Guide to Readings

"Programming the WWW" by Sebesta

• Chapter 1 – Fundamentals
  • Background material
  • Keys: learn the terminology
• Chapter 2 – HTML
  • This is core material that must be learned thoroughly.
  • Foundational idea: document structure reflects the meaning of the document content. This is sometimes called semantic HTML, although this term is vague and means many things to many people. Marshall McLuhan had much to say about this topic.
  • First reading: 2.1–2.7. Later in the semester we will cover sections 8–10.
  • Skip: 2.11 and anything specifically addressing XHTML.
  • Approximate order in which we will cover the HTML tags
    1. hn, p, ol, ul, li, em, strong, br, a, pre
    2. div, span, and meta tags
    3. table, form
• Chapter 3 – CSS
  • This is core material. However, there is no need to try to memorize the countless CSS properties and their values.
  • Keys
    • Selectors – you will need to learn these thoroughly.
    • Property-value notation. This will arise over and over again this semester.
  • Foundational ideas
    • Inheritance vs. cascade
    • Separation of: content, structure, presentation, and behavior.
• Chapter 4 – Javascript
• Chapter 5 – JS and HTML Documents
• Chapter 6 – Dynamic Documents
• Chapter 9 – PHP
  • To be covered if time permits
• Chapter 10 – AJAX

Yale Web Style Guide (online)

We will cover most of chapters 4–9. If you are serious about web programming, you will read the rest of it on your own.

• Chapter 4 – Interface Design – may cover late in the semester
• Chapter 5 – Site Structure
  • Semantic Content Markup – crucial concepts
  • Site File Structure – the first half is on organizing your directories. Important for a large site, but this won't be important for our class. Make sure you are clear on the second half, how cascades work in CSS.
  • Search Engine Optimization – skip
• Chapter 6 – Page Structure
  • Site Design in Context – relevant background
  • Page Structure and Site Design – key material. Needs to be updated to HTML5.
  • Page Templates – key material. Needs to be updated to HTML5.
• Chapter 7 – Page Design
  • Document Design – basic material
  • Visual Design – basic material
  • Page Frameworks – it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of fixed, fluid, and adaptable layouts. Other web readings will cover this topic more thoroughly.
  • Page Width and Line Length – very important
  • Design Grids – very important
• Chapter 8 – Typography
  • Characteristics of Type – important. Reemphasizes CSS.
  • Legibility – crucial material
  • Typefaces – modest importance
  • Emphasis – key material
  • Display Typography – skip
• Chapter 9 – Editorial Style – basic material