan="R"></TD> start and stop of a data cell spanning C columns and R rows
Netscape Color Extensions
<BODY Background="URL"> sets background texture to image at URL
<BODY Bgcolor="#RRGGBB"> sets background to color with red, green, blue values given by hexidecimal RR, GG, BB
<BODY Text="#RRGGBB"> sets text color
<BODY Link="#RRGGBB"> sets unvisited links color
<BODY VLink="#RRGGBB"> sets visited links color
<BODY ALink="#RRGGBB"> sets active links color

Web Reference


From the forthcoming book, HTML & CGI Unleashed, by John December, Mark Ginsburg, and chapter contributors in key areas. Indianapolis: Sams.Net Publishing, 1995 (September). Length: estimated 800 pages; ISBN 0-672-30745-6; Price: US$39.99. Macmillan Computer Publishing 1(800)428-5331. For more information see the book support web at http://www.rpi.edu/~decemj/works/wdg.html.

This document Copyright © 1995 by John December. All Rights Reserved. You can distribute unaltered copies of this document for free.


John December (john@december.com) / 12 August 1995