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    CAPP 498D Web Design Methodology and Technology

    Standards Manual Template


    Jan Willard

    Page last revised: 08/10/01



     
     
     
     

    Level 1 Page

    Required Topics for Initial Submission of Standards Manual:
     

    1. The "look and feel" down through all levels. For a small site (200 or so pages), there should probably be no more than four levels. Link to LEVEL (1) Page
    2. Consider how links will be placed and used. Links should not be intrusive. And when used to lead the viewer off your site, use them with care and purpose.

      3. At LEVEL (1), there are two pages that are the executors of all the LEVEL (2) pages.   These pages are the table of contents   and the default page.     Any links from these pages to LEVEL (2) pages are internal links.   Neither pages will lead the user off the site and all external link will be created in a new page with the exception of the search engine. 

    3. How and/or if frames will be used. Frames help with navigation, reduce the maintenance load, and facilitate space parsing, but can confound the uninitiated.

      4. Frames make up the two LEVEL(1) pages, toc.html and default.html.   The table of contents is stationary on the left-hand-side of the page.   This will allow all new pages to be replace in the default page space.   Returning to the HOME/SPLASH page will be provided by the home link on the default page.

    4. Navigation through your site. You should never let viewers get lost, no matter what they do. Viewers should always be able to undo whatever they do and always be able to find an index.

      5. Users can navigate from LEVEL(1) by using the Table of contents or by selected entrant points on the default page.   All underlying pages have paths to return to the index.html page.   No user will be led out of the site without knowing exactly where one is.   In case of any problem, the home key will take the user back to the HOME/SPLASH page or to the entrance of the site at the 'Table of Contents/Default' page.

      [-07/27/01-] revised

      Searching and finding Information

      Navigation for accesibility shall be addressed at this level by using consistent content and links that work from wherever one is located.   From LEVEL (0) to LEVEL (1) shall provide the user with the same feel as if he/she was within the site.   This will help improve the overall appearance and consistency within the site.  Easily displayed at LEVEL (1) is the Search Engine at the top of the main page, clearly visible.   A user can always return home to use the search utility and either search, within the site, or external to the entire web.  On a consistent basis the web site is submitted to the search engine server that maintains the index and listings of all the URL's that are contained within a database on that server.   As pages are added, the web site is spidered by the search engine and re-indexed to provide an update on the lastest listings.&bnsp; The site map is located at LEVEL (1) and is updated each time new pages are added to the site.

    5. Use of graphics, video, and audio. Multimedia effects can be both good and evil.

      6. There will be heavy concentration on *.jpg and *.gif images to further help this site experience.   Images are critical in illustrating various facets of this hobby.   Every effort will be made to provide acceptable performance between images and pages.

    6. Text run length and use of restricted width columns.

      7. LEVEL (1) pages will make use of single and double column text.   No pages shall have text extending normal viewing screen area.   Text shall be legible and large enough for the majority of viewers to comfortably view any text.

    7. Alternate formats to accommodate the disabled, printing, and browser variations.

      8. All images shall have ALT keys with descriptions of the image and size, not just "Click Here".  The entire site shall work with Netscape Navigator 4.5,4.7 + and Internet Explorer 5.0 + versions.  Starting at this level, any image, including logos,text snippets, image maps will have a textual description using the ALT or MAP Area descriptor.

      [-07/27/01-] revised

      Disabled Users

      LEVEL (1) shall provide textual content as defined by the W3c Accessiblity Rules.  By using CSS, ALT tags with textual descriptions, structured documents and the ability to be recognizable in color as well as black and white will be required.   Using browser safe colors, print that is large enough for the majority of people, will help provide accessiblity to those less fortunate with disabilites.

    8. Use of header and footer snippets to maintain page consistency.

      All pages in LEVEL (1) shall have a header and footer to provide consistency and style throughout the web site.

      9. All pages including the home page shall have a header and footer to provide consistency and style throughout the web site.


      Required Topics after initial submission (with due dates announced in class and in syllabus): (Please use the same numbering scheme in your template.  Keep the text that is below and fill in your information below each numbered item.  If/when you add additional items, see below for format.)
       

    1. Accessibility

      2. LEVEL (1) will provide accessibility by different browsers, speeds from 28.8baud and higher, and by individuals with disabilities.   This will require apply for certification from sites such as BOBBY,TIDY and TOM.   Efforts will be made to correct as many infractions that can be met and yet still maintain the theme and beneficial content on the site.  Even though the site is using frames, within the index.html to the frameset is a link to the sitemap.html, which provides any search engine to follow that path inside the site regardless of the use of frames.   This code is included inside the /NOFRAMES/ tag on the index.html page.

