JIU Student Web Site Server

Web Site Development Guidelines

Whether your project is a series of articles, a research paper, a training program, or a Web site, we encourage you to publish it on the Web, using this server. Since the goal is for you to develop a quality project and not to become a Webmaster, these guidelines and recommendations are provided to assist you. If you find that your questions and concerns are not addressed adequately in the sections below, please contact your instructor or Academic Support.

• Server Capabilities
• Your Web Site
• HTML Development Tool Recommendations
• FTP Information
• Other Tools and Resources

Server Capabilities

The Project Web server is http://courses.international.edu server and is:

• A UNIX server
• Supports FTP, but not Telnet, meaning the only tool you can use to manipulate or move your files on the server is FTP. This also means that all editing will need to be done on your local machine.
• Does not support FrontPage extensions (implications for development using FrontPage - see the HTML Development Tool Recommendations for additional details)
• Does not support video.
• Does not have a search engine available.
• A CGI script is available, http://formmail.international.edu/cgi-bin/FormMail.pl. The required form fields are: recipient (value must be an e-mail address), subject, name, and e-mail. Example:

  <form method="post" action="http://FormMail.international.edu/cgi-bin/FormMail.pl">
       <input type="hidden" name="Recipient" value="your@dress.com">
       <input type="hidden" name="Subject" value="Example Form">
  

       <p>Please enter your name address:<br>
       <input type="text" name="Name" size="30">

       <p>Please enter your email address:<br>
       <input type="text" name="Email" size="30">

       <p align="center"><input type="submit" value="Submit"> <input type="reset" value="Reset"></p>
  </form>

  Note: Many students use a JavaScript to verify that the Name and Email fields are always completed.

These specifications have implications for the development and publication of your project. If you are not certain what those implications are, please contact your instructor or Academic Support.

Because the server is UNIX, there are a couple of things you need to be aware of. The first is filenames are case sensitive. Second, that the usual name for the default filename for Web site directories is index.html. Note that it is lower case and uses the full, 4 character extension - .html. This means that your home page and any main page in a subdirectory for your project must be named index.html.

Also note that the default extension for all html pages is .html, not .htm. Both will work on this server, except for the index pages, but it is strongly recommended that you use .html. While the Windows server is not case sensitive, it is also recommended that you use lower case for all filenames. Following these conventions will allow you to easily transfer your site to another server at a future date, with little in the way of adjustments required when doing so.

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Your Web Site

To facilitate project publication, you will be provided an individual directory/Web space on the courses.international.edu server. Your Web site address will be similar to http://courses.international.edu/ROLE/USERNAME (Role will be either student or faculty).

Your Web space will be password protected for file upload and file modification. You will have full read, write, and modify rights within your Web space, including the ability to create any subdirectories needed for your project. Your instructor and Academic Support will also have those rights, for purposes of providing technical assistance, but no one else will be able to upload, create, or modify your files.

Your web contents can be viewed by anyone with a Web browser - it is public. Please do not post anything of a proprietary or private nature.

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HTML Development Tool Recommendations

While any HTML development tool can be used for your projects, most of them are not likely to require advanced knowledge of HTML or other Web technologies (e.g. Java, JavaScript, VBScript, CGI scripting, or plug-ins). Since you are not expected to become expert Web developer when you are working on your project, it is recommended that you use a visual HTML development tool, a.k.a.. WYSIWYG.

While many professional Web developers prefer not to use them, hand coding instead, they are quite adequate for most projects. They range in cost from free to $500 or more, though most of them provide a 30 day trial, downloadable from their Web sites. Several of the most common are listed in the following table:

