University Webmaster

Appendix I.

Information Technology Technical and Coding Standards and Guidelines for Official Unit Homepages

The following standards and guidelines are designed to assist in the creating of pages that are not only functional but also reflect positively on the image of the University. Please read the carefully in order to make sure that the official unit pages are meeting them correctly.

Technical and Coding Standards
These are strict standards that MUST be adhered to by all who publish information to official unit homepages.

1. Remove unimplemented, old, or broken links.
1.1. Broken links mean bad development.
1.2. If a link is not being used do not just leave it on the page.

2. Please include warnings for large files.
2.1. Let user know they may have to wait a minute for this file to finish downloading.
2.2. This is useful for large PDF, video, or other forms of large media over 200KB.

3. The use of Frames is strictly prohibited.
3.1. Frames prevent pages from being book marked.
3.2. They appear differently in every browser.
3.3. They make printing difficult.
3.4. Frames are not supported by All Browsers.

4. Use of Java Applets and ActiveX controls on Georgia Southern pages is prohibited unless approved by the University Webmaster. Approval can be requested. Please refer to the section on web requests for the current policy
4.1. These slow down sites and require plug-ins to use.
4.2. ActiveX constitutes are security risk

5. Include a DOCTYPTE Statement at the top of your HTML code
5.1. This is document statement that goes at the top of the HTML code.
5.2. SAMPLE:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">

6. HTML filenames should be lowercase with no spaces
6.1. This is for Unix Compatibility.
6.2. This keeps path names as short as possible

7. Include META Tags that contain keywords, authors, language and update information
7.1. This will allow certain information to be indexed for searching
7.2. SAMPLE:
<META name="Author" content="Dave Raggett">
<META name="keywords" lang="en-us" content="college, southern">

8. Pages should fit screen resolution of 800 pixels in width and 600 pixels in height
8.1. This means that the total width of a page in order to avoid scrolling to the side should not exceed 760 pixels.
8.2. This also makes printing on one page possible.

9. All HTML pages must ONLY have readable permissions.
9.1. Many of the pages on our server have permissions set incorrectly and this could allow anyone to make changes to your files.
9.2. If you use the recommended SSH(Secure Shell) client it will take care of permissions for you.

10. All scripts or executables such a CGI files must be kept in a directory labeled “cgi-bin”.

Technical and Coding Guidelines
These are recommendations that MUST be adhered to by all who publish information to official unit homepages.

1. Page Size – Keep page sizes below 200 KB
1.1. This minimizes download time
1.2. Stays within the attention span of users
1.3. Keeps pages from becoming unusable

2. Reduce Scrolling
2.1. Helps with smaller monitors
2.2. Break content down into reasonable sections and divide across multiple pages
2.3. Makes information more easily readable

3. Establish sufficient contrast between colors and text
3.1. Do not put light text on a light background
3.2. Do not put dark text on dark background
3.3. Try not to use busy backgrounds such as complex images.

4. Pages should be functional without VBScript, JavaScript, CSS, Flash, or browser specific tags..
4.1. These features can be used to enhance functionality, but must not be required.

5. Please try to use the HTML 4.0 standard
5.1. This will allow all pages to be viewed in most every browser.
5.2. Most common editors use this version of HTML.

6. Tables should use proportional (percentage widths) so that they stretch to accommodate different browser widths.

7. Keep pages in same browser unless necessary
7.1. This allows the user to use the back and forward buttons
7.2. This also does not hinder the user’s computer. Every time a new browser window opens it takes up memory on a users computer

The University Webmaster will provide some Basic templates that meet these requirements.