Draft created: 3/9/00;  last: 10/24/02 

COSC330 PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS

The semester project for COSC 330 is the most important assignment in the course and constitutes 15% of the final grade (the same as the Final Exam).   Unless negotiated differently with me, the project should involve one of the following:

1. Create an introduction to an advanced Web development technique, that includes:
1. an overview of the technique,
2. a simple online demonstration or tutorial, and
3. an example (your "project Web") with a apply named main page, e.g. XML_Overview.
that would introduce a typical COSC 330 student to using that technique.  To do this, you should select one or more Web development techniques (not explititly covered in a lab) to study independently during the last half of the course.  (Computer Science majors have a restriced choice; for a partial list of acceptable project subjects click here.  )
2. Create a Web site on Frostburg eVillage for a local organization; this will be your "project Web".  See the specifications here.

1. your ability to use all the Web development techniques introduced in this course.  (After the course is over, you can eleminate things that you don't like to make your site more effectively represent you.)
2. the results of a half-semester's research on a Web development technique which is incorporated into you Web site.

At a minimum, the finished project must include the following:

1. The main page (a file named main330.htm) should introduce yourself (as a student), your major, the COSC 330 course, the labs, and the project.  (Your home page, index.htm, should contain a descriptive link to main330.htm. You can also put a link, on your home page, directly to your project, but that is your choice.)  Your  main330.htm should also include the following.
1. A link to the interface (project330.htm) to your project which should introduce the project and describe every link on the page.  It should also include
2. Links to the relevant labs specified in item 3, below: Each link should have a concise description of its content or purpose. The linked text (i.e. the the underlined blue text of your document) should not say, for example "Lab 6" (which is meaningless to a Web surfer) but should inform the user where the link leads (e.g. "Lists of links to sites on ..."), and thus help the reader decide whether to follow the link or continue reading the current document.
3. Use a copy of the COSC 330 logo that you developed in Lab 5 as a link to the home page of this course.  Add a brief annotation to this link.
2. The Web page interface to your project project330.htm, should contain the following (at a minimum):
1. a weekly journal with a chronology of the development of your project, i.e. a chronological log of your activities while developing your project.  This should have dated entries (at least one for every week) explaining what you did.  If you created part of your project Web site, your journal should have a link to the relevant page/location.   I would suggest that you update this chronology more frequently than once a week, butif you do not have a weekly update, I will deduct from your project grade.
2. documentation about how and where your Web development techniques are utilized in your project Web.
1. If you choose the first alternative,  an advance Web technique, your should explain the technique (giving references), show how to take the tutorial, and emphasize how and where the techniques was utilized in you project Web.
2. If you choose the second alternative, a Web site for a business or organization, you should emphasize how and where the techniques, learned in this course, were utilized in you project Web
3. a link called "Tour of this project" that links to the first page of what you think is the most logical sequence of the pages of your project.  Each page then has a "next" button linking to the subsequent page in that sequence.
4. a link to each page of your project Web (the collection of pages in your project).  (See item 3, below.)
5. links to index.htm., main330.htm, and an e-mail link to your e-mail address:
3. Your project Web which should have a common (unifying) theme (not necessarily a FrontPage theme) and include (at least):
1. a tour (specified in item 1.B, above), e.g. links, on every page,  to the next page in a logical sequence of pages,
2. links, on every page, to index.htm., main330.htm, project330.htm, and an e-mail link to your e-mail address.  (If you plan to use you project Web beyond this course, you should, after the course is over, disassociate your Web from this course, i.e. remove these links from the project Web pages .)
3. evidence of Web development constructs learned in this course:
1. required constructs: tables, frames, original graphics, and JavaScript.
2. optional contructs (plusses to your grade): forms, image maps, applets, DHTML, CSS, animated graphics, Flash, audio, video, Cold Fusion,etc.
3. If you choose the first alternative, of couse, you should utilize the techniques you learned in your example.
4. Each page of your site (especially the project) should:
1. begin with a clear, precise, and concise description of the page's purpose and content and as well as any special instructions as to how to access its information. Every reference to an Internet site should also be an active link to that site.
2. have every hyperlink annotated with a meaningful description of the page that the link accesses.
3. contain appropriate graphics and formatting that enhance the presentations.
4. make effective use of tables and frames.  (Frames are a controversial Web construct, so you are not required to use them extensively, but you should incorporate them somewhere to demonstrate your competence in using them.)
5. A minimal collection of pages for you project Web (in addition to main330.htm and project330.htm) would include,
1. if you choose the first alternative (an advance Web technique),
1. an introduction that clearly explains the Web technique learned,
2. if appropriate, a demonstration or tutorial introducing the subject to beginners.
3. if appropriate, at least one example (if the subject is a programming language, softwared development tool, etc.)
2. if you choose the second alternative (a real world Web site for a business or organization),
1. a set of integrated pages that fully satisfies the specifications of the business/organization owner or representative.
Be sure to distinguish between project330.htm (like a cover page) and your "project Web" (the Web you create (1) introducing the Web technique you studied or (2) representing the business/organization for which you developed the site)  Also, remember that the first priority of your project is to display your mastery of all the web development skills we cover in this couse plus those you studied as part of the project, so be sure to emphasize them in the project cover page, project330.htm and link to them on your project Web.

• Be CLEAR!
• Be PRECISE!
• Be CONCISE!

SUGGESTIONS:

• Use dark fonts on light backgrounds and visa versa; however, be aware that if, for some reason, your background does not download, light fonts will be difficult, if not impossible, to read on the default white background.
• Default colors for links can hide links on backgrounds of the same color, so avoid blue backgrounds because that is the typical color for links.  (Note that you can set the default colors of your browser by selecting the Colors item, under Appearance on the dialog box found in the Edit|preferences menu.)
• Make links distinctive, e.g. use bold, large fonts and self descriptive, i.e. clearly annotated.

• systematically work on it every week after Lab 5 is completed,
• enter a weekly indication of at least three hours effort on your journal (chronological project log), and
• finish something that shows an effort worthy of 6-7 weeks work,