Wide Web Pages Web Pages

¶ … Wide Web Pages Web pages form the backbone of the Internet. The World Wide Web consists of an indefinite number of individual Web pages, many of which are grouped together into a Web site. One Web page can stand alone, but large organizations usually need more than just one page to represent themselves online. Creating a Web site is relatively easy, requiring little to no coding skills.

Software applications make Web page creation accessible by allowing users to input text, graphics, and other multimedia content without knowing any hypertext markup language (HTML). All Web pages must be ultimately coded into HTML or XHTML to be recognized by servers. The universal World Wide Web protocol for Web pages is the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). All Web page addresses are therefore prefixed with "http." Web pages can be created in a number of different ways, depending on the needs and budget of the user.

The simplest Web pages are those created via third party server hosts and their proprietary software. However, the designer has little control over the look and domain of the Web page. On the other end of the spectrum are Web pages that are designed by professional coders who translate their clients' needs directly into HTML and other Web-friendly languages. The first step toward creating a Web page is planning: organizing the purpose, goal, function, and design of the page.

A simple Web site might only include text, whereas a complex one might include embedded applications like e-commerce systems. The finished Web site will reflect the needs of the user. Many planners find it helpful to sketch their intended Web design, including ideas for color, typeface, and layout. Also part of the planning phase is determining how the Web site should be hosted and what type of domain name to choose.

Commercially viable, professional, and polished Web sites require their own domain names, indicated by the universal resource locater (URL) or Web page address. Unique domain names must be registered and paid for. However, even unique domain names and their Web pages must also be hosted. Some users might want to invest in their own servers, but many will want to rent or purchase server space from a third party vendor known as a host. A more frivolous Web page would not require its own domain name.

Customized URLs are available free of cost by third party hosts in exchange for allowing the Web page to include advertisements. After the initial planning phases, the person needs to determine how much time and energy to invest in the creation of the Web site, and whether or not to code directly or use a third-party application. If the person knows how to write HTML then he or she can immediately begin coding in a text editor or word processor program.

HTML is a simple coding language with ample glossaries available as resources, both online and in print. Almost all rudimentary aspects of a Web site can be coded directly into HTML including frames, the floating menu bars on Web sites, and the embedding of multimedia content like videos. However, interactive Web sites require more extensive programming expertise. Java is one of the programming languages used to create more robust, interactive, and dynamic Web sites.

If HTML coding is not an option, the person could either use a software application like Microsoft Front Page or one of the free applications hosted online by companies like Yahoo. Software applications are based on the "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWIG) method of Web design. The software allows the user to visually compose the Web site as if starting from a blank canvas. Whatever content, font, layout, and colors the user chooses are coded into HTML by the software.

Software liberates the user from needing to learn coding but in many cases, some HTML knowledge is helpful to enhance the functionality of the application. The next main step in the process of creating a Web site is uploading it. Using software like Microsoft Front Page, the user can easily upload the page to the predetermined host.

The most common means of uploading Web pages is a file transfer protocol (FTP)application.WYSIWIG software applications usually come with an FTP component built in, but users can use different ones if they choose. Anyone who designed their Web page and coded it directly into HTML can upload their text file to their host via the FTP.TheFTP client also allows the user to maintain the Web page such as by updating information. The final page in Web page design is management and maintenance.

Web pages can become defunct easily when the designer fails to monitor it and check for broken hyperlinks. Hyperlinks are any item,.