Web Development Study Guide: Online Final Exam

How to use this guide

Use this guide after reading Lessons 9 and 10 and completing the labs. Lesson 9 rewards knowing what GUI editors do and how a site is tested and published; Lesson 10 rewards precise business and technology vocabulary. Practice matching each term to its definition, sorting examples into categories, and working a download-time calculation from start to finish.

The ideas that connect Lessons 9–10

Lesson 9 covers building, testing, and publishing a site and reaching mobile users. Lesson 10 covers the business the site serves. Together they complete the path from code to a working business presence:

Tools speed up development, but the developer still validates the code, tests it, and checks accessibility.
A site is tested on a server that matches production and on the devices people actually use before it goes live.
A business site is a marketing tool: branding, e-commerce, search visibility, and security all depend on development choices.
The front end is what users see; the back end is the servers, databases, and Web server applications that process and store their data.

Lesson 9 — GUI HTML Editors and Mobile Websites

GUI HTML editors

A GUI HTML editor lets Web authors create pages without typing the HTML code. Another name for it is a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor. You do not need a special technical background to use one.

The two types of GUI editors are page editors and site management editors. Page editors create individual pages; site management editors also manage an entire site.

Key features of a GUI editor

Feature	What it does
Templates and wizards	Let you create custom Webpages quickly by selecting from a series of choices
Text style options	Let you apply font styles, alter text size and color, and apply text formats
Icon bars	Offer easily identifiable graphics that provide the same functions found in text-based menus
Images	Let you easily insert graphics into a Webpage
Hypertext links	Let you link pages and files within your site and to pages and files on the Web
Import HTML pages	Let you open pages from the Web and save them to a Website or local file system
Table creation	Lets you arrange data or organize a page layout
Publish documents	Lets you click a button to post pages to a Web server
Spelling check	Checks spelling, but cannot confirm the page sends the right message

Text editors vs. GUI editors

GUI editors are fast and easy, but they often create excessive code that makes pages bulky, may change or ignore hand-typed code, and may not prompt for alt text or proper headings.
Text editors give full control and clean code, but typing code takes time.
Most developers use both, and always validate the result.

Accessibility guidelines for editors

The W3C Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) help determine the suitability of a GUI editor for developers with disabilities and whether the editor helps produce accessible pages. The course describes ATAG as outlining seven points; the current ATAG 2.0 organizes them into Part A (an accessible editing interface) and Part B (support for creating accessible content).

Previewing, validating, and publishing

Most GUI editors let you easily preview and test pages in the browsers of your choice. The WYSIWYG view alone does not prove how a page will look and work on the Web.
Most GUI editors include their own validation tools or offer easy access to validators such as the W3C Markup Validation Service.
A validator uses the <!DOCTYPE> declaration to decide which W3C standard to check the page against. <!DOCTYPE html> declares HTML5.
Most GUI editors provide a publish feature to post your files to the Web host. You can also use a separate FTP client such as FileZilla. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) transfers files between computers without corruption or alteration.
To publish, you specify the destination server’s name or IP address, your authentication information, and the file location on the remote server.

Test (staging) servers

Publish to a test server before the production server. The test server should match production as closely as possible in three components:

The operating system.
The Web server software, including the same type and version.
The CGI (server-side) interpreter software.

The test server confirms that scripts and databases work, finds dead links, and lets the team preview the site.

Designing for mobile devices

Keep pages simple and uncluttered, prioritize the content mobile users want, and optimize for small screens.
Always use the alt attribute in <img> tags.
Use <h1> through <h4>; smaller headings are hard to read on phones.
Provide easy-to-use navigation, readable text, and clearly labeled form fields.
Size elements in percentages and make links large enough to tap.
Check the site on real mobile devices.
Validate your code to HTML5, because HTML5 was created in part to support mobile devices.

