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 ICT division 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 ICT department provides training in certain areas; additional (fee-based) training is available elsewhere in the local area. Contact the director of Web Communications for recommendations.

Recommendations | Expanded Recommendations | Minimal Tools | Tools and Protocols NOT to Use | Additional Recommended Resources and Tutorials

Recommended tools

Minimum Hardware:

• PC (Pentium 4) or Macintosh G4/5 with 512MB RAM, 17" monitor, 20GB hard drive, and a CD/DVD RW drive
• CDs or other storage media (with a drive) so you can create backup copies of your work

Software:

• Web design/site management software: Macromedia Dreamweaver CS3 (preferred) or Adobe GoLive (Please note that the University templates are designed to be used with Dreamweaver. The templates may not function as well with other web editor programs.) You may purchase Dreamweaver CS3 as part of the Adobe CS3 Suite (available at the EMU Computer Store).
• Image editing software: Adobe Photoshop (preferred, and is included in the Adobe CS3 suite) or Photoshop Elements or Macromedia Fireworks
• Current browsers: Internet Explorer 6/7; Firefox; Safari. Note that many other browsers will also work fine and are often superior in speed and functionality. Due to high-volume use, Explorer/Firefox/Safari are our "supported" browsers, and EMU 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 EMU campus), OR
• At a minimum, a modem capable of 56k and a dedicated phone line (with internet service through your preferred ISP or EMU)

Additional tools that may 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). These items all have specific uses. Many people will be able to conduct all or most of their web development using the tools in the Recommended Tools set above.

Hardware:

• A desktop scanner
• Access to a second computer (either a Mac or PC, opposite of your primary workstation) to conduct cross-platform and cross-browser testing

Software:

• An SFTP program, if you want to upload/download files independently of the Dreamweaver CS3 client (see recommended clients)
• Access to an AOL browser for usability testing
• A copy of Opera / Camino or other browsers
• Adobe Illustrator (vector image editing software)
• Macromedia Flash (for certain types of dynamic content / multimedia development; you may want to purchase the Macromedia CS3 Studio Suite rather than purchasing the individual products independently.
• Adobe After Effects (multimedia content) and Premiere (digital film editing), or Macromedia Director (multimedia content)
• BBEdit (Mac) or other enhanced code-writing programs that provide additional tools for coders
• Adobe Acrobat full version (in addition to the free Acrobat Reader; this is included in the Adobe CS3 suite)

The minimum tool set

It is possible to get started in web development for less than $100, if you already have a computer, or access to a computer, and an internet connection. 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. It will also take you longer to produce web pages.

Hardware:

• A computer that is internet capable (with an internet connection)

Software:

• A text editor (free)
• An SFTP program such as PuTTY (free for PC), Fugu (free for Mac) or Transmit ($25 for Mac). Fetch also supports SFTP; contact the director of Web Communications for a license number and download information for official EMU use.
• Current web browsers (Explorer/Firefox/Safari - all free, and others as preferred)
• Adobe Photoshop Elements (if your site will contain images that you will need to create or edit, this excellent program costs $100 or less; contact the Computer Store)

Highly recommended for everyone:

• Macromedia Dreamweaver CS3, currently available and well worth the investment (contact the Computer Store). This suite will also allow you to work with the EMU web site templates.

Tools NOT to use

There are some tools available that we do NOT recommend, and in fact request in the strongest possible terms that you NOT use for web development at EMU. Those tools follow, along with brief explanation for each.

Microsoft FrontPage - This program was one of the early entrants into the "WYSIWYG" web editor marketplace. While it did improve from its earliest versions, FrontPage does not have completely-integrated site management tools. It does not do a good job of writing "clean code." It uses a protocol called FrontPage Extensions, which are proprietary, do not integrate with industry-standard protocols and technologies ("do not play well with others"), and are not supported by EMU. Therefore, if you have created web pages using FrontPage, you should NOT use extensions; they will not function properly on EMU servers. We strongly recommend that you obtain and use Macromedia Dreamweaver CS3 for your continued work.

Microsoft Word - This is not a web development nor design program. It is a word processing program, and should be used only for word processing. The code it creates under the "save as web page" or "save as HTML" option is uniformly non-standards-compliant. 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 CS3 and GoLive, with acceptable results.

Netscape Composer - Almost no one uses this any more. Please do not be the last holdout. It is a very poor tool. It has a very awkward interface, has few features, and is not flexible. Since the leading web editor programs are quite affordable, there is no 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.

CGI-bin / PERL scripts. These are not supported on our server, and have been replaced by PHP, a flexible, general-purpose scripting language. For a user-friendly introduction to PHP, visit this EMU tutorial site. For complete documentation on PHP and a comprehensive tutorial, visit php.net.

Database structures WITHOUT TALKING TO US FIRST. Many people wish to develop dynamic, database-driven web sites. We do support this type of application development within very specific parameters. We require a pre-existing proficiency with database administration and the sustainability of site development. We also require the use of specific technologies. Please discuss your plans and needs with us BEFORE working on database application development.

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. A few of the many recommended resources, particularly for people who are less experienced in web development, are detailed on this site under Additional Recommended Resources. Also, the ICT department, 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 director of Web Communications or the ICT department for consultation.

Questions about this site should be referred to the director of Web Communications and New Media.