      [-07/27/01-] revised

      Within LEVEL (1) all images and image maps will be provide text equivalent descriptions about content of the images.   Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) shall be used consistently throughout the site to provide speed of downloading, structure and ease of readability.   All pages including new pages will be tested on older versions of Netscape, IE and current published versions for compatibility and meeting requirements of older browsers, screen size and resolution.   Text must be visible if CSS does not work on older browsers.   Colors and background combinations must be compatible if someone who has color deficences, hence, using safe browser colors and combinations of colors.  Site should be readable and clear if viewed in black and white, while still being accessible.

    2. Maintainability

      3. Any updates on LEVEL (1) are reflected at the bottom of the default page.   This allows any client or user, at a quick glance, the last time the site was modified.   This date will be changed anytime there is any update on the site as well as the "What's New Page".

      [-08/03/01-] revised

      Structure

      The structure of LEVEL (1) pages, is primarily two pages, the table of contents and the default page.   These pages are accessed from the MAIN Home Page.   The pages on LEVEL (1) are view from the table of contents and the default page.  Both relative and absolute links to the MAIN Home Page exists throughout LEVEL (1) pages.   All LEVEL (1) pages must have a different presentation than LEVEL (2,3) pages.   Although both the table of contents and default page have footers, they may not have identical headers because of the structure and design of the frames.  

      Coding Issues

      To verify that all coding is working correctly to LEVEL (1) and back to any other LEVEL (0,2,3) must be validated.   I use the web site Search utility on a weekly basis to check any changes in my code as far as links are concerned.   The report generated sweeps the entire site and produces a report that identifies which links are not working.   This has to be corrected immediately.   Secondly within the code, is the issue of consistency in using headers and footers with SSI.   All files that are using SSI are saved as *.shtml files.   These are stored in the same root directory as the *.html files.   The editor HOMESITE by Altaire is used as the primary editor.   After a page is finished, the code is validated against the HOMESITE code analyzer for infractions in HTML XHTML, javaScript, ASP and SSL.   A style of coding is necessary for continuity for the next designer that might follow behind and have to fix something.   Currently, all code is hand-written without the use of external automatic code generators.  When testing a new page, it is always best to check it first in Netscape, then Internet Explorer.  I test with 3 version of Netscape, version 3.0, 4.7 and 6.0. as well as multiple versions of IE.



      Documentation, Rules, and Collaboration

      When developing web pages, it is necessary to document when using nesting multiple tags, where various tables, forms, and html tags start and end.   If a change is made in an HTML page, the date of the change will be noted to reflect the last time a change was made.   This is separate from the SSI include statement that looks for a file that has changed since the last time and places that date on the *.shtml page.   Comments are very important for remembering and helping some else who might have to modify your code sometime in the future.   If something took considerable effort to implement the code, you should document only the essentials that would simply explain the coding.   Indentation, and proper spacing are required as well as helpful in reading the code when there is a problem.  Since HTML ignores white space, use it for something constructive.   These rules are no different that writing software in any other language.   If you borrow some code of any kind, it should be documented as to who the original author was, the date it was created, and that you modified the code on a specific date.   Remember, anyone can read your code on the Internet.   Anything that is not yours needs to be acknowledged and properly documented.  


      The rules for testing and implementing code follow the following requirements.  : 1) All development code, forms, and images reside first on the test server, Polaris.  There is a mirror image of what is currently on the test server at the Unix Polaris Server.   All ideas are first developed on the test server, NT 2000, saved and then ftp'd to the polaris machine.   The directory structure on Polaris is:

      /*.html ( All html code )
      /images/ *.jpg, *.gif (majority of images keep here )
      /images/roundhouse/ *.jpg (special image for a specific page )
      /documents/ *.html (all documents that are referenced from the web site)

      The production server is first developed on the NT server in a directory called Hosteam.   The actual web server is at Ho Steam Central in Virginia.   The file and directory structure is:

      /*.html ( All html code )
      /images/ *.jpg, *.gif (majority of images keep here )
      /images/roundhouse/ *.jpg (special image for a specific page )

      /documents/ *.html (all documents that are referenced from the web site)

      Anything that is on the production server must be checked with the various browsers on the Polaris Unix server first, then ported to the Production Server.

    3. Privacy Statement

      4. [-08/10/01-] revised


      There shall be a page dedicated to privacy issues as it pertains to any individual's information collected and used by this site.  This section shall address the policy of handling and protecting the privacy of this information.  From LEVEL (1) the page will reside. There will be a link on every page on all levels to the location of the page on LEVEL (1).   With the advent of the design services module to be on LEVEL (1), this is important as it defines the extent and protection of information gathered on this site.   This document will describe the policy of privacy on HO Steam Central as well as addressing personal information and how the information will be used.   Currently only forms will be used to gather personal information that relates to the buying of design services from HO Steam Central.   Cookies are not currently being used.   If this policy changes in any way, the document must reflect any change and when the change occurred so there is no misunderstanding or ambiguity on the part of the web site and the customer.


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