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Assigned reading should be done before coming to class. Written assignments and projects are due at 7 PM. If you are going to miss a class, assignments may be submitted via e-mail.
Due date Assignment
30 August
  • Using your NVCC e-mail account, send an e-mail message to me. Include the following in your message:
    • Why are you taking this class?
    • What experience, if any, have you had in building web pages?
    • Have you ever done any computer programming? What languages?
    • If you want me to also use an alternate e-mail address for class mailings, you're welcome to include that in the message.
  • Read Chapter 1 and sections 2.1–2.5 of the textbook. Be sure to work all the "Hands-On Practice" exercises.
  • As you do the assigned reading, start building your very own XHTML summary sheet, as described below.
  • Read about web browsers: Browser news   ·   Opera   ·   Mozilla Firefox   ·   Internet Explorer
  • Start familiarizing yourself with Opera and Firefox.
  • Review the Washington Post web site. Using the criteria discussed in class, write a one-page critique. (Hint: review the slides and your notes from the first class session lecture for guidance.)
Reminder:all assignments are due promptly at the beginning of class; late submissions will be penalized.

6 September
  • If you haven't already done so, use your NVCC e-mail account to send an e-mail message to me, including the information specified above.
  • As you do the assigned reading, continue building your XHTML summary sheet.
  • Read sections 2.6–2.9 and 3.1 of textbook. (Reminder: throughout the entire semester, be sure to work all the "Hands-On Practice" exercises.)
  • At the end of chapter 2, beginning on page 61, are four web site case studies (JavaJam Coffee House, Fish Creek Animal Hospital, Pete the Painter, Prime Properties); these case studies continue through most of the chapters of the text. Select one, and follow the instructions for the Hands-on Practice Case. Submit your completed page electronically (on diskette or CD, or via e-mail).
  • Optional (but highly recommended): Start familiarizing yourself with a good text editor. Pick one of the editors we discussed in class (or another one), download and install it on the computer you're using for your homework, and start learning how to use it. (Not allowed are tools which actually generate the HTML code, such as Dreamweaver, Front Page, MS Word, etc.) Mastering a good editor will save you considerable time and effort as you work on homework and projects throughout the course.
  • Study the Christian Science Monitor web site. Submit a one-page critique.
13 September
  • Read textbook sections 3.2 – 3.3 and 7.1 – 7.2.
  • Building on the Web Site Case Study you did at the end of Chapter 2, complete the corresponding Web Site Case Study at the end of Chapter 3. Submit your completed page electronically.
  • Begin working on Project 1, due 20 September.
  • Complete the lab exercise begun at the 6 September class and submit either electronically or on hardcopy:
    1. Download the three files file1.htm, file2.htm, and file3.htm from the Anchors-exercise folder. (Refer back to the class home page for instructions on donwloading.)
    2. Create a subfolder named docs and move file3.htm into it.
    3. At roughly the middle of each page, where indicated by my comment, create a named bookmark (anchor).
    4. Near the top of each page, where indicated by my comment, created three clickable links, pointing to the bookmarks in that page and the other two pages.
    5. Don't forget to test your code to make sure that all links work correctly!
20 September
  • Read sections 7.3–7.9 and 4.1–4.2 of textbook.
  • Complete Project 1. Don't lose points needlessly! Be sure your project meets all the stated requirements.
27 September
  • Read sections 4.3 – 4.6 of textbook.
  • Do the Web Site Case Study at the end of Chapter 4. Submit your completed pages electronically.
4 October
  • Read sections 5.1 and 5.2 of textbook.
  • Complete the lab exercise from class:
    • Using the image at www.nvcc.edu/home/tgutnick/itd110/images/MetroMap.gif, create an image map.
    • Create a circular hot spot at Metro Center station.
    • Create a rectangular hot spot covering the Orange line from Court House to Vienna.
    • Create a polygonal hot spot covering the entire area inside the Beltway.
    • Create a hot spot covering everywhere else.
    • Hint: since some of the hotspots overlap others, the order in which you define them is critical to proper functioning.
    • It doesn't matter what links you associate with the hot spots, but be sure to use four different ones, so that you can easily verify that all the hot spots work correctly!
    • Please submit in electronic form. (No need to burn a CD — remember that you can e-mail it!)
  • My availability: I will be attending a funeral and attending to related family matters over the next few days. Feel free to leave me phone or e-mail messages, but I probably won't be able to respond as quickly as usual. I do expect to be in class as normal on Thursday.
11 October
  • Read sections 5.3 and 5.4 of textbook.
  • Do the Web Site Case Study at the end of Chapter 5. All code should validate successfully as XHTML 1.0 Transitional. Submit your completed pages electronically.
  • Look at a Web Page from Hell.
18 October
  • Read sections 6.1 and 6.2 of textbook.
  • Prepare for mid-term exam. The exam will take up the first half of the evening; regular class discussion and lecture will begin after the exam. For the exam, be prepared to demonstrate your understanding and mastery of all the XHTML and web design concepts covered so far, either in the class lectures or in chapters 1–5 and 7 of the text. The exam will be closed-book and closed-computer, but you will be allowed to use your personal HTML summary card, which should be turned in with your exam paper. The exam will likely include problems where you will be asked to write HTML code, and problems to show how specific HTML code is rendered by a browser.
  • Start work on Project 2, due on 1 November.
    One of the requirements is that the project be published to your NVCC web space. I recommend that you make sure that you're able to successfully upload your files correctly — do this now instead of waiting until you're feeling the pressure of the project deadline. Refer back to the class home page for instructions.
25 October
  • Read sections 6.3 and 6.4 of the textbook.
  • Do the Web Site Case Study at the end of Chapter 6. All code should validate successfully as XHTML 1.0 Transitional. Submit your completed pages electronically.
  • Continue working on Project 2. (Don't wait to the last minute. I'll be hard to reach 26–28 October.)
1 November
  • Read chapter 9 of the textbook.
  • Finish Project 2.
  • As a reminder, I will be hard to reach 26–28 October. I will have no access to e-mail or IM until the evening of the 28th; you might be able to reach me on my cell phone.
8 November
  • Read chapter 10 of the textbook.
  • Do the Web Site Case Study at the end of Chapter 9. All code should validate successfully as XHTML 1.0 Transitional. Submit your completed pages electronically.
15 November
  • Read textbook sections 11.1–11.10, 11.12.
  • Do the Web Site Case Study at the end of Chapter 10. All XHTML code should validate successfully as XHTML 1.0 Transitional, and all CSS code should also be validated. Submit your completed pages electronically.
  • Begin working on Project 3, due 6 December.
29 November
  • No class on 22 November — Thanksgiving Day
  • Read textbook, sections 14.1 – 14.4.
  • Do the Web Site Case Study at the end of Chapter 11. All XHTML code should validate successfully as XHTML 1.0 Transitional, and all CSS code should also be validated. Submit your completed pages electronically.
  • Read about aural stylesheets — be sure to view both pages
  • Look at Internet resources for Web developers:
  • Work on Project 3, due 6 December.
6 December
13 December
  • Prepare for final examination, Thursday 13 December, 7:00 – 8:50 PM. If we covered it this semester, either in assigned reading or in class discussions, it's fair game! (But I won't hold you accountable for knowing the dates and version numbers of the various HTML and CSS versions.) Be prepared to write and analyze XHTML and CSS code. Test will be closed-book and closed computer, but you are permitted to use your personal XHTML summary sheet.
  • Reminder:If you send me an e-mail query concerning your grades, you must use your NVCC e-mail account for this purpose — in accordance with college policy, messages from other accounts will be ignored.
  • Optional: Please help me improve the course by taking this survey. It should only take you a few minutes. Your responses are anonymous.

