BMS2062 Introduction to Bioinformatics Use of information technology and telecommunications in bioinformatics Topic 2: The Internet and multimedia Ros Gibson Lecture outline What is the Web? (previous lecture) What is multimedia? Development of Web Content Usability Accessibility Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 2 What is multimedia? Combination of multiple media formats that allow the user to interact with the content Text, sound, images, video, simulations Interactivity Something is NOT necessarily multimedia just because it is on a CDROM Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 3
Web multimedia examples Timex (requires Shockwave player) (http://www.timex.com/interactive/icontrolringset.html) Show microscope camera (http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/intelplay/liveview/ind ex.html) Moving objects around a screen using a Web browser (http://javaboutique.internet.com/mrpotato/) Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 4 How Web pages work Server File Server Request for a file client BROWSER Server Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 5 Creating a suite of web pages Developing a successful web site requires a carefully planned approach. Steps involved include: Analysis/Planning Design Construction Testing Implementation Maintenance Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 6
Analysis/Planning What is to be communicated? What is the best method of representation? What software is best suited to the task? Bandwidth usage is it worth it? Plug-ins; viewers; players Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 7 Designing a Web Site Usability Accessibility Table of contents Flowchart/Site Map (for navigation) Screen layout including specifications for font, image size/format Storyboard hand drawn sketch for each page a picture is worth a thousand words Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 8 Usability [1] Consistency Predictable: colour, fonts, navigation Clarity Resist overcrowding, provide contrast Concise Short paragraphs, sub-headings Compelling Make it interesting Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 9
Usability [2] Jakob Nielsen s Top Ten Mistakes for web site usability: www.useit.com/alertbox/990502.html 1. Frames 2. Bleeding-edge technology 3. Scrolling text and looping animations 4. Complex URLs 5. Orphan pages Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 10 Usability [3] Jakob Nielsen s Top Ten Mistakes for web site usability (cont): 6. Scrolling navigation pages 7. Lack of navigation support 8. Non-standard link colours 9. Outdated information 10.Slow download times Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 11 Accessibility Ensuring the web site is accessible to those with visual/hearing/physical disabilities access only via a mouse or keyboard text only screen (use of alt tags) various screen resolutions slow internet connections early editions of a browser or a different browser a different operating system Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 12
Constructing Web pages [1] Development tools: Text editors (eg notepad) WYSIWYG (eg FrontPage, Dreamweaver) Tools: Cascading style sheets Templates Databases Plug-ins / players Other eg Flash, Director Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 13 Ways of creating Web pages: By hand: Using notepad (or similar) writing all the tags by manually By translation: Create documents in Word, PowerPoint, Excel or similar, and save in HTML format By WYSIWYGeditors: Using Front Page or similar visually create the content, select format and objects Dynamically Using scripting languages and often a database Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 14 Constructing Web pages [2] It s a matter of TAGS HTML Signify structure to a document <head> </head> <title> </title> <body> </body> Consistent formatting <h1>.</h1> <pre>.</pre> <bgcolor> Tags for creating tables, naming columns, setting bold, italics, underline, placement of images, embedding video..etc. Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 15
The anatomy of a Web page header heading body footer Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 16 Web languages HTML hypertext markup language XML extendible markup language SMIL - Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language CFML (Cold Fusion Markup Language) ASP (Active Server Page) and others Scripting languages eg javascript Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 17 Hyperlinks Remote; between one document and another document on a difference server (computer) <a href= http://www.apple.com > Apple </a> Local; between one document and another document on the same server <a href= staff.html > Staff </a> <a href= bms2062/staff.html > Staff </a> Embedded; between one place in a document and another place in the same document <a name = #top > <a href= top >Top </a> Relative and absolute hyperlinks Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 18
Demonstration By translation Word PowerPoint Excel By WYSIWYG Front Page Scripting example java Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 19 Increasing query hits Metadata tags <meta name="keywords" content="bms2062, bioinformatics, monash, university"> <meta name="author" content="kathy Lynch"> Re-use of keywords throughout the document First paragraph IS important Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 20 Is it correct? Who says so? Website Evaluation Criteria: Accuracy Information should be error free Authority Author should be listed together with their credentials Objectivity Objective source contains more quality information than a biased source Currency Check date the page was last updated. Are all links still valid? Coverage Does the web site give sufficient depth of information? Example Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 21
Data Sources Using the data: Intellectual Property Copyright Plagiarism - Using another s work as your own without due acknowledgement Citation Manager (e.g. EndNote) Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 22 Testing Before publishing your web site/page, check Usability Accessibility Evaluation Criteria Conduct these tests on a range of: Web Browsers Computers (differing ages) Operating Systems Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 23 Getting it out there Publishing/Implementation The content needs to be placed on a Web server that is connected to the Web. URL Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 24
Maintenance continuous ensuring that new material is constantly posted information is not out-of-date all links are working correctly Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 25 And now. The last 60 minutes.. What was it about you tell me What didn t you understand? Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 26 What s next Tuesday Lecture: Digital Images and Image Compression Week 2 Practical: Practical uses of internet services Slides prepared by Kathy Lynch (SIMS, Monash University) with modifications by Ros Gibson. 27