Professional Practices for Web Development

1. Lecture 9: Professional Practices SFDV2001 Web Development

2. What are professional practices? Making a web page isn't hard - anybody can get something on the web. Making quality web pages requires skill, requires a professional. Some professional practices are things that by law you should conform to. Others are the things that distinguish your work from that of an amateur. We expect professionals to possess significant skills, that they produce work of a quality not obtainable by an amateur and that their knowledge is significant.

3. Web browsers will display any old rubbish.

5. Code There are many things that indicate quality code: Comments Developers who take the time to properly document their work make their lives, and the lives of others, much easier. Avoid stating the obvious: <!-- Table starts here --> <table> <tr> … Assume that any person reading your code understands basic HTML.

8. Use tabs to indent the different levels of your code: Top level start Second level start Third level start … Third level finish Second level finish Top level finish <table> <tr> <td> <p>Content</p> </td> </tr> </table>

11. Images Use correct width and height specifications. This enables the browser to layout the page correctly before the image has downloaded. Resize your images with graphic editing software not with your HTML code. Use good alt values - descriptive sentences. alt=&quot;Percy the cat.&quot; alt=&quot;Giraffe in hiking gear.&quot;

12. Image size and the web Dialup (56k modem) = 56 kilo bits per second, not kilobytes! 56 kilobits = 7 kilobytes per second. So, a single 32KB image will take at least 4.5 seconds. &quot;Broadband&quot; starts at 256 kilobits (32KB per second) maximum. 1 megabit (1024 kilobits) broadband = 128KB per second max.

15. Comparison - photos jpg 2.8KB gif 2.3KB png 5.1KB

16. Comparison - drawn images jpg 1.7KB gif 3.3KB png 3.1KB

19. Spelling and grammar Nothing suggests a sloppy attitude quite like failing to take the time to proof read the content of your pages.

20. Don’t forget the text in your <title> , alt , etc. Use a spell checker to help, but don’t rely on it alone.

21. Testing Check and double-check that all your links work. Before and after you upload to your web server. Test on every browser and operating system you can get your hands on. Test with different connection speeds. Test on different screen resolutions. Test on different monitor types. Usability testing.

22. Involvement Keep up with what’s new in the field. There is always something to learn. For web development, one of the best way to stay current is to participate in and read the many quality web-based publications in the profession. A List Apart ( http:// alistapart .com/ ) Digital Web Magazine ( http://www.digital-web.com/ ) Style Gala ( http://www. stylegala .com/ ) Mailing Lists: W3C ( http://www.w3.org/Mail/ )

23. It’s very important to note that, no matter how much you know, there is always more to learn. I don’t think there is any Web professional out there that will tell you they 100% “get” the Web, regardless of how long they’ve been at it. Things change too quickly and there is just too much to learn and know. If you take responsibility for the completeness of your education and make a commitment to life-long learning you’ll do just fine, regardless of what path you choose. - D. Keith Robinson Contributing Writer and Former Editor In Chief of Digital Web Magazine.

24. Plagiarism The use of somebody else’s work without acknowledgement. Can occur deliberately (with intent to deceive) and accidentally (without understanding). Acts of plagiarism can breech the law (intellectual property rights). It is perfectly possible to plagiarise “free” sources. In such instances the plagiarism is a moral and ethical issue but it is not illegal.

26. The World Wide Web has made it very easy for us to access and copy material. It has also made it relatively easy for us to determine the source of plagiarised material. “ A redisigned site can advance a company's eBusiness strategy, help a company keep up with new technology standards, provide access to new applications and content, integrate with overall branding and user experience standards, and reduce Web site operating costs.”

27. Copyright Infringement The unauthorised use of copyrighted material. It is illegal to use copyright material without the owners permission. Assume copyright until informed otherwise.

29. Copyright and education The NZ Copyright Act 1994 allows individuals to copy portions of copyrighted material for research or study purposes. The act allows universities to make multiple copied of a copyrighted work within certain guidelines. New Zealand universities also have an agreement whereby they can exceed the number of copies permitted under the Copyright Act in certain circumstances. Materials sourced from the Internet are subject to standard copyright law. Alter to suit local law

30. Additional recommended site: The Web Standards Project: http://www.webstandards.org/