Name	Manufacturer	Comments
Dreamweaver	Macromedia	This is a full Web site creation tool that is specifically tuned to HTML 4 and Dynamic HTML site creation. However, since that level of HTML is not fully supported in any of the major Web browsers, it is recommended that care be taken to fully test your site across browsers before uploading to the server. It does not include an integrated HTML editor, though it does include an external one (HomeSite from Macromedia). It does include an FTP tool for site upload and maintenance.
Netscape Composer	Netscape	This is a module in the Netscape Communicator 4 or later. It provides basic page development tools, but no direct access to the HTML code. It has a nice table creation tool, can easily import graphics and create links among documents, both local and remote. It does not provide advanced features such as JavaScript editing/creation or frameset creation. It does include a site upload utility.
FrontPage Express	Microsoft	This tool is part of the full Internet Explorer 4 or later installation. It provides similar capabilities to the Netscape tool, though it is not integrated with the browser. It uses the Microsoft Web Publishing Wizard as its site upload tool. It is recommended that you use a separate FTP client rather than this tool, since it tends to write unnecessary files to the server and/or restructure directories in ways that are unexpected by the novice developer.
Front Page 98 (or later)	Microsoft	This is the full Web site creation tool from Microsoft. It includes a nice site management tool, though it relies on the Web Publishing Wizard for many things. It also relies on the use of its "bots" for the easy creation of interactive material. There is an integrated HTML editor available. If you elect to use this tool, you cannot use the bots in your development - they require the FrontPage extensions on the server, which are not available on this server.
Visual Page	Symantec	This is a full Web site creation tool, similar to FrontPage. However, it does not rely on "bots" for the creation of any supported features. It includes an integrated HTML editor and many wizards to help you with specific site features such as tables, frames, and the inclusion of applets, graphics, and JavaScript. It does include a project-based FTP tool for site upload and maintenance.
HomePage	FileMaker	This is a full Web site creation tool. It does not rely on "bots" for the creation of any supported features, though it does have a tendency to re-write HTML for pages created in other tools. It includes an integrated HTML editor and many wizards to help you with specific site features such as tables, frames, and the inclusion of applets, graphics, and JavaScript. It includes an FTP tool for site upload and maintenance.
PageMill	Adobe	This is a full Web site creation tool (if you want site management, you will need SiteMill). It does not rely on "bots" for the creation of any supported features. However, its results can be very browser dependent. It is critical, if you elect to use this tool, that you check your results in several Web browsers from different manufacturers and preferably on several different computers and operating systems (this is good advice for any development tool). It does include an FTP tool for site upload and maintenance.

Most, if not all, of these tools are available for both Windows and Macintosh computers.

If you would rather use a text-based HTML development tool than a visual one, there are a number available. Many are shareware, though some are commercial tools (such as HomeSite and HotDog Professional). Many of these tools are available for download from the Tucows site. We recommend HomeSite. A trial version can be downloaded form the Macromedia Web site

If you have any questions or concerns about these tools or if you would like advice as to which would be best for your project, ability, and situation, contact your instructor or Academic Support.

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FTP Information

No matter what tools you use to develop your project materials, you will need a way to actually upload your files to the course.international.edu server and may need a way to modify them after you have created and uploaded them. This means you need a tool for File Transport Protocol (FTP).

As noted above, many of the HTML development tools include the ability to upload your files to the server. Unfortunately few of them provide a full FTP client. You are likely to need a full FTP client in order to properly maintain your site, once uploaded. Such clients provide the ability to upload files, download files, create subdirectories, delete files, rename files, and sometimes even modify the document properties of those files.

There are numerous FTP clients available; especially for Windows, and all work a little differently. Many of them are available either free or for a limited time period trial. To find some, go to the Tucows Web site. You will need to refer to the accompanying documentation for specific instructions on how to use them. If you get stuck, Academic Support may be able to assist you, at least with the tools they are familiar with (we recommend WS_FTP Pro).

Once you have been granted FTP access to your Web space, the FTP information is as follows:

The following information is needed by your FTP software/client.

• Host/Server Name: courses.international.edu
• User Name & Password: Same as what you use to access courses

If you can't connect to your site with your FTP client, use the following alternative:

1. Copy the following address into your Web browser address field:
   ftp://username@courses.international.edu
   Note: Replace "username" with your username.

2. You will be prompted for your user name and password (Same as what you use to access courses).
   

3. Drag and drop files and directories from your computer to the browser window.

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Other Tools and Resources

As you develop your materials for publishing, it is likely that you will need some other tools and resources, notably in the graphics area. Even if you are not a skilled artist, you will need tools to capture and convert images to sizes and formats appropriate for your Web pages.

This means image editors. Most of those are commercial tools, though there are a few, like Jasc's PaintShop Pro (Windows 95/98), that also exist in shareware versions. If you need a shareware tool, check out the tools available through Tucows. If you are interested in commercial tools, check your local software or computer store or one of the many online computer shops. You will find commercial tools that can be used for Web graphics ranging from $75 to $800 or more. For most projects, you probably won't need anything more expensive than $100 to $150 (or one of the shareware tools).

Of course, having an image editing tool won't do you much good without some images to edit. While it is possible to grab any image encountered on the Web, it is not legal to do so - that constitutes a copyright and possibly trademark violation, unless you have permission to use the images. That said, there is a great deal of clip art available online. To find it, you may want to start at Yahoo and search for clip art. But, when you do find the clip art, read the licenses carefully before copying any of it. Make sure you have a license.

The same is true of CD-ROM collections of clip art. Not all licenses allow use their images on the Web - read them very carefully.

While these guidelines cover the most common tools and resources you will need, this is not a comprehensive list. Your individual project may have special needs. In that case, contact your instructor or Academic Support for further suggestions or assistance.

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