Web Development Overview

Introduction

Tools

Technology Directions

Web Site Management

Content Management

Servers

User Centered Design

UW Policies

Resources

Web Site Management Approaches

Challenges

  • Versioning - defining a process for incrementing from one version to another and for retaining copies of past versions as necessary to meet record keeping requirements.
  • Backup - Routinely capturing copies of files for retrieval in the event of human error or equipment failure.
  • Consistent look and feel - Efficently managing design elements to give the site a uniform appearance and functionality.
  • Roles and Responsibilities - Who does what, who do you call when something needs doing, when do you do things?

1. All Files On Server

  • Basically just a set of HTML files on a server with links among the pages.
  • Maintained by logging into the server account and editing the files on site.

2. All Files On Server With Shared Templates

  • To create uniformity among the pages, a set of include files contain pieces of HTML that are maintained as separate files and included into appropriate places in the pages.
  • Includes files (also called server-side includes) can be used to provide basic page layouts that are maintained by a design person independent of the process of developing page content.
  • This is the approach used to create much of the UW Home Page site (http://www.washington.edu)

3. All Files On Server, Using Server-side Database

  • Where portions of pages are actively changing, such as data, a database can be used to maintain the information. When a page is called, the information for that page is retrieved from the database and inserted into the page on the fly.

4. Desktop Web Publishing (DTWP) Program

  • The DTWP program gives the page developer a whole set of tools to help in developing the site.
  • Pieces of HTML that are used in multiple locations can be maintained in a separate library and placed in appropriate locations on pages. When the site is "published" to the server, the code pieces will be inserted.

5. DTWP Program With Server-side Templates

  • DTWP programs can be used in conjunction with server-side includes. Thus a person working on a specific topic can have a library of code pieces for his own topic, and server side include files can be used to maintain page templates for a uniform look and feel across the whole site.

6. DTWP Program With Server-side Database

  • The DTWP program lets the page developer insert directives to retrieve and insert dynamic content into pages as they are retrieved.