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XHTML Summary Sheet

HTML and CSS summary sheets are popular items in college and technical book stores. In this class, you will create your own! You are welcome to create it with your favorite word processor, spreadsheet program, text editor, or even old-fashioned paper and pen. (But note that creating it on your computer will give you more flexibility for making additions and changes.) As you do each week's reading assignment, you should update your sheet with each newly-learned tag or attribute, with full details of proper syntax and allowable values.

You may be required to turn in your sheet periodically for grading.

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Project 1

Create a résumé implemented as a Web page.
The résumé can be for you or someone else; it can be real or fictitious. The web pages you create should be attractive, easy to read, and easy to navigate.

Before you begin coding, fill out a web-site definition worksheet, as well as a storyboard worksheet for each web page. Your project must include the following XHTML elements:

I expect the XHTML to be well-formed, consistent, and easy to read, as we have discussed in class. The use of XHTML elements which we have not yet covered, and of JavaScript functions, is not permitted. For extra credit, code should be successfully validated as being XHMTL-compliant, as described below.

The web pages making up the project should be delivered on diskette or CD, with listings of the XHTML source code provided in hard-copy; the web-site definition and storyboard worksheets should also be submitted in hard copy. Source code listings should show line numbers.

I will look at both the underlying XHTML code and the rendered version of the pages, using Internet Explorer 6, Opera 9, and Mozilla Firefox 2, with a screen resolution of 800x600 or 1024x768 pixels. Grading will be as follows:

Validating your code

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Project 2

Create web pages for the fictitious Amalgamated Blivets Corporation.
Their main product is a three-pronged, two-slotted blivet, but they have other products as well. (If you prefer to do a different organization, check with me first.)
Be sure to do the following:


You are welcome to use any of the XHTML elements we have studied so far, but no other HTML elements or JavaScript. Code should be successfully validated as being XHMTL-compliant. Comments should be included as appropriate, and are necessary to earn full credit.

