Top End Recipes

Question 1

Describe the difference between an XML Sitemap and a HTML Sitemap. List the benefits and disadvantages of using each.

Answer

An XML sitemap is written in Extensible Markup Language (XML) and it contains information about all website URLs and metadata. XML sitemaps are for search engines, which use the information to index the site, so that it can be displayed in search results for relevant prompts. The main benefit is improving the search engine optimisation of the website, for example how high your site is ranked in search results. The disadvantage is that for an average user, it will be very hard to understand.

A HTML sitemap is written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and is a table of contents for all your website pages. It allows users to easily access the pages they want to view. Although it doesn’t influence search engine results, it provides a better user experience, especially for those with accessibility needs.

Question 2

Evaluate three IDE’s (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.

Answer

Visual Studio Code Positive aspects - very lightweight, versatile, good AI integration, and massive marketplace Negative aspects – requires manual installations of some plugins and JSON files to make it like a full IDE

VSCodium Positive aspects – fully open-sourced, more privacy because telemetry is turned off Negative aspects – unlike Visual Studio Code it has no Microsoft licensing which means it does not have access to Microsoft plugins and debuggers

Sublime Text Positive aspects - considered to be extremely fast and light, usually better for large individual files because other IDEs can feel heavy Negative aspects – requires a paid licence, and you have to install more extensions and plugins

Comparing these three IDEs, Visual Studio Code seems the most suitable for an entry-level trainee code developer. It requires little setup and is considered industry standard, so it doesn’t really need extra extensions or plug-ins for entry-level to intermediate coding, unless they’re doing advanced javascript coding. Anyone can install it and just get started. If a student gets stuck there are a lot of tutorials and YouTube guides available because it’s so commonly used.

Question 3

Provide a brief history on web browser development and the issues encountered by web developers, specifically, the adherence to web standards.

Answer

The first web browser created was in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee named WorldWideWeb. It was then followed by Netscape browser dominating until Microsoft created Internet Explorer and packaged it with Windows, sparking the ‘first browser war’ from 1995-2001.

One significant issue during development in the 90s was that different browsers were only compatible with certain types of code. It was very inconvenient for web developers because they had to create multiple versions of the same web page in different types of code so they could be viewed on each individual browser.

In 1998, the Web Standards Project was formed to ensure that web browsers would support universal standards set by the W3C. This allowed a single codebase to work consistently across all web browsers.

Currently, the most popular browser is Google Chrome, defeating Microsoft Edge and Firefox in the ‘second browser war’ because, even though they all adhere to web standards, Chrome offers superior speed, stability, a minimalist design, and a powerful search engine. However, some users who highly value their privacy opt for more niche browsers like DuckDuckGo & Brave because they prevent tracking and allow users to adjust more settings to their liking.

Question 4

What are website testing methodologies? Your answer MUST cover browser compatibility, and website functionality.

Answer

Website testing methodologies are processes used to ensure a website functions properly and is user-friendly before it is released to the public.

Two common tests are browser compatibility testing and website functionality testing. Browser compatibility testing is when developers check to see that the website works consistently on every type of browser, OS and device screen sizes. Website functionality testing is making sure that all elements on the website work as they should such as the links, buttons, and interactive features.

Question 5

What are the endorsed requirements of accessibility for all NT Government webpages?

Answer

Question 6

How do you think it’s best to organise all the assets used for a specific webpage? Think locally on your computer AND within the root folder of the website.

Answer

Root folder located on the local computer’s file system, usually named ‘Root’ to make it easily identifiable.

Inside the root folder, there will be a webpage project folder for all webpage HTML files, a CSS subfolder and an image subfolder.

One of the HTML files in your webpage project folder is index.html, which is the homepage of your website and links to any other webpage HTML files.

The CSS and images will all be in separate subfolders within your webpage project folder and can be easily referenced in the HTML files.