Week Four Summary

Week 4, like previous weeks, was information packed. I learned about CSS positioning properties and how to apply them to Web page design. One important fact to remember is that the CSS positioning properties are also intended for use with programming scripts that can build interaction and animation into Web pages.I learned about the normal flow of elements in the document, which determines the way in which elements normally are displayed in the browser I applied what I learned by building a complete page layout using the positioning properties. Pixels are the most convenient measuring unit for offset values, with each containing box setting its own context for positioning. For example, an absolutely positioned box can contain elements that follow the normal flow. One of the benefits of using fixed positioning is that it “pastes” the element to one position, regardless of how the user scrolls.


I also learned about frames which allows divisions of the browser window into independent windows, which each frame displaying as a separate HTML document. The benefit of using frames is that they allow users to scroll in one frame without affecting the contents of an adjoining frame. This aids navigation of large collections of information that which would be hard to navigate using the traditional single-page browser display.

The drawbacks of using frames as a site structure include the inability to bookmark pages, increased download times, potential navigation and visual confusion, and the inability of search engines to find framed documents. One way to balance the pros and cons is to use a standard HTML page for the top-level, and then link to your framed content.

Knowing how to create and use forms is an important skill to acquire when creating web sites. Forms are the basis for online commerce; without them users would not be able to enter customer address, credit card, and ordering information on the Web. They create interactive Web pages that collect information from a user and process it on the Web server. Forms collect—but do not process—data. They gather information, create databases or send customized responses to your users. The data processing is performed on the Web server that hosts the form. When creating forms, keep the following points in mind:

work with some type of server-based software program to process the data from the form.

the HTML form is the interface for data entry, while the data processing is performed on the server using applications that usually reside in the Common Gateway Interface (CGI)

The {form} element is the container for creating a form

attributes are what describes how the form data is handled, such as actions

the {fieldset} and {legend} elements are used to determine the visuals of forms, for appealing visual presentation


In addition to the textbook materials, I spend much of my time this week researching for the individual assignment. It has been a two week crash course in what is necessary to create an ecommerce site. What has been most interesting is learning more about backend operations for web sites. I have learned that there are lots of options to add ecommerce options to a web site. PayPal, for example, is a plug in for web sites that are already created; you simply add it to your site. One of the benefits of using PayPal is that there is an information barrier between consumers and businesses, a safeguard for both. Another option is buying off-the-shelf products that handle all the aspects of an ecommerce site. The biggest limitation of such sites is their cookie-cutter style, although with some elementary coding knowledge, it is possible to do more customizing and tweaking. I also learned about open source options for ecommerce sites. The biggest advantage of this option is it is free. There are two major disadvantages to open source: poor source documentation is one, and lack of support services is the other.

I once thought that anything beyond keyboarding and reading whatever was on the monitor was too complicated for me. While I can't claim expert knowledge of web design right now, I think it is an obtainable goal when I didn't before starting my U of P classes. My enrollment advisor can vouch for the amount of questions asking about coursework before enrolling: I was interested, but unsure. After asking lots of questions via phone and emails, I felt sure that my ability to learn web design was equal to my interest.

As this last week of class opens, I want to say this has been one of my most interesting and practical classes here at U of P. One thing I learned about myself was how much I have learned, on my own, about web design coding/practices. I have been discussing what I've learned in class with some non-techies, and I am happy to say that I can share what I've learned with ease. I am thankful for what I've learned, and am eagerly anticipating learning more in the next web design class.