Some useful JavaScript

We do not cover JavaScript in detail on this module but if you wish you may use client side JavaScript to enhance your design. Don’t forget that you must explain the reasons why you are using this on your site if you wish to use it.

Here are some useful JavaScripts:

• a tutorial on accessible pop-up windows at accesify.com
• a style sheet switcher with persistent cookies;

More to be added later……..

Please use the comment facility to add links to any you have found.

Information about XML

If you find some other useful sites on XML please share them by adding a comment to this post.

So far we have:

• here is some comprehensive information at W3schools;
• and some more at XMLfiles.com;
• information about authoring xml at webmonkey;
• and this tutorial at Tizag.com

Using different types of positioning – an example

I have set up this post as an example of what might be done for Activity 501.

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By setting one box within another and giving the inner boxes relative coordinates with respect to the outer box allows such things as headers to be displaced from the content.As relative positioning is being used in the inner boxes then the outer reference box can be moved to another part of the screen and the positioning will still work.You can see the HTML by loading the example using the link above and using view source in your browser.The CSS can be seen by linking to it on the wiki.

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Notice that I have put additional explanations in the page itself, and as comments in the HTML and CSS codes. You can do this or put more explanation here.

Feedback after session 04

Please have a go at this towards the end of the session.

Please let me know:

• three things that you have learned so far in the module;
• three things that you would still like to learn;

This will be helpful in letting me know how you are getting on and if the module sessions need to be modified.

Week 4 web site is available

I have updated the web site for session 4. Please take a look if you want to see what we are doing this week.

In outline we will extend our ideas to the whole web site. In doing so we will look at how CSS can help us to format our site and make it more useable and accessible.

There are two activities to be done in this session:

• Activity 401: Looking at usability and accessibility.
• Activity 402: Setting up a web site

Week 03 Session materials are ready

I have updated the activities for session 3 on Friday 23rd February. You might want to take a look and get in some practice at using CSS before the session.

If you need a reference to CSS selectors there is one at JavaScript Kit and another at StyleGala.

If you find some useful web pages then please post them on your blog to let the rest of us know about them.

Follow up to week 02 session

In the second session we set up RSS feeds do that we can tell when we each have a post on our blog without having to actually go to each of the blogs.

We also set up some wikis to allow us to publish our web pages for others to look at. This will allow us to beta-test our web pages.

I have updated the blog links on the module blogs page and you should make sure that you have updated them in your RSS Reader.

Next week we will go on to build pages using Cascading Style Sheets.

What to do over the next week

Hi everybody

As the University has been closed for teaching on Friday 9th February it might be a good idea if you had a go at some activities in preparation for next week.

You could:

• carry on evaluating web sites and put the evaluations onto your blog – it is probably better to do one site per post;
• take a look at the activities for session 02 and have a go at them in preparation for 16th;

Please comment on this post to let me know what you are going to do.

thanks

Rowland

Adding a link from this blog to my file

As an example of what to do in Activity 202 I have uploaded the simple example file to the module wiki and have made a link here so that it can be displayed in your browser.

To upload the file you have to click on the files link at the top of the wiki home page and upload a file in the normal manner by browsing for it on your local computer or USB key.

This will be a useful way of displaying our work to others so that we can get feedback on it. However you may find it easier to create your own wiki so that you have all of the storage space to yourself and you don’t have to worry about duplicate file names from other people.

Comments on this week’s session

Hi everybody

It was good to meet you at the first session and I hope that you gained somthing from the session. I look forward to reading your web site evaluations over the next week.

I have updated the information about web design tools and I particularly reccomend that you use a portableversion of Firefox on a USB key. You might also want to take a look at the web design program NVU.

I have also update the links to your blogs so you should be able to go to everybody’s blog from this page. Except those who have not yet given me their blog address

I think I have updated all the links which were not functioning correctly. Please let me know if you come across any others and I will put them right.