Web technologies and techniques progress at such a breakneck pace that even professional Web developers are challenged to keep up to date. Now, in Web Developer's SECRETS, World Wide Web guru Harold Davis reveals the latest, most valuable tips and strategies on…
Taking advantage of HTML extensions while maintaining compatibility across various browsers and various versions of browsers.
Using JavaScript and VBScript to add interactivity without burdening your server.
Creating Java applets with languages and development packages such as Visual J++ and Visual Café.
Building ActiveX controls to integrate applications for real-world problem solving.
And of course CGI scripting for processing form input, accessing databases, and other capabilities found on the best Web sites.
Plus, on the bonus CD-ROM you get with Web Developer's SECRETS, you get valuable software and resources, including source code and .exe files from the book, ActiveX controls, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser.
There are a few ways to add functionality to a brochure-style Web page that is designed with vanilla HTML. From simple scripts and forms to full-blown applications and databases, developing for the Web is a busy area.
Web Developer's Secretssorts through techniques available on the Win32 platform and presents a step-by-step guide to add function to form and substance to style.
The book is organized in a consecutive fashion, covering basic HTML in the beginning and finishing with Web databases. Although the chapters aren't exhaustive in detail, they do cover a wide breadth of material. The book's first major section is devoted to creating Web content and includes an introduction to Web concepts and terms; a listing of HTML tags with examples; plus information on graphics and multimedia formats, VRML, and FrontPage 97. The second section covers the variety of scripting options available and includes extensive coverage of JavaScript, VBScript, and ActiveX. This section includes sample scripts as well as links to other examples and information. The next section teaches you to add executable content to your Web site and includes chapters on ActiveX Web applications, Visual Basic 5, and Java. Both Visual Café and Visual J++ development environments receive their own chapters for discussion. The final section is dedicated to deploying the client/server model on the Web with emphasis on Web databases, CGI scripting, ISAPI, and Active Server Pages.
The enclosed CD-ROM contains source code from examples in each chapter. It also features the Microsoft ActiveX Control Pad, the Sun Java Developer's Kit (JDK) 1.1.1, and WebAction 2.0, which allows programs developed in Visual Basic, Delphi, and other languages to run off of O'Reilly WebSite and Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS).
Web Developer's Secrets is appropriate for intermediate-level users as the book assumes a degree of familiarity with its subject matter. At some point, advanced readers may want a more detailed text on one of the smaller subjects assembled here. If you are just discovering the possibilities of developing for the Web, there is enough information gathered here to put you on the right track.
