Netskills Workshop:  
Creating Interactive Web Pages 
     

9:30 - 4:30 Tuesday 16th February 1999  Manchester Computing

The World Wide Web offers increasing sophistication in terms 
of the ways in which it can present information and the
facilities it can offer to users. Techniques are available 
which enhance Web pages by allowing the user to interact with 
the page and influence the type and content of information being
delivered. Methods ranging from image maps, through CGI and 
forms to Java, JavaScript and databases, are increasingly being 
used to provide a range of interactive features for teaching, 
learning, marketing and general information provision, using
easily accessible techniques. 
This is a practical workshop for users of the World Wide Web 
who have had some experience of creating basic Web pages. 
The workshop focuses on the issues and practical aspects of
designing and creating interactive Web pages. Whilst it may 
be attended as a stand-alone workshop, it also follows on from 
the popular Netskills "Authoring on the Web" workshop. 
It is suitable for researchers and academics from any discipline, 
university administrators, librarians and computing service staff.
 
 Workshop Content: 
The workshop will comprise presentations, demonstrations and 
hands-on sessions with opportunities for questions and discussion. 
Participants will each receive a workbook which contains workshop 
exercises, presentation slides and other relevant materials.

Participants will be able to take away some of the Web pages created 
during the workshop on a floppy disk.
 
Topics covered will include:

 *   interactivity using straightforward image maps in standard HTML 
 *   investigating use of the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) to allow
     execution of server programs 
 *   making use of ready-made CGI scripts to interface with Web pages 
 *   constructing forms in HTML using text boxes, radio buttons and 
     other form elements 
 *   using CGI to allow the processing of form data e.g. using search 
     and mail utilities 
 *   the use of Java and JavaScript to create interactive effects 
 *   demonstration of Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) 
 *   overview of accessing databases via the Web 

By the end of the workshop participants will have... 

 *   seen a variety of interactive Web page techniques 
 *   investigated a number of examples of interaction on the Web 
 *   developed interactive elements in their own Web pages, such as
     image maps 
 *   created a variety of form elements 
 *   investigated how CGI operates in isolation and in conjunction
     with forms 
 *   seen what JavaScript is, and how it fits in with other programming
     technologies on the Web, such as Java 
 *   incorporated an example of JavaScript interaction in a Web page 
 *   seen VRML in action  
 *   seen examples of Web-database integration and be aware of the
     concepts involved 

Participants will also have an opportunity to: 

 *   explore online tutorials for creating more sophisticated
     interactive techniques 
 *   investigate example Web sites using CGI, forms and databases 
 *   explore existing Java and JavaScript examples 

Workshop Requirements:

Participants should have previously used the World Wide Web through a 
browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer and MUST have authored 
simple Web pages using HTML. Knowledge of basic HTML tags such as for 
including images and hypertext links is essential. Experience of using 
Microsoft Windows for opening and saving files and opening and closing
applications such as a Web browser would be helpful. Note that this 
workshop does NOT require programming skills from participants, and is 
not designed to provide comprehensive programming competency in CGI, 
Java or other technologies.

The cost of the workshop is 99 pounds for participants from higher
and further education. Other participants should contact Netskills for the
relevant fees.
Note: Costs include lunch, morning coffee and afternoon tea. 


For more information about Netskills workshops, including  
online booking forms, look at the Netskills event pages on the World 
Wide Web at:
 http://www.netskills.ac.uk/workshops/ 

or contact Netskills directly by email: 

[log in to unmask] 

or by Fax: 

0191 222 5001

or leave a request for booking forms on the bookings hotline:

0191 222 5008




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