The project should be published to your NVCC web space; provide me with the URL. Also turn in hard-copy listings of all XHTML source code.
I will look at the rendered version of the pages using Internet Explorer 6, Opera 9.x, and Firefox 2.0.x, with screen resolutions of 800x600 and 1024x768 pixels. Grading will be as follows:

Validating your code for Project 2

Follow these steps:

  1. Be sure each page begins with an appropriate XHTML prolog, which you can copy from either the transitional template or the frameset template. (Right-click on either of these links and select the option to have the browser save the target file to your own system.)
  2. Visit the W3C MarkUp Validation Service. Supply the local file name of the page to be validated. (Alternatively, using Opera, you can press Ctl-Alt-V or right-click on the page and click on Validate. Or if you prefer Firefox, install the Web Developers extension; from the extension's toolbar, click on Tools | Validate Local HTML.)
  3. It is quite likely that your first attempt will report errors. Correct the errors and try again. Repeat as needed. If you get stuck, feel free to contact me.

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Project 3

Create a web site for a non-profit organization.

You've now spent nearly a semester mastering XHTML and CSS and learning what makes a web site effective; this project will allow you to demonstrate that knowledge.

Create a web site for a non-profit organization, either real or fictitious. The purpose of the site is to provide information about the organization and to persuade visitors to the site to make donations. At a minimum, you should have the following pages:

Apply the design principles we've studied. Although fancy graphics are not required, you should use varied text attributes, colors, lines, and white space to create effective and readable web pages. Web pages should be easy to navigate.

You may not use frames, the <font> tag, any other deprecated tags and attributes, or any other XHTML constructs which we have not covered in class. Code should be successfully validated as being strict XHMTL-compliant. You must use Cascading Style Sheets for any text formatting — and you MUST use some non-default text formatting (implemented via either global or external style sheets) to demonstrate the use of CSS. CSS code should also be successfully validated for standards compliance.

You will be graded on the site's attractiveness, effectiveness, usability, and navigability, in addition to the quality and correctness of implementation.

Publish the pages to your NVCC web space, and provide me with the URL by 7 PM on 6 December. Also, submit hard-copy listings of all XHTML and CSS code. It is your responsibility to ensure that the URL you give me does, indeed, work. Late submissions will be penalized; because of end-of-semester deadlines, excessively late projects may not be graded at all.

Form Specifications
Your form must include at least one of each type of control:

  • Text boxes
  • Text areas
  • Selection lists
  • Radio buttons
  • Check boxes
  • Submit/reset buttons

Each field should be appropriately named.

For your form's action, specify the script at http://sunny-banana.com/cgi-bin/itd110_prj3.cgi, using the POST method. (Avoid typing errors: copy and paste this URL into your HTML code.) If the form is correctly implemented, when the user clicks the Submit button, this script will cause your web browser to display a confirmation page which will show the data that was transmitted to the web server; at the bottom of the page will be a hypertext link to another page (such as "thank you for your submission") that you specify.

In addition to the fields listed above, you are required to include some hidden fields in order for the script to function correctly:

Field name Description
sort_type value should be "alphabetic"
redirect set the value to the URL of a page you want displayed after the confirmation page
subject set the value to the title you wish displayed on the confirmation page

As with prior projects, I will be viewing all projects at screen resolutions of 800x600 and 1024x768 pixels, using Opera 9.x, Internet Explorer 6.x, and Firefox 2.0.x. I strongly recommend that you fully test your web site using multiple browsers before submission. Grading will be as follows:

  • 10%, Required pages
  • 15%, Attractiveness/effectiveness
  • 20%, Usability/navigability, including image map
  • 20%, Quality/readability of the code, including validation
  • 15%, Use of Cascading Style Sheets, including validation
  • 20%, Use of HTML forms
  • Extra credit! — integrate a JavaScript function into your site

Validating your code for Project 3

Follow these steps:

  1. Be sure each page begins with an appropriate XHTML prolog, which you can copy from the strict template. (Right-click on the link and select the option to have the browser save the target file to your own system.) Note that any comments must appear after the <!DOCTYPE> declaration.
  2. Visit the W3C MarkUp Validation Service. Supply the local file name of the page to be validated. (Alternatively, using Opera, you can press Ctl-Alt-V or right-click on the page and click on Validate. Or if you prefer Firefox, install the Web Developers extension; from the extensions's toolbar, click on Tools | Validate Local HTML.)
  3. Visit the W3C CSS Validation Service. Supply the local file name of the page to be validated. Or if using the Firefox Web Developers extension, clook on Tools | Validate Local CSS.
  4. It is quite likely that your first attempt will report errors. Correct the errors and try again. Repeat as needed. If you get stuck, feel free to contact me.
  5. Be sure to revalidate your code after making any changes!

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