Web Sites require a combination of technologies which help in create web pages. In this article, we will discuss some of the technologies which are used to create web sites and their contribution to web design. As most of the technologies are moving ahead with new versions, we will discuss the basic features of the software and not the version which is currently active:
  1. HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language or HTML provides the basis for creation of web pages. It creates text files which are readable by web browsers. HTML files are very versatile as they permit delivering of image files, content and form fields to online users. HTML can be created either by directing the code directly in Notepad or with the help of HTML editors which are used extensively by web designers. Some of the most popular HTML editors are Dreamweaver and Frontpage. Most web sites use HTML and you can determine this by seeing the file extension which would be .html.
  2. Photoshop: Though Photoshop is software which is used for image editing, it is fitting to mention it here since most images posted online are edited with the help of Photoshop. Photoshop provides tools to manipulate the images of a web site and sometimes designers may even create the basic web site layout in Photoshop and on approval from the customer go ahead and convert it to HTML. Photoshop is a very important tool in the web designers’ arsenal!
  3. Flash: Interactive web pages which have an interesting presentation form are created with the help of Flash. Though flash has been around for some years now, it is only recently that many web sites have started using it extensively. The reason behind this is quite simple…increase in the availability of bandwidth across the world has resulted in people being able to access flash web sites quite easily. Flash files tend to be slightly heavier that the regular HTML files due to the code it contains for interactive elements and thus is resource hungry. However, the impact of a flash web site is a lot more than HTML web site and is used to create a lasting impression on online users.
  4. AJAX: AJAX is a very new entrant in the user interface technology space and some of the leading web sites such as Google have started using it to provide users a better level of interactivity and customization of their display options. AJAX provides the users an ability to mould the interface and have only those items on display which they need. AJAX is sure to become a bit more commonplace in the near future as more and more web designers realize its potential.
  5. CSS: Though CSS is not a separate technology, it is worth a mention since it helps creates uniformity across the entire web site. Cascading Style Sheet or CSS allows web designers to create the rules of display in a central file which is then implemented through out the web site. A web site can have more than one CSS. Some of the things which a CSS files helps in maintaining are font styles and colors, navigation bar, footer and sometimes even some of the graphics on the web site.
  6. JavaScript: Javascript has very little to do with Java. Javascript provides certain user interface controls which can make a web site more interesting as well as add user friendly features on the web site. Mouse roll overs, navigation drop downs and validation of web forms are some of the most practical uses of JavaScript.
  7. There are many other user interface technologies which can be put to use by designers. Some are well known and some might be a new path breaking technology. The above technologies are the ones which are the most common and well known in the community.