Web Building Introduction
Every Web developer has to know the building blocks of the Web:
 |
- HTML 4.01
- CSS
- XHTML
- XML and XSLT
- JavaScript
- ASP or PHP
- Managing data with SQL
- The future of the Web
|
HTML 4.01
HTML is the language of the Web, and every Web developer should have a basic understanding of it.
HTML 4.01 is an important Web standard, and very different from HTML 3.2.
When tags, like <font> and color attributes, were added to HTML 3.2, it started a developer's nightmare. Development of
web sites where font information must be added to every single Web page is a long and expensive
job.
With HTML 4.01, all formatting can be moved out of the HTML document, and into a separate style sheet.
HTML 4.01 is also important because XHTML 1.0 is HTML 4.01 "reformulated" as an XML application. Using HTML 4.01 in
your pages makes the future upgrade from HTML to XHTML a very simple process.
Make sure you use the latest HTML 4.01 standard.
Study our complete HTML 4.01 reference
CSS - Cascading Style Sheets
Styles define how HTML elements should be displayed, just like the <font> tag in
HTML 3.2.
Style sheets are normally saved in external files.
External style sheets enable you to change the appearance and layout of EVERY
page in your Web site, just by editing a single document. If you have ever tried
changing something like the font or color of all the headings in all your HTML
pages, you will understand how CSS can save a lot of work!
Study our CSS tutorial
XHTML
XHTML stands for Extensible HyperText Markup Language.
XHTML is a reformulation of HTML 4.01 in XML, and is supported in all major browsers.
To prepare for the future: Read how W3Schools.com was converted to XHTML
XML - A Tool for Describing Data
XML is NOT a replacement for HTML. XML describes
data, while HTML displays the data.
XML is as a cross-platform, software-, and hardware-independent tool for
storing and transmitting information.
We believe that XML is as important to the Web
as HTML was to the foundation of the Web, and that XML will be the most
common tool for all data manipulation and data transmission.
Study our XML tutorial
XSLT - A Tool for Transforming Data
XSLT is used to transform XML documents into other formats, like HTML, WML,
etc.
XSLT can transform an XML file into a format that is recognized by a
browser.
XSLT can also add HTML elements, rearrange and sort data, make
decisions about which data to display, and more.
Study our XSLT tutorial
JavaScript - Client-Side Scripting
Client-side scripting is about "programming" the behavior of a
browser.
To deliver more dynamic web content, you should teach yourself JavaScript.
- JavaScript gives HTML designers a programming tool
- JavaScript can put dynamic text into an HTML page
- JavaScript can react to events
- JavaScript can change HTML elements
- JavaScript can be used to validate data
Study our JavaScript Tutorial
ASP or PHP - Server-Side Scripting
Server-side scripting is about "programming" an Internet server.
To deliver
more dynamic web content, you should teach yourself
server-side scripting.
With server-side scripting, you can:
- Dynamically edit, change, or add any content of a Web page
- Respond to user queries and form data
- Access databases and return the result to a browser
- Access files and return the result to a browser
- Transform XML data to HTML data and return the results to a browser
- Customize a Web page to make it more useful for individual users
- Provide security and access control to Web pages
- Tailor your output to different types of browsers
- Minimize network traffic
Study our ASP tutorial or our
PHP tutorial
Managing Data with SQL
SQL is the standard language for accessing and manipulating databases.
SQL is used to access and manipulate data in MySQL, SQL Server, MS Access,
Oracle, Sybase, DB2, and other database systems.
Knowledge of SQL is a must for anyone wanting to store or retrieve data
from a database.
Study our SQL tutorial
What Will the Future Bring?
One important thing to know is that the functionality of Web
Sites will change very drastically. We will see a huge shift
from sites displaying "static content" to data driven sites
delivering "dynamic content".
We will also see new browsers, like the browsers
found in mobile devices. We will also see more use of XML
for transmitting data between servers, or between servers and browsers.
The Altova MissionKit is an integrated suite of tools ideal for:
- XML development
- Web & Web services development
- Data mapping & integration
- Rendering & publishing XML & database data
- XBRL validation, taxonomy editing, transformation & rendering
The MissionKit for XML Developers includes XMLSpy® - the industry-leading XML editor; MapForce® - a
graphical data mapping, conversion, and integration tool; StyleVision® - a visual XSLT stylesheet designer;
DiffDog® - an XML-aware diff/merge tool; and 2 additional tools.
Try all 6 products free for 30 days!
Download a fully-functional free trial
|
|
|
| 