Mobile apps, mobile sites, and responsive design

Option	Description
Mobile app	A stand-alone application downloaded from a vendor’s software repository (app store) and built for a specific mobile operating system; it does not need a Web browser
Dedicated mobile Website	A separate, usually stripped-down version of a traditional Website
Responsive Website	One site that adapts to every screen size and resolution

Mobile and responsive Websites are cross-platform: they run in any browser with no download.

Advanced Web technologies

Term	Description
Web 2.0	Changing trends in Web technology and design that led to information-sharing and collaboration capabilities
Ajax	A programming methodology that lets Web applications interact with users much as desktop applications do, updating part of a page without reloading it
XMLHttpRequest	An API used to transfer XML and other text data between a Web server and a browser
Web feed	A data format for delivering frequently updated content, such as news headlines and updates (RSS, Atom)
Podcast	Audio or video files distributed through Web feeds to subscribed users
Streaming	Media that users access while it is transmitted to their device
Cloud computing	Hosted applications and services offered by a third party and used through a browser

Cloud computing and Software as a Service offer flexibility, scalability, and lower cost, but depend on connectivity and speed and can lock you out of your own data. Third-party gadgets add features such as weather or maps without writing them yourself.

Lesson 9 terms to know

GUI HTML editor, WYSIWYG, page editor, site management editor, templates and wizards, text style options, icon bars, import HTML pages, table creation, publish, text editor, ATAG, preview, validator, DOCTYPE, FTP, FileZilla, test server, staging server, production server, mobile-first, alt, mobile app, mobile Website, responsive design, Web 2.0, Ajax, XMLHttpRequest, Web feed, RSS, Atom, podcast, streaming, cloud computing, SaaS, gadget

Lesson 10 — Website Development for Business

Branding and marketing vocabulary

Term	Meaning
Brand	A concept or collection of symbols associated with a product, service, or person
Branding	The creation of a distinctive identity and place in the market for a product or organization
Mind share	Name and brand recognition; the effect of marketing efforts influencing a particular target market or demographic
Demographics	The study of groups of people, including trends and cultures
Target market	The market sector a product addresses
Niche	A smaller, specialized part of a market
Target date	The projected point in time a product or service will be released
Aggregator	A business, usually Web-based, that markets and sells goods and services it does not own or store

Effectively designed business sites feature crisp, concise text, one idea per paragraph, search keywords in the main text, the conclusion first, and navigation that any user can follow. A branding standard is the organization’s set of marketing goals and strategies; the site should match the company’s logos, colors, and slogans.

E-commerce

Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is the integration of communications, data management, and security capabilities that lets organizations and consumers exchange information about the sale of goods and services.

Model	Description
B2B (business-to-business)	A Web-based business sells products or services to other businesses
B2C (business-to-consumer)	A Web-based business sells products or services to consumers or end users
C2C (consumer-to-consumer)	Individual consumers sell products or services to other consumers

Internet marketing practices

Practice	Description
SEO (search engine optimization)	Using specific techniques to improve the volume and quality of traffic and raise a page’s rank in search results by structuring content; organic (unpaid)
PPC (pay per click)	Advertising on keywords that describe your product so your site is listed high in search results; you pay only when someone clicks
On-site Web analytics	Studying visitor behavior once visitors reach your site, such as using trend-analysis software to analyze server logs
Off-site Web analytics	Determining your potential audience and how well your site has addressed and penetrated that market, through market size, surveys, and market research

Payments and security

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) moves money electronically.
A payment gateway is a hardware-based or software-based system that mediates between a merchant and an acquirer (the merchant’s bank).
3-D Secure adds an authentication step to online card purchases.
SSL/TLS encrypts transmissions and provides authentication, data confidentiality, and data integrity. TLS is the current standard.
A certificate authority (CA) is an organization that issues digital certificates and helps ensure the identity of a person, host, or process. The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is the system of people, networks, and computers that confirms identities.

Global business issues

Currency — convert prices at current exchange rates and calculate taxes and tariffs.
Customs — the national departments responsible for controlling items entering and leaving a country.
Language — use Unicode (<meta charset="utf-8">) so pages display every alphabet and symbol.
Legal and regulatory issues — laws, including privacy laws, differ by country.

