Practical Web Development
By Paul Wellens
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Practical Web Development - Paul Wellens
Table of Contents
Practical Web Development
Credits
About the Author
Acknowledgments
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more
Why subscribe?
Free access for Packt account holders
Preface
What this book covers
What you need for this book
Who this book is for
Conventions
Reader feedback
Customer support
Downloading the example code
Errata
Piracy
Questions
1. The World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The Internet
HTTP and HTML
HTML
HTTP
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Mosaic
The first browser
Netscape
Internet Explorer
The explosion of the Web
Amazon.com and e-commerce
Google and Yahoo!
Social networking
Web development
HTML
HTML editors and other tools
Browsers and web servers
CSS
JavaScript
PHP
Data
Summary
2. HTML
HTML versions
Semantic and presentational HTML
The structure and syntax of an HTML document
Doctype
Syntax for tags or elements inside the document
HTML comments
Links
The href attribute
The name attribute
The target attribute
Classic document elements
,
,
, …
– headings
– paragraph
– span
Lists
Images
element and attributes
Image width and height
Input forms
Form elements
Form attributes
The label attribute
Input attributes
The name attribute
The value attribute
The checked attribute
The readonly attribute
Textarea
Drop-down lists
The disabled attribute
The selected attribute
Tables
Table elements
Table attributes
colspan (td)
rowspan (td)
uebertag
HTML entities
HTML5-specific tags
Summary
3. CSS
Adding styles to our documents
External style sheets
Internal CSS
Inline styles
The Document Object Model (DOM)
Selectors
Multiple classes
Descendants
Selecting children or siblings
Specificity
Block elements and inline elements
Colors
Fonts
So what are fonts?
Font families
Serif fonts
Sans-serif fonts
Monospace fonts
The font-family property
Font-weight and font-style
Font-size
Line-height
The box model
Padding
Border
Margin
Collapsing margins
Positioning
Float
position:relative
position:absolute
Styling lists
list-style-type
list-style-image
list-style-position
Styling anchors – pseudo-classes
Firebug
Summary
4. JavaScript
Programming 101
Compiled and interpreted languages compared
JavaScript is not the same as Java
Java
JavaScript
Our first JavaScript program
Variables
Variable declarations
Values of variables
Numbers
Strings
Converting strings to numbers
Expressions and operators
Arithmetic operators
Addition(+)
Subtraction (-)
Multiplication (*)
Division (/)
Modulo (%)
Relational operators
Control flow
if
while
switch
Functions
Scope of variables
Objects
JSON
DOM objects, properties, methods, and events
The Window object
The Document object
write and writeln methods
Nodes and DOM traversing
Events
Summary
5. PHP
Introduction to PHP
Our first real PHP program
PHP and web hosting
Web hosting 101
Domain name
Web hosting companies
Server-side setup
Additional server-side services
PHP development environment
PHP as a web development language
Variables, values, operators, and expressions
Scope of variables
Local variables
Global variables
Static variables
String operators
To double quote or to single quote, that is the question
Control flow
Functions
String functions
strpos()
strlen()
substr()
Date functions
time()
date()
strtotime()
Arrays
Numeric arrays or indexed arrays
Associative arrays
Cool control statements for associative arrays
Sending data back to the server – forms
POST or GET, what should we get?
$_POST and $_GET arrays
Files
include, require, and require_once
Regular files
File functions or f-functions
fopen
file_exists(), is_file(), and is_dir()
fread and fwrite
One line at a time – fgets()
The printf family
Syntax of printf family of functions
Summary
6. PHP and MySQL
Databases
Relational databases
SQL
MySQL
phpMyAdmin
Creating databases
Creating and managing users
Creating and managing database tables
MySQLi in PHP
Connecting to the database
Our first SQL query, really!
Writing a MySQL query in PHP
Fetching the result
Obtaining data from more than one table
Adding data
Updating data
Summary
7. jQuery
Obtaining the jQuery library
Where to place the jQuery library on your page?
jQuery UI and jQuery Mobile
Using jQuery selectors and methods
html()
text()
attr()
.val()
show() and hide()
.find()
.parent()
.next()
.css()
jQuery documentation
Event handlers and jQuery
preventDefault()
$(this)
updateNewsContent()
Summary
8. Ajax
XMLHttpRequest
Ajax and jQuery
jQuery Ajax methods
$.load() method
$.post()
$.ajax()
Summary
9. The History API – Not Forgetting Where We Are
The problem we are trying to solve
The self-service restaurant
HTML5 History API and the history object
pushState()
popstate event
popstate and different browsers
The History plugin
Bookmarking
Summary
10. XML and JSON
XML
XML format
Displaying XML files
XML editors
XML Schema
SimpleXML
The XML file
The XML Schema file
The CSS file
The PHP file
Creating XML files with SimpleXML
Generating our HTML on the client side
XSLT
JSON
JSON syntax
JSON values
JSON objects
JSON strings
JSON arrays
JSON numbers
JSON and PHP
JSON with Ajax and jQuery
Two useful JSON methods
Summary
11. MongoDB
Relational database management systems
NoSQL databases
MongoDB
Installing MongoDB
The MongoDB shell
Creating databases, collections, and documents
_id and ObjectIds
Loading scripts
Removing documents
Updating documents
MongoDB data types
Basic data types
Dates
Embedded documents
One more example
MongoDB and PHP
Getting our gallery data
CRUD operations with MongoDB and PHP
Insert documents
Update documents
Queries with conditions
MongoDB cursor object
Summary
12. Mobile First, Responsive Design with Progressive Enhancement
Responsive design
Déjà vu
Media queries
Using the media attribute
Do more with less
Mobile first
Why mobile first?
