The following table of contents for the paper provides links for the following sections:
Note: I have printed out the URLs for many of the links to resources so that you can copy them if you desire; however, it makes the text a little hard to read.
The development of web based instruction will require a variety resources. The necessary resources include development tools and the tutorials to learn their use. For example, if you want to use forms, or some other more advanced features you may need additional software. Most servers have the capability to support many of the advanced features but often require some additional program code either on the server or as part of the web page. As a result, another important resource is training to use the more advanced features. The following links provide resources on a wide variety of topics.
The best place to find out about free and commercial web server software
is at the WWW FAQ (http://www.boutell.com/faq/).
The following sources are the best (my opinion) for learning HTML. Open up two browsers and put one of these HTML scripting resources on one browser, and the pages you are developing on the other. When a question arises, all you have to do is go to the reference open on the second browser.
Development/Style guides are useful because web documents are just that written documents and good style is always important. Check out the following sites.
There are also a number of online manuals and tutorials available on the web including a long list of tutorials at this Penn State Univesity link.
Forms require a program, called a CGI script, to be written and placed on the server to handle the incoming data stream from the form and to create the outgoing HTML response. Some of the checking of form data and formating of the data can be performed in the web page using the JavaScrip or VBScript programming language. Form tutorials are found at:
CGI is the set of protocols that allow a web page to interact with a program located on the server computer. This program could provide an interface to a database, graphics library or any other function. You have to either write the program or obtain a program from a source library. Either way some programming knowledge will likely be necessary to utilize CGI. The most frequently used programming language for creating CGI protocols is Perl, but Java, C, and JavaScript are also used. Some useful CGI references include:
Many advanced features are being created for the Web. Here are
some links:
The many changes occuring in the evolution of the web include: dynamic HTML, cascading style sheets (CSS), extensible markup language (XML), the internet2 technology, development of advanced HTML editors, new techniques for streaming audio and video, and browsers integrated into the windows desk top. Links to resources in all of these areas can be found by entering the terms into search engines.
A large number of links referenced on this page were provided by Dr. Gerry Santoro, gms@psu.edu. Visit his html site in the CAC at The Pennsylvania State University.
This page is dynamic and changes frequently. Please send suggestion for improvement to James A. Rehg jar14@psu.edu.
Copyright © This page was developed by Jame A. Rehg, Engineering Department, The Pennsylvania State University, Altoona College, in 1999. If you use these materials in some way, please acknowledge the developer.
Penn State University
Penn State Altoona
Updated 1-23-99