Web server applications

A Web server application is an application that receives information, provided by an end user on a user-input form, from a Web server or a database server. A Web server application is required for a form to communicate with users. Languages and technologies such as Perl, PHP, and .NET are used to develop Web server applications.

Technology	Description
Perl	A traditional technology that is platform-independent
PHP	A newer technology that runs on multiple platforms
JSP	A universal technology that uses the Java interpreter
Python	An open-source language that emphasizes code readability with minimal syntax
.NET	A proprietary Microsoft technology that allows various languages, including JavaScript, Visual Basic, and C#
ColdFusion	A proprietary technology designed to be easier to install and use than other interpreters and languages
Django	An open-source Web framework that makes complex, database-driven sites easier by reusing components
Ajax	A methodology that lets Web applications interact with users much like desktop applications

Front-end and back-end issues

The front end is the interface users see: accessibility, images, current links, navigation, forms, site maps, and branding. The back end is the Web server, network, and databases, including database connectivity, bandwidth, and file naming.

Technique	Description
Push technology	Automatically sends information to customers who asked for it, such as a mailing list; unsolicited push is spam
Pull technology	Sends information only when the user requests it
Visitor tracking	Records how many visitors come, how long they stay, and how often they return

Portals and wikis

A portal is a Website that acts as a centralized access point for other sites.

Type	Description	Examples
Vertical portal (vortal)	Focuses on one interest or field	Company intranets and extranets, CNET, Slashdot, real estate portals
Horizontal portal	Links to many unrelated interests	Google, Yahoo, AOL

A wiki is a Website that allows visitors to collaborate in its construction by editing pages in a browser.

Databases and connectivity

SQL (Structured Query Language) queries and maintains relational databases.
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is Microsoft’s interface; the course treats it as proprietary to Windows-based systems. It is used to update database files.
JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) can run on various systems and is used to update database files.
Common database types are flat file, non-relational, relational (the most common), and object-oriented.
Indexing and cataloging help users search a site and find products quickly.

Estimating download time

Download time equals the total page size in bits divided by the connection speed in bits per second. Include the HTML file and every image, CSS, and JavaScript resource.

Convert kilobytes to bytes: KB × 1,024.
Convert bytes to bits: bytes × 8.
Convert the connection speed to bits per second: 1 Kbps = 1,000 bps and 1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bps.
Divide bits by bits per second.

Practice example: a 100 KB page on a 56 Kbps connection.

100 KB × 1,024 = 102,400 bytes
102,400 bytes × 8 = 819,200 bits
819,200 bits ÷ 56,000 bps ≈ 14.6 seconds

Book example: a 1.46 MB page on a 6 Mbps connection is 1.46 × 1,024 × 1,024 × 8 = 12,247,368 bits ÷ 6,000,000 ≈ 2 seconds. Real download times are usually longer because of network overhead and congestion.

File naming, default pages, and 404 errors

Name pages for their content, keep names short, and use lowercase letters without spaces.
A Web server shows a default page (such as index.html or default.htm) when a visitor enters only the site address.
An HTTP 404 error means the server is working but cannot find the requested file.
Document every change to the site; records help show good-faith accessibility efforts.

Lesson 10 terms to know

brand, branding, branding standard, mind share, demographics, target market, niche, target date, aggregator, e-commerce, B2B, B2C, C2C, SEO, PPC, on-site Web analytics, off-site Web analytics, EFT, payment gateway, acquirer, 3-D Secure, SSL, TLS, certificate authority, digital certificate, PKI, currency conversion, customs, Unicode, Web server application, Perl, PHP, JSP, Python, .NET, ColdFusion, Django, Ajax, front end, back end, push technology, pull technology, visitor tracking, portal, vertical portal, horizontal portal, wiki, SQL, ODBC, JDBC, relational database, indexing, bandwidth, download time, default page, 404