We have come a long way
Mobile devices have newer capabilities
Mobile devices are not only used while on the road
Content first, navigation next
Small means big
Mobile input
Mobile first recap
Progressive enhancement
EnhanceJS
enhance.js
loadStyles and loadScripts
enhanced and FOUC
Modernizr
The Modernizr object
Polyfills and Modernizr
yepnope.js or Modernizr.load
Summary
13. Foundation – A Responsive CSS/JavaScript Framework
Our responsive toolkit – Foundation
Foundation components
The grid system
Class end
Visibility classes
The block grid system
Useful UI elements
Thumbnails – for simple galleries
Reveal modals – your better pop-up
Dropdowns
Example – a simple photo gallery
Accordions
Awesome Font awesome
Equalizer – the hardest thing to do with two
Navigation
Top bar – not just your regular menu bar
Adding more magic
Yet more magic – off-canvas, the coolest thing
Summary
14. Node.js
Node.js
Installing node.js
npm
node
Adding HTML
Serving up static content
A tale of two (JavaScript) cities
node.js and MongoDB
Déjà vu … once more
Express
Installing Express
Our first Express app
An example with middleware
Templating and handlebars.js
Creating a layout
Our last Hello, World example
Summary
A. Bootstrap – An Alternative to Foundation
Bootstrap components
The Bootstrap grid system
Visibility classes
Buttons
Other UI elements
Thumbnails
Dropdowns
Modal – the Bootstrap popup
Combining dropdowns and modals
Collapse – an accordion for Bootstrap
Navigation
Summary
Index
Practical Web Development
Practical Web Development
Copyright © 2015 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
First published: July 2015
Production reference: 1240715
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
Livery Place
35 Livery Street
Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.
ISBN 978-1-78217-591-9
www.packtpub.com
Credits
Author
Paul Wellens
Reviewers
Jorge Albaladejo
Elvis Boansi
Adam Maus
Jesús Pérez Paz
Commissioning Editor
Edward Gordon
Acquisition Editors
James Jones
Sonali Vernekar
Content Development Editor
Ritika Singh
Technical Editor
Ryan Kochery
Copy Editors
Alpha Singh
Ameesha Green
Jasmine Nadar
Project Coordinator
Milton Dsouza
Proofreader
Safis Editing
Indexer
Rekha Nair
Production Coordinator
Manu Joseph
Cover Work
Manu Joseph
About the Author
Paul Wellens has been a senior product manager for a major computer company in the Los Angeles area and Silicon Valley for over two decades. Before that, he used to install Unix systems and train companies in Europe, from his native Belgium. Later in his career, he became a web development aficionado because it brought him back to another passion of his: programming.
This is not his first book. His prior publication is of a different nature. Nature is what it is all about as it is a guidebook on Eastern California, which is illustrated with his own photographs. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise to learn that, besides experimenting with new web technologies, his major hobbies are photography and hiking in the Eastern Sierra.
Acknowledgments
I have written books before and I know that the result can only be successful if there are some nice people to assist you. This is the first time that I have worked with a publisher, Packt Publishing, so these are the first people I would like to thank. I would like to thank Shivani Wala for discovering me and James Jones for working with me to figure out the right book for me to write and for you to read. I enjoyed working with Priyanka Shah, Ritika Singh, and Ryan Kochery who assisted me in bringing this cool project to completion, without a single complaint, even though I was once again late with a deliverable. Thank you for being so patient with me.
I would also like to thank (yes, this is a note of cynicism) the three companies that manage
the railroads in Belgium. Without their comedy of errors with trains—delays, cancellations, failure to depart because of mechanical problems, or trains departing from the station where you want to get to, as opposed to depart from, I would never had so much time to work on this book on my iPad. It is not in their honor, but, because for 2 years, it was the highlight of my day to safely arrive at Antwerp Central Station—which was rated by an American newspaper as the most beautiful train station in the world—that we decided to use it as the cover photo.
Next, I would like to thank my web developer buddy, Björn Beheydt, for taking the time to read the early versions of the chapters of this book and providing constructive feedback. I would also like to mention Steve Drach and Bart Reunes for always being there when I needed some technical advice.
