Technology for Creating Websites

One analyse websites from many aspects. They may be considered as nice pieces of graphic art, useful source of information or simply a kind of a visiting card for the organisation. One might also judge them by the technology that was used to create them. For people not acquainted with this aspect of websites, talking about technology solutions is often a very awkward matter. I decided to familiarize you a little bit with each of the technologies, their advantages and disadvantages, and possible uses without going into unnecessary deeper technical aspects. I hope that even if it will not make you loose your doubts completely, it will at least make it easier for you to choose the most suitable solution.

HTML

The most basic types of websites are those coded in plain HTML. When the customer's computer asks for such website, it will simply be sent towards it and interpreted by the browser. The browser interprets HTML code, accounting for the user's settings and resolution of the screen as well as other factors. The content of the HTML file on the server is identical to the file displayed by the browser. The HTML code gives an opportunity for creating static websites.

The pure static HTML code has the following advantages:

• Every browser will display it properly
• Every command is executed swiftly, without affecting any major resources
• You may make small changes to particular pages in no time

It also does have disadvantages:

• It is difficult to control the appearance of your website
• It might not scale properly
• It is not interactive
• It will not support rapidly changing data or personal settings
• Its maintenance might become difficult
• It is not very attractive
• If loaded with too much data it will download very slowly

Pure HTML coding is gradually becoming obsolete, however combining it with other techniques such as CSS will give you great possibilities.

CSS

Cascading Style Sheets is a revolutionary tool considerably enhancing your capabilities in designing web pages. The CSS is a group of formatting codes that will allow you to make local or global changes to formatting each of the elements on your website such as font size, the way the links behave, background and others. However, some problems might arise for some browsers differ in the way they are interpreting CSS tags. However, the problem might be solved by skilfully applying this interesting technology that currently appears to be indispensable.

The CSS has the following advantages:

• It simplifies the structure of your website
• It allows you to make changes to the appearance of your website easily
• Its maintenance is quite easy
• It will take away the clutter from the source code
• It will make your website download faster

The CSS actually does not have any significant disadvantages to it, the only problem being slight differences in interpreting the CSS by different browsers. However, this problem may easily be solved.

Javascript

JavaScript is a tool that might make your website significantly more attractive. Java Script is a script language executed by the Internet browser and not the server. Its main application is handling events i.e. defining what will happen to a button pointed at by the user. For instance, the button could change its shape - and this effect is called rollover. Java Script may also handle forms (checking for errors in data before sending them, correcting and indicating mistakes). It also has embedded math features, which for instance allows you to display simple dynamical cost estimates. However, a limitation is introduced by the fact that there are still browsers in the market, which are incapable of interpreting Java Script. Their share in the market is not quite significant, however it is possible that the user may deliberately turn off Java Script support for safety reasons. And that might make viewing the website impossible especially when it is using Java Script technology for navigation. We shall also not forget the users of text-based browsers, who might find the Java Script issue unsolvable.

Java Script has the following advantages:

• Supports handling events
• Allows for correcting forms
• Supports simple math features
• Significantly enhances the visual attractiveness of a website

It also has disadvantages:

• The website may be impossible to view in some cases
• No support for text browsers

Flash

Flash is a graphic technology that facilitates creating movies and animations. It is a very interesting solution for enhancing the visual attractiveness of websites, however its excessive use may not be advisable.

Flash has the following advantages:

• Adds dynamics to websites
• Significantly enhances the visual attractiveness of websites

It also has disadvantages:

• The website may be impossible to view in some cases
• No support for text browsers
• Problems in website availability
• Problems in indexing websites by search engines
• Problems in making updates
• Long loading times

PHP

Scripts executed on the customer's computer make up for the element on a website that is viewed by the user. Server side scripts on the other hand are not accessible to the customer's website since access is restricted to the owner of the website himself.

Web server scripts are most frequently used for connecting the website to base servers, i.e. database servers. This allows for communication in both directions. The server contacts the customer but the customer may also contact the server. The most common kind of interaction are forms and drop down menus, which are dynamically created by the server. Currently the most common server side script language is the PHP.

The most useful applications of script languages are:

• Information websites (creating as well as viewing)
• Group service (forums, notice boards etc.)
• E-mail (Web-based e-mail, sending)
• Technological support systems and service for customers
• Advertising networks
• Business applications accessed via the web
• Phone books
• Surveys, polls, tests
• Filling in and sending forms
• Personalization of the website
• Corporate software
• Catalogues, brochures, information websites
• Every application that combines a service server and the WWW

A PHP script must be first processed by the server and then sent to the customer as HTML code (sometimes enriched with CSS and Java Script). That means that one might create very advanced websites that will be viewable practically in any browser.

Advantages of the PHP

• The capability of personalizing websites
• Works very fast
• Support for advanced databases
• Ease of maintenance
• Capability of dividing the code of a page into smaller parts
• Widely accessible
• Works great with Apache servers and many others
• Its execution is independent of the type of browser used by the customer
• Allows sending data between websites
• Allows for creating fast and user-friendly databases
• Significantly enhances readability of the website's code