Week Two (MGDP2050)

Lecture notes and exercises for Week Two of Web Design and Development II (MGDP2050).

Bootstrap

Bootstrap is a framework for responsive web design.

General discussion:

• Bootstrap (framework)
• Getting started with Bootstrap

Getting started, and download Bootstrap:

• Getting started
• Getting started #Download

Responsive web design (RWD)

Responsive web design is a set of web design techniques for creating web pages which look good on a wide range of devices.

Techniques include proportion-based grids, flexible images, and media queries:

• The proportion-based (or fluid) grid concept calls for page element sizing to be in relative units like percentages, rather than absolute units like pixels or points.
• Flexible images are also sized in relative units, so as to prevent them from displaying outside their containing element.
• Media queries allow the page to use different CSS style rules based on characteristics of the device the site is being displayed on, most commonly the width of the browser.

Devices include:

• Mobile phone
• Tablet
• Laptop computer
• Desktop computer

See Responsive web design.

Web server default file names

The file name index.html has special significance to most web servers.

A web server has a list of default file names, usually including index.html

When the server receives a request, and the request does not specify a file name, the server uses a default file name, if possible.

• In other words, you can omit index.html from a URL, and if the server actually has a file named index.html, the server returns index.html

See Web server default file name.

Naming conventions

A naming convention is a set of rules for assigning names.

Naming conventions are essential to computer programming, and to language and society in general.

See Web page conventions (MGDP2050) for naming conventions related to this class.

LAMP, MAMP, XAMPP, etc.

LAMP stands for:

• The Linux operating system
• The Apache HTTP Server
• The MySQL relational database management system (RDBMS)
• The PHP programming language, and the Perl scripting language

LAMP allows you to run a web server as a desktop application. This is very useful for web development. See LAMP (software bundle) for more detailed information.

LAMP is a very general term, not a specific application.

To use LAMP, download and install any LAMP application.

Popular LAMP applications include MAMP and XAMPP.

MAMP is Mac-specific, making it the best choice for a Mac lab.

XAMPP is available for Mac and Windows (and Linux), making it useful for cross-platform development.

Exercises: in class

MAMP

• Run MAMP (if available).
• Locate the htdocs folder -- this is the Local root folder for MAMP
• Copy your class exercise files into htdocs
  • Copy index.html, the bootstrap folder, your custom external style sheet
  • Only copy the contents of your Local root folder, not the folder itself (htdocs serves this purpose)

localhost

Open a web browser, and browse:

• http://localhost

You should see your Home page.

Exercises: for next week

Responsive web design

• In your Local root folder, create a new folder named rwd
• In this new folder, create a file named index.html