| Describe the difference between an XML Sitemap and a HTML Sitemap. List the benefits and
disadvantages of using each. |
|
An Extensible Markup Language (XML) sitemap is the sitemap that is read by search engines in order
to display the information of the site in search results, where a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
sitemap is for users to view the contents of the site and easily access any page.
|
XML Sitemap - Benefits
- Allows search engines to see date and time content was published to avoid duplication.
- Search engines can easily find pages to show when users search, even if the page does not
have an internal link.
- Notifies search engines when content is updated allowing for improved search results.
|
XML Sitemap - Disadvantages
- Regular updates are essential as sitemaps can become outdated quickly and search engines
will miss content.
- Most major search engines limit XML sitemaps to 50 000 URLs which may impact larger
websites.
- Provide no value to users, only for search engines.
|
HTML Sitemap - Benefits
- Allows users to easily navigate to any content or page.
- Helps with the organisation of site content.
- Easy starting point for search engines to discover content on the site.
|
HTML Sitemap - Disadvantages
- Do not contain important metadata for search engines.
- Regular updates are essential as sitemaps can become outdated quickly and search engines
will miss content.
- A single HTML sitemap can be difficult for large sites with a high volume of pages as it can
be cluttered and difficult to navigate.
|
| Evaluate three IDEs (Integrated development environments) and provide a brief summary on
the positive and negative aspects of each. Also, in your own words include how it would suit an
entry level trainee code developer. |
|
1. Visual Studio (VS) Code
|
Positive Aspects
- Supports a wide range of coding languages.
- Automatic code completion and syntax highlighting.
- Dashboard is highly customisable.
- Considered industry standard making support accessible.
|
Negative Aspects
- Can be overwhelming due to large number of features.
- Potentially resource intensive if working on large projects.
- May require more configuration compared to other code editors.
|
| Suitability for Trainee |
|
VS Code is suitable as the beginner-friendly features such as the automatic code completion and
syntax highlighting make it easier to understand the process and notice errors.
|
|
As VS Code is so widely used, it also makes finding help and external guides much easier.
|
|
|
|
2. PyCharm
|
Positive Aspects
- Very popular amongst Python builders, making it easy to find help.
- Automatic code competion and debugging.
- Built-in code analysis tools allow for easy error detection and improvements.
|
Negative Aspects
- Only supports Python; not suitable for other languages.
- Uses significant disk space.
- Can be overwhelming due to large number of features.
|
| Suitability for Trainee |
|
Similarly to VS Code, PyCharm is a suitable option for an entry-level trainee code developer, but
only if they were learning Python.
|
|
The built-in code completion and debugging allows for beginners to have an easier experience, while
the large community provides easy access to help and support.
|
|
|
|
3. GitHub Codespaces
|
Positive Aspects
- Web-based so can be accessed remotely.
- Can easily handle resource intensive projects on older or low-powered devices as it is
cloud-based.
- Ability to have separate coding projects without conflicting local folders.
|
Negative Aspects
- Requires internet connectivity which can be slow or unreliable.
- Cost increases as usage (both hours used and storage) increases which can end up being quite
expensive.
- General risks that come with being a cloud-based application i.e. larger security risks.
|
| Suitability for Trainee |
|
GitHub Codespaces is a suitable IDE for beginners as they can start using the software immediately
with no need to download anything.
|
|
Being cloud-based, the application remains the same regardless of device, reducing issues caused by
using different devices.
|
| Provide a brief history on web browser development and the issues encountered by web
developers, specifically, the adherence to web standards. |
| Web Browser Development & Issues Encountered |
| Tim Berners-Lee first came up with the idea of the World Wide Web in the late 1980s, and
in 1990, proposed the inital concept of the web along with the first created web browser and web
server software.
|
|
Shortly after this, in 1991, Berners-Lee created HTML which formed the base of web
pages and in 1993, using this language, the first website went live.
|
|
Issues began showing in the late 1990s, where maintaining a consistent style and design across web
pages began to prove challenging. To counteract this, in 1996 the W3C introduced CSS which allowed
web developers to better design their sites and allowed for consistent style and branding.
|
|
Another challenge came about in the mid-2000s, in the form of the smartphone era. The iPhone was
released in 2007, and with that brought challenges with screen sizes and displaying content.
|
|
To resolve this, responsive web design emerged and allowed web developers to adjust their sites to
various screen sizes and orientations.
|
| Issues Encountered in the Adherance to Web Standards |
| In 1994, Berners-Lee founded the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to enable continuous growth and
improvement of the World Wide Web by creating standards and guidelines.
|
|
In its early
days, the W3C was not heavily enforced, which lead to the emersion of the Web Standards Project
(WaSP) in 1998.
|
|
Prior to WaSP, browsers were not adhering to any web standards, meaning that web developers needed
to create multiple versions of the same site to allow it to work on each browser. WaSP was created
to put a stop to this.
|
