Lesson One: Web Browsers

Question

Welcome to the Web Design course! In this first chapter, you are going to learn about the tools and languages used to create and display web pages.

You are most likely viewing this lesson through a web browser. A web browser is a software program that can display web pages on your computer. These programs work like foreign language translators, changing mysterious web page code into a form that the reader can easily view and understand. Web browsers are the preferred way to view most of the information that is available on the World Wide Web (WWW).

Common Browsers
Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Apple Safari are the names of common browsers used on desktop and laptop computers today. Mobile phones and tablets also contain built-in web browsers that know how to display pages on a small screen.
For a long time, the Microsoft "Internet Explorer" (or "IE") browser was widely used. It came pre-installed on Windows operating systems, so Windows users did not have to take any extra steps to install or configure this program. With the introduction of Windows 10, Microsoft released a new web browser called "Edge". Internet Explorer is still present, but Edge is the default browser. However, many users will choose to install and use other web browsers on their Windows computers.
"Firefox" is a free alternative browser that works on both Windows and Mac computers. Firefox started as a response to complaints from unhappy IE users and is maintained by a large group of volunteer programmers. These volunteers invented many useful features that other browsers soon adopted.
Firefox is an example of open source software, which means the source code is free for anyone to download and examine. If you want to see how a feature works, suggest new features, or contribute fixes on your own, then using open source software is a good choice. Most other web browsers are closed source, so only the companies that own the browsers will work with the source code. In that case, paid professionals will maintain and expand the browser features.
If you use a Mac OS X computer, chances are you are using the "Safari" web browser. Apple includes the Safari software with every Mac OS computer, iPhone and iPad. Safari can be installed on Windows computers too, but it is mostly used on Mac computers.
The Google "Chrome" browser was first released in 2008 and has rapidly become very popular. In fact, it is now the most widely used browser and is available on both Windows and Mac computers. Because Chrome is made by Google, Inc., it works very well with many other Google applications like Google Search and Gmail.

You can use any of these major browsers as you develop web pages for this course. You may even want to install more than one browser, and test your web pages to make sure they look great in different programs.
Comparing Browsers
What browser program do you prefer? Most web pages will look very similar on different browsers, but there may be small differences. Each browser has different strengths and features. The browser you choose may depend on the websites you visit or how you use the Internet.
Each browser program has the same basic components, even if they are displayed slightly differently. Below we have shown example web pages from Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. Your own web browser may look different because these programs can be configured to hide or show different elements, or you might be running a newer version with an updated style.
The numbered areas show some features common to most browsers:

The first area displays the title of the web page. If you have more than one website open, you may see multiple "tabs", each with their own title.

The second area contains the address (also called the Uniform Resource Locater or URL) of the page within the World Wide Web. If you know the address of your website, you can type it directly into the address bar in order to go directly to that page.

The large central area shows the web page content. If the web page has been designed properly, this content area should look the same in different web browsers. However, individual web browsers may display things slightly differently.

Answer the following and respond back to this assignment by creating a new submission in Schoology. You may create a draft in Notability or Google Docs to answer these and submit by copy and pasting or as a PDF. No PNG file types since I cannot open them!

What are some of the different browsers on the market today?
Why are there different browsers?
Discuss the title area, address bar and content area of different browsers.
Discuss how to find web browser software on students' computers.
Why is it important to test your web page on different browsers?
What is the purpose of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) ?
Why is it important to test your web page on different versions of the same browser?

Answer 1

1. Some of the different browsers on the market today include Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Internet Explorer.

2. There are different browsers because they have different strengths, features, and compatibility with certain websites and applications. People have different preferences and needs when it comes to web browsing, so having a variety of options allows users to choose the browser that best suits their requirements.

3. - The title area displays the title of the web page and often shows multiple tabs if there are multiple websites open.
- The address bar, also known as the URL bar, displays the address or URL of the webpage. Users can directly type the URL of a website in the address bar to navigate to that page.
- The content area is the main area of the browser window where the web page content is displayed. This area should ideally look the same in different browsers, but there can be slight variations.

4. Web browser software can usually be found on students' computers by checking the default applications or programs installed. On Windows computers, Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer is usually pre-installed. On Mac computers, Safari is typically included. Students can also download and install other browsers like Firefox or Chrome directly from their respective websites.

5. It is important to test your web page on different browsers to ensure compatibility and consistent display across different platforms. Different browsers may interpret and display HTML and CSS code differently, leading to variations in how your web page appears. Testing on different browsers helps identify any compatibility issues and allows you to make necessary adjustments for optimal user experience.

6. The purpose of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is to develop and maintain web standards. The W3C creates guidelines and recommendations for web technologies to ensure interoperability and compatibility across different browsers and devices. Adhering to W3C standards helps ensure that web pages function correctly and are accessible to all users.

7. It is important to test your web page on different versions of the same browser because different versions may have varying levels of support for web technologies and different rendering engines. Older versions of browsers may not support newer HTML, CSS, or JavaScript features, resulting in compatibility issues. Testing on different versions allows you to identify and address any potential issues for users who may be using different browser versions.

Answer 2

How does Python know you've reached the end of a code statement?

A. You placed a hash-tag (#) at the end of each line

B. You hit the "Enter" key to move to the next line

C. You place an equals sign (=) at the end of each line

D. You place a semicolon (;) at the end of each line