I. Selected Topics: Web Programming

II. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing, completion of CSCI 1301 with a C or better, or permission of the instructor and department head.

III. Text: TBD – see appendix

IV. Catalog Description:

Selected Topics in Computer Science allows courses on specific topics of timely interest to the computer science profession to be selected by the department and offered on a demand basis. Students interested in this course should contact the computer science department for detailed information on upcoming offerings.

V. Course Objective:

This course provides an hands-on, application-oriented overview of current programming technologies used in development of information for the World Wide Web.

VI. General Notes:

The material on web programming techniques can be taught best as an integrated whole, recognizing that topic dependencies do exist. The emphasis of the course is on the appropriate choice and application of web programming techniques, taking into account security and design issues, to the presentation of information. Neither esoteric features of a technique or language, nor other aspects of computers, should be allowed to interfere with that purpose. Student assignments should utilize concepts of the course and should emphasize good design, style, documentation, and robustness. They should use familiar applications. Students should be encouraged to share their ideas while developing their own projects. Students should not share code.

VII. Course Outline

I Review of basic HTML and web page construction (5%)

A. Basic page structure

B. Paragraphs and lists

C. Images and links

D. Tables

II Advanced HTML techniques (10%)

A. Page layout controls

B. Forms

C. Meta information

D. Other techniques

III Client-side vs. server-side technologies (5%)

A. Overview

B. Standards for choice

IV Dynamic HTML (10%)

A. Document Object Model

B. Components

C. Browser issues

V Cascading Style Sheets (10%)

A. Style tags

B. Layers and Divisions

C. Browser dependencies

VI Scripting with JavaScript and PHP (20%)

A. JavaScript syntax

B. PHP syntax

C. Constructing and embedding scripts

VII CGI programming with Perl (15%)

A. The Common Gateway Interface

B. Installing and modifying existing scripts

C. The Perl scripting language

D. Application of CGI scripts to the Web

VIII Java programming (applets) (20%)

A. Applet structure

B. Applet use in web pages

IX Alternative markup languages and evolving technologies (5%)

A. SGML

B. XML

C. VRML

VIII. Evaluation Methods

Details of grade determination are left to the instructor with the approval of the Department Head. Exams, assignments and projects, and a final exam prepared by individual instructors will be used to determine the course grade. The course grade must weigh examinations for at least 50% of the grade and assignments for not more than 50% of the grade. Eight to ten student assignments and projects must be assigned. Testing must consist of at least one one-hour examination and a comprehensive final examination. The final examination must be weighted at not less than 25% or more than 35%.

IX. Effective Date: January, 2002 Approved Date:

Textbook Selection for CSCI 2900W, Selected Topics: Web Programming

There are three possible candidate textbooks for CSCI 2900W, Selected Topics: Web Programming, plus a series of books which could be combined for the course.

Internet & World Wide Web: How to Program by Deitel, Deitel and Nieto, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-016143

Weaving a Web Site: Programming in HTML, JavaScript, Perl and Java by Anderson-Freed, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-028220-0

Programming the World Wide Web by Sebesta, Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-201-70484-6.

Conbination of Visual Quickstart Series books on DHTML, JavaScript, Java, Perl/CGI, PHP.

At this point, the Deitel book is probably the best single-book choice, although it contains significantly more material than could be covered and does not cover PHP. I was one of the reviewers of the Sebesta text, and even with the suggested modifications incorporated I find it a largely unsatisfactory book. I have not seen the Anderson-Freed book yet, as it is new. The Visual Quickstart books are ones I tend to recommend to students, though the necessity to use a combination of them for the course is potentially a problem. However, this would be the best way to get full coverage of needed topics and ONLY needed topics.