TEC 3008: Webpage Design Module

Introduction

In the World Wide Web Module that you just completed, you saw hundreds (maybe thousands) of webpages that were created by enthusiastic computer users just like you. While these webpages ranged from the very simple to the extremely complex, they were all created with HTML

(Hypertext Markup Language). HTML is a computer language that allows the user to incorporate hypertext links into text files. These links may be to graphic images or other files on a local computer hard disk or floppy disk. If the HTML coded file is used on a computer connected to the World Wide Web, the hypertext links may be to files stored on remote computers anywhere in the world.

The phenomenal growth of the World Wide Web in the past few years has been made possible by the widespread use of HTML. HTML has the added benefit of not being platform-specific. Macintosh, PC and even UNIX computers can all recognize and display HTML files.

If you explore the HTML Resources Link in the navigation bar above, you will find several websites with excellent background information on HTML. The hands-on activities in this module will move your understanding from the theoretical to the practical realm.

You will be learning how to use HTML to create your own webpages which may be stored on a floppy disk, on your hard disk, or uploaded to the World Wide Web for the whole world to see. You will be using an HTML Editor that makes the process of creating webpages relatively painless.

HTML is a powerful curriculum presentation tool as well as a means of organizing the many resources available on the World Wide Web. The focus of this module will be on helping you to utilize this amazing new technology in your classroom.

Before you can begin the activities in this module, you will need to locate the TEC 3008 floppy disk that came with your course materials and follow the specific instructions for your PC operating system to open the open the DiDa HTML Editor.

Windows 3.1x

Open the Windows 3.1x application (c:\>win from the DOS prompt)
From the Program Manager (opening screen), double-click on the Main Program Group.
Double-click on the File Manager.
Insert the TEC 3008 disk into the floppy disk drive.
Click on the a: drive icon on the upper left side of the screen. Four folders named dida172, root, templ and demo will appear (there may be some other folders listed as well… don’t worry about them, they are just the disk directory information)
Double-click on the dida172 folder. (Another list of files should appear on the right side of the screen.)
Double-click on the words dida.exe . (The DiDa software application will load. Be patient, this may take a few minutes.)
When the new blank webpage appears on the screen you are ready to begin Creating a Simple Webpage.

Windows 95 / Windows 98

Open Windows 95/98.
Insert the TEC 3008 disk into the floppy disk drive.
Double-click on the My Computer icon.
Double-click on the 3 1/2 Floppy(A): icon.
Four folders named DiDa172, root, templ and demo will appear in the window. (Some other folders may also appear… don’t worry about them… they are just the disk directory folders)
Double-click on the DiDa172 folder. (The DiDa window will appear.)
Double-click on the DiDa icon.
When the new blank webpage appears, you are ready to begin Creating a Simple Webpage.

Software Notes: There are literally dozens of software applications for creating webpages. While there are many applications that offer more features, I chose the DiDa HTML Editor freeware application for a variety of reasons:

The application and related files fit on a single floppy disk.
The application handles most basic HTML tags.
The application is widely distributed as "freeware".
DiDa has a built-in viewer that makes if possible for the user to immediately view the webpage.
DiDa is remarkably easy to use.

If you find the freeware version of DiDa useful, you may want to consider upgrading to DiDa Pro, the enhanced version that is available for a modest shareware fee of $30 at http://www.faico.net/dida/

You will also want to check from time to time to see if a newer version of the software has been made available. Log on to the Internet, open your web browser, and connect to the DiDa Homepage located at http://www.faico.net/dida/ If you see a freeware release more recent than the Version 1.7.2 that you used for this course, click on the hypertext link to initiate the download.

If you have Stuffit Expander, WinZip, or similar expansion software installed on your computer, the file will be expanded and installed in a directory of your choosing on your hard disk or a floppy disk.

If your computer informs you that you do not have Stuffit Expander, WinZip or similar expansion software installed, refer to the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Tutorial on the course website for instructions on obtaining and installing the necessary helper application prior to completing the download.

Commercial HTML Software Notes: Full-featured, commercial software applications that make creating webpages as easy as using a word processor are available at software outlets and from mail-order vendors. I regularly use, and highly recommend, Adobe Software’s PageMill for the Mac and PC, Claris Software’s Homepage for the Mac and PC, and Microsoft’s FrontPage for Windows 95. All of these applications are in the $100 price range. If you plan to create and maintain a full-featured website, these applications are worth their weight in gold!