Q1 Describe the difference between an XML Sitemap and a HTML Sitemap. List the benefits and disadvantages of using each. |
Sitemaps are the codes components of a website’s source code that aids in navigation. According to Wikipedia, “A sitemap is a list of pages of a web site within a domain.” In other words, it is the contents of a recipe book. HTML is visual, XML is not. XML has been design for search engines, such as Google and Bing, and crawlers. A HTML sitemap is a user-friendly tool to help the user navigate the website by seeing a structure, e.g. contents. The latter can also be used by web crawlers. A site can use both sitemaps.
Benefits- XML is good for SEO, HTML is good for user interface utility, no page will be orphaned, aids the page owner in structuring the page, map growth of website. Disadvantages- privacy issues (i.e.. Hiding website from search engines like the brambling websites), less control of site use.
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Q2 Evaluate three IDE’s (Integrated development environments) and provide a brief summary on the positive and negative aspects of each. Also, in your own words include how it would suit an entry level trainee code developer. |
Notepad. Simple and free (pre-installed on all Windows machines). Does not illuminate colour of text making it difficult to find basic mistakes (coding errors). Visual Studio Code. Shows syntax errors, can be used by 100s of languages, easy functionality, accepted globally therefore easier to learn via forums, etc., free. Android Studio is used for Android development. Positively, it can be shorten the time it takes to be published on Google Play Store. Highly secure and private. A trainee should use either Notepad or VSC due to the simplicity and non-specificity of each IDE.
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Q3 Provide a brief history on web browser development and the issues encountered by web developers, specifically, the adherence to web standards. |
For the internet to work computers need to speak/understand the same language. Web standards such as the URL Standard, HTML Living Standard are part of this uniformity need for the WWW to function, grow and development. The first browser was created by Tim Berners-Lee (TimBL) in 1990. Thereafter, Netscape, Mosaic and many others were formed. Google was launched in 1998. Global adherence to the aforementioned web standards has proved to be problematic at times. TimBL, who is an English computer scientist who was part of inventing the WWW, organsied a meeting in 1994 called the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). At this meeting standardisations were discussed then later adopeted. HTML once had various versions as there were various creators. We (web developers) now use HTML5 due to its global compatibility. Web developers face the constant need to remain market aware due to market disruptors. Very competative field alongside highly variable consumer needs.
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Q4 What are website testing methodologies? Your answer MUST cover browser compatibility, and website functionality. |
Web testers investigate issues websites may encounter upon launch. Non-software factors such as ease of use and trustability are also taken into consideration. Website testing methodologies are means to testing the website. It includes various needed actions in order to create a user-friendly, legal, functional website. Without testing many websites would miss minor issues and lose market traction. Browser compatibility testing is taking the url to other browsers to see its function. There are apps that can test an url over many browsers. Website functionality testing is where links are checked for function, database security, testing cookies, etc. It is an evaluation of the ability for the website to perform correctly.
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Q5 What are the endorsed requirements of accessibility for all NT Government webpages? |
“The Northern Territory Government has endorsed the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0).” For example, all webpages must have the HTML lang attribute for a screen reader to function.
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Q6 How do you think it’s best to organise all the assets used for a specific webpage? Think locally on your computer AND within the root folder of the website. |
The root folder (aka the project folder) will contain all other folders and files. This inludes; html files, CSS folder and its files, images folder (.jpg, .png, .gif, etc) and a Javascript folder. Please pay careful attenion to the index.html file. It should be at the top-level of the folder. When working on webpages as a team the asset organisation should be as above in order to create good workflow. Best practice naming conventions such as index.html being the homepage also adds ease of use to shared collaborators.
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