Internet Services Fact Sheet 7

More on Web Pages

Our approach to web pages

Our aim is to make information available and while web pages should be well designed and attractive, big flashy pictures and complex designs are usually best avoided. Most of our clients are looking for information first and foremost and do not want to sit waiting longer than necessary for a page to load because of a large picture or a Java applet. Careful design can produce light-weight and attractive pages which look good on any common browser.
 

Filenames

Files should use extension .html rather than .htm.
The home page (first page) should be named index.html.
Filenames should generally be in lower case and include only letters and numbers. Filenames should not include spaces, commas, quotes or other unusual characters.
Carefully check that the filename given in the link does not have a full pathname and is exactly the same as the actual name of the file (including case). Just because the link works on a Windows PC does not mean it will work in a case sensitive environment like our server.
 

Graphics

Graphics should be saved in GIF (.gif) format or JPG (.jpg) format. Usually icons and logos are best done in GIF and photos as JPG.
File sizes should be kept small e.g. less than 50 Kbytes.
Tables are useful in getting graphics where you want them.
 

Checking your pages

Once you have created your pages, start your browser and open the page. The links should work. If possible try both Netscape and Internet Explorer. Check your spelling! (Netscape Composer has a spellchecker) Bad spelling or grammar can spoil a good impression.

General points

Avoid special features which only work with one brand of browser or the latest edition only.
Microsoft Frontpage extensions are not supported at present.
Java - slows down the loading of the page and annoys some users. Avoid it.
Java script - sometimes useful if you know when to use it.
Frames - do not use unless you need them.
Animated gifs - use carefully if needed but watch the file size.
Sound - come back in a few years.
Tools - difficult to recommend. Netscape Composer is good to start with especially as it is free. Frontpage is best avoided until you understand the mechanics of page construction. MS Publisher and Word 2000 produce pages which are really for intranet use only. Word 97 is OK for converting documents. (See Factsheet 5 for more on this.)
Counters - a simple way to add a counter to your page - Counter.com