As required, this webpage is fully functional in Internet Explorer 5.5+, Netscape 4.7+ and even on other browsers such as Konqueror :P, Opera and Mozilla. There is a slight rendering problem with tables in Netscape, but this is neglectable.

As it is HTML, it functions across platforms, from Windows, to Macintosh to *nix.

Because the tables are set out in terms of percentages instead of actual specified pixel size, it adjusts to any resolution on any moniter size above the minimum 800x600.

Conforms to HTML 4.01 standards specified from http://www.w3.org/ , eg. all necessary images do contain an ALT attribute.

Colours are designed to be easy to read off the screen.

Layout:

This website overall attempts to be slick and succinct, without an overbearing amount of images (apart from the photos section). It primarily uses tables instead of frames. This enables greater format positioning, such as the footer table below with the counter positioned in the middle, yet still enabling the mail content on the left of that. This is also preferable to working with frames which often becomes cumbersome and ineffective. (eg. scrolling, external link targets appearing nested within frames etc.)

The bar on the left is the tool for navigating throughout the site. It provides active (orange) links to the six different sections of the webpage, and an inactive (black) link for the current page position.

Images:

The majority of images found on the webpage are .gif based. Images such as the title and navigation bar links provide areas of large solid colour - ideal for .gif compression. It allows for transparency, and the mailbox image found below in the footer, as well as the htmlgear logo are examples of this. Finally it also allows for animation, and an example of an animated .gif can be found in the KDE button to the left in the navigation bar. More larger images, such as those found in the photos section are .jpg compressed to allow for greater compression relative to .gif regarding for more detailed images.

All images are located in the images directory located in the root. This is to minimise files clashing with the core page HTML files, and to provide easy access and filing.

All images are compressed with the minimising of data transfer in mind.

Applicable images under copyright restrictions were reproduced with consent and sourced (via link or at the end of page).

Stylesheets:

This website utilises an external style sheet to specify various format parameters. These include...

Layouts - Table size definitions, border properties, background colours

Font manipulations (for size, styles and face). All font sizes are also specified as percentages relative to the default for even greater usability.

Colour Schemes - Through font/table colour definitions, as well as overall page background and scrollbar colours.

The advantages come when attempting to format the webpage to adjust for things such as different colour schemes or down the track when implementing a fresh look. Changes can be made efficiently and effectively through the external style sheet by simply changing a single parameter. This is preferable to the alternative of wading through lines of HTML code and having to alter multiple instances of format-based code.

Java:

On the front page are two small java applets.

A funky little application that scrolls text through the status bar. Adds an extra dimension.

A nice little clock feature which shows the current time and date through what is set on the computer. It fits in well with the overall layout and is also minimal with regard to bandwidth.

Both sources are acknowledged in the actual raw code.

Future:

Whilst I already knew some basic HTML skills prior to commencing the assignment, I embarked a far more ambitious webpage than I had ever had experience with before. Along the way, I picked up on plenty of new features/designs and coding principals which I previously did not know of. My increased knowledge has hopefully put me in very good stead to quickly create new and understand existing HTML for future work in the university and abroad.

All logos are trademarks of their respective owners and copyright without consent from the original site.