Tools for Web development
Web development requires certain essential tools. This guide begins with the recommended and enhanced tool sets, and then pares the list down to the minimum for those who may not wish to (or be able to) acquire the recommended tool set.
Note: These are tools for general Web site development. If you require application development capabilities, contact the Web Manager to determine the best tools to obtain.
Another note: Even the best tools are no substitute for certain basic knowledge of Web design and structures, protocols and development. If you are undertaking significant Web projects, we strongly recommend that you invest the time to acquire proficiency for site development with the tools you select. The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment provides training in certain areas.
Recommended tools
Software:
- Web design/site management software: Macromedia® Contribute ® (preferred), Macromedia® Dreamweaver®, or Microsoft® FrontPage®. Please note that the university templates are designed to be used with Contribute. The templates may not function as well with other Web editor programs. You may purchase Contribute or Dreamweaver MX as part of the Macromedia MX Studio Suite. FrontPage is free, contact the HelpDesk for installation.
- Image editing software: Adobe® Photoshop® or Macromedia® Fireworks® (part of MX Studio Suite).
- Current browsers: Internet Explorer (5 and above); Netscape® (4 and above); Firefox® and Mozilla®. Note that many other browsers will also work fine and may be superior in speed and functionality. Due to high-volume use, Explorer and Firefox are our "supported" browsers, and IU Kokomo sites must be coded to work in these browsers.
- Common browser plug-ins, including the Flash® plug-in, Quicktime®, Windows Media®, RealAudio® and Acrobat® Reader®.
Connectivity:
- Access to a high-speed, dedicated internet connection (this is available throughout the IU Kokomo campus), OR
- At a minimum, a modem capable of 56k and a dedicated phone line (with internet service through your preferred ISP)
Additional tools that will expand your capabilities in Web development
Careful consideration should be given to your ongoing Web development needs before you decide to invest in any of the items below (these items should be considered individually based on your needs, and not as a package). You may very well be able to conduct all or most of your Web development using the tools in the Recommended Tools set above.
Hardware:
- A desktop scanner
- Digital camera or photos provided by Office of Communications and Marketing
- Access to a second computer (either a Mac or a PC, the opposite of your primary workstation) to conduct cross-platform and cross-browser testing
Software:
- A FTP program, if you want to upload/download files independently of the FrontPage®
- Access to an AOL® browser for usability testing (suggested)
- A copy of the Mozilla or FireFox browsers
- Illustrator® (vector image editing software)
- Macromedia® Fireworks® (for certain types of dynamic content/multimedia development; you may want to purchase the Macromedia MX Studio Suite rather than purchasing the Macromedia® products independently)
- Adobe® After Effects (multimedia content) and Premiere® (digital film editing), or Macromedia Director® (multimedia content)
- Adobe Acrobat® (in addition to the free Acrobat Reader®)
The Minimum Tool Set
Please note that working with the minimum tool set WILL require that you have additional knowledge of Web development (such as proficiency with HTML), beyond the knowledge necessary for using a WYSIWYG Web program.
Hardware:
- A computer that is internet capable (with an internet connection)
Software:
- A text editor (free) [e.g. notepad]
- Current Web browsers (Explorer and Netscape® - both free, and others as preferred)
- Adobe Photoshop (if your site will contain images that you will need to create or edit, contact IUware Online)
Highly recommended for everyone:
- Macromedia® Contribute ® MX , well worth the investment (purchase from IUware Online). This program, which is also a part of the MX Studio Suite will also allow you to work with the IU Kokomo Web site templates.
Tools NOT to use
There are some tools available out there in cyberspace that we do NOT recommend, and in fact request in the strongest possible terms that you NOT use for Web development at IU Kokomo. Those tools follow, along with brief explanation for each.
Microsoft® Word - This is not a Web development nor design program. It is a word processing program, and works best when used only for word processing. The code it creates under the "save as Web page" or "save as HTML" option is uniformly poor. In fact, whole programs/scripts have been written by others solely to "clean up" the code created by MS Word. While we ask that you not use Word to create Web pages, you may copy-and-paste text from Word into the better WYSIWYG Web editor programs, such as Dreamweaver® MX and GoLive®, with acceptable results. Do not try to cut and paste into FrontPage® as the results will not be acceptable.
Netscape® Composer® - You can use the built-in Netscape page creator if you must. It's free, but it's a very awkward interface, has few features, and is not at all flexible. Since the leading Web editor programs are quite affordable, there is very little reason to use Composer®.
Technologies that require additional plug-ins - We recommend that you carefully consider the consequences for usability if you choose to create Web sites that require plug-ins that are not standard components of browsers. Shockwave® is (arguably) such a technology. Be aware that if your site requires a non-standard plug-in, you will be automatically excluding a portion of your potential audience.
Additional Recommended Resources
There are countless Web development resources available, both online and in books and periodicals. They range from beginner tutorials and tip sheets to advanced programming manuals. You may want to visit IU's Web Publishing page for additional reference material. Also, the CTLA, through its instructional technologists, offers free, hands-on seminars in Web page creation and graphics creation.
This site does not provide a comprehensive list of the tools available for Web development. If you are using, or would like to use, other Web development tools not listed on this site, we recommend that you contact the Web Manager or the CTLA for consultation.
