Page 237 - DCAP303_MULTIMEDIA_SYSTEMS

Unit 14: Designing for World Wide Web (WWW)

• Understand the use of sound notes
• Explain animation in Web
introduction

The World Wide Web (WWW) has become a very popular means for publishing information. A
large number of information repositories (Websites) already exist and new ones are being created
at a very rapid rate. Most of the pages on WWW repositories provide elements that allow users
(readers) to interact with them. Thus, the people designing pages for the WWW are actually
designing user interfaces.
The proliferation of pages with poor usability suggests that most of the designers of WWW
pages have little knowledge of user interface design and usability engineering. This is a serious
problem that needs to be addressed because pages with poor usability waste user time discourage
exploration and could be responsible for a large amount of unnecessary traffic on the Internet.
Thus, it is very important to develop practical methodologies for designing usable Web pages.

14.1 plug-ins

Plug-ins is software modules that add to the functionality of an application. Many applications
use plug-ins, including Photoshop, and Web browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer.
Plug-ins can have many different functions. Web browsers typically use plug-ins to expand the
range of formats they can display (e.g., Acrobat documents, QuickTime or Adobe Flash content).
When the Web browser encounters a format it does not support, it looks for a plug-in that does.
A plug-in can launch its own viewer, appear within a browser window, appear in an embedded
frame (within a window that may also contain HTML), or run in the background. Plug-ins work
in similar ways with other kinds of programs.
How you install a plug-in depends on both the parent application and the plug-in itself. In many
cases, the directory or folder where you place your plug-in(s) may have an installer.
14.1.1 purpose

Applications support plug-ins for many reasons. Some of the main reasons include:
• to enable third-party developers to create abilities which extend an application
• to support easily adding new features

• to reduce the size of an application
• to separate source code from an application because of incompatible software licenses.
14.1.2 features of plug-ins

1. Add video, audio, photos and slideshows to your Website and e-mails
2. Works with any blog site
3. Upload video productions

4. Create amazing slideshows
5. Your audio, slideshows and video can be heard and seen worldwide

6. Instant and automatic updates for your galleries

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