GUEST SPEAKER :
Sarah Allen, Software Engineer, Laszlo Systems
HOMEWORK :
1.Assemble and organize your projects into a full prototype, ready to add to your portfolio and present to potential clients or employers – Use Cases; Site Map; a Comps (sketch) of a thought-out UI treatment; a work-list of tasks remaining to complete the site (include estimates of time and resources needed to complete tasks)
2.Using the technology of your choice create one or two Rich Interactions for your prototype site – anything from simple remote rollover image changes in DHTML to a full Flash or Laszlo-based site!)
NOTES :
- the HTTP story
- the path
- from user
- to browser (user interaction)
- to server (HTTP)
- to browser
- to user
- the URL
- scheme://authority/path?query
- authority is usually host-name (& optionally port #)
- different levels of processing
- at server level
- things like PHP, JSP, ASP, ColdFusion, perl and other CGI-BIN
- uses things on client called “cookies”
- communication goes either through a GET (in URL) or POST
- at client level
- things like JavaScript, JScript, Director, Flash, SVG
- DHTML – combination of JavaScript, Styles
- sample Javascript pages
- DHTML apps – SITE
- DHTML history
- definition – DHTML is scripting in the client.
- Version 4 of browsers – IE & Netscape came out with competing & non-compatible
- Netscape used the word “layer” in their API
- IE came out with another API
- the DOM – The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. W3C is a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding.
- different browsers implement the DOM spec to different degrees
- different ways of writing code that works “everywhere” – i
- the Interaction
- the old client-server interactions hindered the realtime interactivity of sites – page refresh
- the strength of RIAs is that they make web interactions more similar to desktop interaction
- RIAs often push the interaction to the client, decreasing client/server trips for GUI
- often push the seperation of content from presentation
- there may be realtime communication in the background, but the page doesn’t refresh
- main things to design for in RIA usability
- discoverability
- feedback
- quick
- as transparent as possible – modality
- inform the user proper amount – enough to know what is going on
- efficiency
- visual flow
- UI is easily learnable
- task-based flow through application
- design patterns
- use the experience of other people who have created sites as inspiration
- solve the same problem once!
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