Web Site Build
The site was started from the Decentium template downloaded from os-templates.com . It is a free download and is a great starting point. This site provided many free templates for use. However the site no longer exists, but the template can be found on other sites, such as; free-css.com and themeslab.org.
Web Server
The site is hosted on a PowerMac G5, 64-bit dual CPU system running at 2.3GHz. The Abyss Web Server by Aprelium was selected because it runs on the PowerPC architecture. The operating system is OSX 10.5; relatively obsolete by today's standard but nevertheless a stable platform for hosting a web server. The web server is very easy to install and use. It supports CGI scripts and server side includes (SSI); ideal for repetitive sections of code. This made it an ideal choice. An example of a server side include statement is below.
The Abyss server interprets the .shtml extension and fetches the HTML code in that file to include it in the web page.
An additional advantage of the Abyss web server is the web based management interface; all its functions can be controlled through a web browser, thus allowing remote maintenance capability. Importantly, the server also features anti-hacking functionality.
HTML Coding
The site's HTML pages were initially entirely coded using Notepad++ on a Windows PC. However, over time I found it tedious to manintain consistency of style from page to page. As well, coding each page became overwhelming as the site's content grew. Instead of coding pages in HTML I developed a pseudo-language that made coding pages easier. Using Notepad++, the pages are now created using this simpler language, then once completed are sent to a compiler I wrote.
The compiler takes the pseudo language, creates the HTML page and the script to send the HTML page from the Windows PC to the PowerMac. The compiler provides a detailed list of all the functions it performed in a separate file, which is handy for debugging, and executes the script to send the HTML file to the PowerMac. Additionally, the compiler is designed to take "blocks" of repetitive code and insert it into the HTML page as it's being built. In this manner consistency is maintained in look and feel and keeps focus on developing the content rather than worrying about the look and feel. A sample of the pseudo-code is below:
An explanation follows. All pseudo code instructions are preceded with ampersand. The ampersand was left out in the descriptions below so the compiler would not interpret them as commands for this explanation.
- ti - adds the HTML code for the title section.
- of,BLOCK1.txt - picks up the contents of file BLOCK1.txt and includes it in the HTML page creation.
- bkg - adds the HTML code for the pahe header background image.
- of,BLOCK2.txt - picks up another file of HTML code to include in the page flow.
- of,BLOCK3 and BLOCK4 files contain HTML code used in the start of the HTML page.
- ai_nav.shtml - this SSI code is included when the web server provides the page to the user.
- tc,Term,Description - instructs the compiler to create a table with two headings; Term and Description.
A note on the difference between adding a block of code in the pseudo language and the web server SSI. When the compiler adds a block of text it is part of the process of creating a full HTML page that is sent to the web server. The SSI, on the other hand, is a section of HTML code that the web server adds on the fly, whenever a user requests to view the page. Adding BLOCKS of code through the compiler creates longer HTML pages sitting on the web server, but it is faster than the web server SSI, whereby the server needs to locate the file, open it and serve the content dynamically.
The process steps for creating a web page from pseudo code to an HTML file ready to serve to a user is illustrated below.
A recent version of the compiler inserts the date and time of creation at the bottom of the page. The date format is month-day-year. The time is displayed in 24 hour format.
Images
Most images on this site have been tweaked with Picasa 3; an unsupported Google image manipulation and management application. It is extremely useful for straightening images, cropping, sharpening image contrast or changing from color to black and white. To resize images, the default Microsoft image application on Windows 10 is used. Many public domain images were sourced from unsplash.com. However, the header image used on this page is a picture of my PowerMac G5s!
Copyright
Many images used on this site have been sourced from other internet sites. I have attributed the source of the images when they are used. Likewise, public domain content has been adapted and sources have been referenced. Should anyone have objections to the use of their content please let me know.
In the spirit of sharing and promoting knowledge in the public domain I'm open to others using the content that I've created . Therefore, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Compiled on 05-02-2024 16:53:26