In the planning stage, begin thinking about which technologies you will use
to build your site. Select technologies that best accomplish your goals, that
you have the skills and resources to work with, and that your audience can use.
Below are some of the general benefits and constraints of some web technologies
and tools.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the primary technology used to create all
web sites. Some of the elements in the most recent versions of HTML may not work
with older browsers. You will need to choose a version that best meets your
purpose and the needs of your audience. You can select additional technologies,
such as a scripting language, to supplement HTML.
Benefits of HTML:
Loads quickly (exception: Netscape waits for all table contents to load
before displaying any of the parts)
Can be learned and implemented easily (easy-to-use HTML editors are
available)
Can be augmented with sound, video, Java applets, and scripting languages
such as JavaScript and VB Script
Limitations of HTML:
Provides only limited control over the way your page will be displayed,
and over the appearance of text
Is not programmable and offers only limited response to user interaction
events
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) were implemented in the Netscape 4.0 and IE 4.0
browsers. They provide a way to control and adjust layout for an entire site
with a single document that defines each style. For more details, refer to
"Cascading Style Sheets" in the "Production" section.
Benefits of Cascading Style Sheets:
Provide greater control over layout and typographic properties
Facilitate consistency of appearance
Separate content from layout and presentation, which makes the development
of a web site more efficient and flexible
Manage conflicts in style sheet specifications among documents, groups of
documents, and user browser set-ups by using a "cascade" or system of
preferences
Allow users to override your font style, size, and color attributes with
ones of their own choosing, which is especially important for users with
vision impairments
Allow style changes selectively
Can be used in conjunction with JavaScript to provide features that give
users a richer sense of interactivity
Allow elements to be positioned efficiently, eliminating the need for
memory-intensive transparent GIFs; files are smaller and open more quickly
Limitations of Cascading Style Sheets:
Require more time to learn and implement than other features of HTML
Are not supported by older browsers
Are supported in different ways in the new 4.0 browsers (some CSS features
do not appear in IE 4.0, and some do not appear in Netscape 4.0)
Frames
Frames were developed as an extension to HTML 3.2 and are supported by the newer
Netscape and IE browsers (3.0 and up). They create bookmarking and printing
problems, so many designers avoid using them.
Benefits of Frames:
Allow content pages to be developed independently of navigation pages
Allow the user to scroll through content without scrolling the navigation
and identification areas out of sight; navigation and identification areas are
always available
Limitations of Frames:
Present usability problems for tasks such as printing, bookmarking,
searching, and using the browser back button
May necessitate a no-frames version of your site to provide accessibility
for users with older browsers or those with disabilities who use assistive
technologies
Add more complexity
Scripting Languages
Scripting languages such as JavaScript and VB Script are used primarily for
client-side programming, while CGI scripts are often used on the server side.
Client-side scripting allows for control and manipulation of HTML and Cascading
Style Sheet elements.
Benefits of Scripting Language:
Allows for interactive, network-aware, and cross-platform applications
Is easier to learn than Java
Adds dynamic and interactive behavior to a web page
Limitations of Scripting Language:
Behaves differently on different browsers and between browser levels
Can be read by only some browsers as low as 2.0, and not by any 1.0 level
browsers
Cannot be read by some assistive technologies used by people with
disabilities
Is difficult to debug
Provides limited functionality compared with Java applets
Java Applets
Java Applets allow you to encapsulate a piece of function and embed it in a web
page.
Benefits of Java applets:
Allow for interactive, network-aware, and cross-platform applications
May be used within other applets or applications on the same page
Are not yet supported well by assistive technologies used by people with
disabilities
Limitations of Java applets:
Are not yet supported well by assistive technologies used by people with
disabilities
Must be downloaded before they can run, can be a lengthy wait
Provide only limited access to system resources
Function only when the web page being viewed is in a browser window
Often require substantial memory, and the files remain in the browser
cache until emptied
Can only be executed/run by Netscape and IE versions 3.0 or later
