Assignment 9

Introduction:

Whether you know it or not, you already have a web page. Even if you are already familiar with building web pages, and perhaps have one somewhere else, you will need to use your home page offered through gaia for this assignment.

You web page address is http://gaia.ecs.csus.edu/~cs008sXX. (replace "XX" with your account number)

The default web page has various examples of simple html design along with some resources for learning about html. This lab assignment will not bother with describing HTML, but you will be responsible for using it in this assignment. Your book covers all of the necessary topics in HTML tutorials 1 and 2. The resources on the default web page can also be useful.

Another trick for viewing examples of HTML is to view the source of existing web pages. You can actually view and copy the source from every web page you see on the internet. How you use it depends on how you feel about copyright laws concerning the Internet. To view the source using Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, right-click on the page and select "View Source" from the pop-up menu.

What to do for this assignment:

To edit your gaia web page, you will need to edit a text file in your html directory. You can do this one of two ways: edit the file on gaia directly, or copy the file to your local computer, edit it, and upload it back to gaia when you're done (this gives you the option of editing your web pages while off-line). Assignment 8 (FTP) goes over the details of using the FTP applications to transfer files between your computer and gaia. (The first section of this lab will walk you through moving to your html directory.)

Either way you edit your pages you must use a raw text editor and edit the web page file directly. Even if you have experience using HomeSite, FrontPage, HotDog, or any other web page generator, you must do it all manually. You will not get credit for this assignment if you submit a web page that was not hand made.

Your gaia account has a subdirectory called html. In this directory is a file called index.html -- index.html (or .htm) is the default name of a web page file in any given directory (on gaia anyway). The web page server on gaia looks for a file called index.htm in your html directory whenever someone types in your URL that I mentioned above. For example, ~cs008sXX means the account of user cs008sXX. The URL http://gaia.ecs.csus.edu/~cs008sXX tells the web server on gaia to go to the html directory of the cs008sXX account and find a file called index.htm.

That means that http://gaia.ecs.csus.edu/~cs008sXX and http://gaia.ecs.csus.edu/~cs008sXX/index.html are the same thing.

If you create another web page with a different name such as home.htm you would have to reference it by typing in the name of the file after the URL. (e.g. http://gaia.ecs.csus.edu/~cs008sXX/home.htm )

If you log in to gaia directly, you can use pico or vi to edit the index file. (if you have never used either one of these editors before try using pico which is the same editor in pine. Vi is is a little more difficult to use.) To open a file using pico change to your html directory and type pico [filename]. Other commands in pico will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.

If you download your web page to your home PC, Windows Notepad is a basic text editor, and the MAC OS has one as well. If you use a word processor such as Microsoft Word to edit the file, make sure to save it as raw text.

Requirements:

Add or modify the index.html file in the following manner:

1. Create another file and copy everything from the index.html file to this file. (This will provide you with a backup if you make any mistakes, and is in number 3 of this assignment.) After you have made a copy remove all of the HTML in between the end of the first body tag to the beginning of the second body tag.
   
   
2. Create a small web page telling the world about your major and why you chose CSUS.
   
   
3. Include the following elements:
   
   
   • Change the background color to something other than white.
   • Use at least one special html character by using its code number.
   • Use at least two heading styles.
   • Use at least one horizontal rule.
   • Use bold and italic text in at least one place each.
   • Create one ordered or unordered list.
   • Use one image that you brought in yourself.
   • Add a link to the CSUS main web page.
   • Add a link to your backup copy of the default web page.
   • Add three links to sites of your own choice.
   • Add a link to your e-mail address.
   • You are free to add more, such as tables and fancy colors, but they are not required.

E-mail me your URL.