Then, there are places that I would like to call a home away from home, where folks did not mind that I was typing away on my Bluetooth keyboard when inspiration kicked in. Most notably, I have to thank the folks at Trapke Op (Caro, Maressa, Evi, Klaartje and Jill) in Brecht, Belgium, where I typed these sentences. These wonderful people helped me make it to the finish line. Het Boshuisje in Zoersel, where Hendrik Conscience wrote books over a hundred years before I did, also comes to mind. I would like to thank Theo for always giving me a seat to land with my iPad, keyboard, and work.
Less related to this book, but still in need of a mention, are all my friends in California that inspired me to carry on doing great things in hard times. In particular, I want to express my appreciation to the people that work(ed) at the Gordon Biersch Restaurant in Palo Alto, which I can still proudly call my photo gallery. I thank them for their support for over 11 years and for still welcoming me when I visit them; they make me feel as if I only left last night. That also includes the patrons of the place with whom I've had numerous conversations and enjoyed every single one of them.
If you read this book, or my previous book, you will notice that I have a certain affinity and passion for a particular part of California. So, I would like to thank all the wonderful folks that live in the town of June Lake, California, for always having inspired me to come back and be creative. My goal in life is to go there as often as I can.
Finally, I would like to thank my mother. It has been hard for her since my father passed away and her son returned. I am dedicating this book to her, not that I expect her to read it, but I really appreciate the patience she had with me while I was writing it.
About the Reviewers
Jorge Albaladejo is a software engineer with a master's degree in information and communication technologies from HES-SO, Switzerland. With over a decade of experience building cloud, SaaS, and web applications, he considers himself to be a passionate and versatile full-stack web developer.
Throughout his professional experience, he has worked with many companies in different fields, such as project management, social networks, quality assurance, weather data visualization, and video games. He devours countless books about software engineering, project management, and science fiction, and he is passionate about clean, long-lasting software architectures.
He is currently working as a freelance contractor under the commercial name of CometaStudio, and he is mostly interested in start-ups and mid-sized companies that build great web experiences for great causes that make a difference. His next dream is to become a digital nomad who travels around the globe while working at the same time—and learn languages in the process!
Elvis Boansi is a software developer at John Jay College. He develops and maintains custom web applications that are used by members of the college. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer and basketball with his friends.
I'd like to thank my employers at John Jay College for all of their support. I would also like to thank my supervisors, Ana and Juan, for their feedback. I thank my friends, Sanga, Steve, and Loric, for constantly sharing their knowledge with me.
Adam Maus is a software developer with a master's degree in computer science and works at the Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in the United States. His interests lie in developing web technologies that utilize data mining to create better user experiences. He primarily works on websites that help people undergoing addiction recovery support, as well as people who are aging. In his free time, he enjoys running, biking, and reading books.
Jesús Pérez Paz is a full-stack web developer with experience in project management. He works at PepitaStore Inc. and collaborates with Mozilla.
His main area of work is design, and he integrates the user interface (or frontend) of web pages / applications; however, lately, he has been diving into backend stuff and has become a full-stack web developer.
He loves the open/free Internet and thinks that the Internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible to everyone.
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Preface
I am fortunate to have lived and worked in California for a long time. The majority of that time, I lived in Palo Alto, which is the center of Silicon Valley, the home of Stanford University, and the birthplace of many companies, big and small, such as Sun Microsystems, where I worked. I sat on the front row to see how the World Wide Web developed, as well as being present for the advent of social media. Facebook started on the other side of the wall of my favorite restaurant. Now, some Facebook guy or girl is sitting in what used to be my office at the bottom of the Dumbarton Bridge. As a product manager for Solaris, one of my tasks was to make sure that Netscape Navigator was included with our operating system. So, I was right at the source in which the development of the Web began. I even went to the Web 2.0 conference and bought the book of the same name.
Then, I felt the need to have my own website to display my photographs and inform people about the beauty and interesting places of the parts of California that I had discovered during my many journeys travelling around the state. So, I created one. One day, I was telling a friend about it and he tried to look at it on his mobile phone. It looked terrible. So, I bought a Nokia phone (a brick compared to what we have today) so that I could test my own site to make sure that it looked good on a phone as well. This is how I caught the bug of responsive design, years before someone started calling it this.
Upon my return to Belgium, I decided that it was time to learn as much as possible (I love to learn new things) about what is out there beyond creating websites and took a 6-month course on PHP web development. A lot of it looked familiar as I was previously a UNIX and C developer. There were only 12 people in the class, who were all bright minds, and I quickly discovered that there was more to learn.
As the classes took place in Leuven, a major university town in Belgium, I went to the local university bookstore and bought book after book on all kinds of related topics and quickly became a jQuery fan. jQuery, by the way, was not even included in the course. I started wondering why someone needed to have 35 different books to learn about web development and that writing a single book that gave a comprehensive overview of what you need to know to engage in web development would not be a bad idea.
Since then, web development has changed a lot; more books were needed, eBooks this time, but the concept remained the same. So, now you know why I wrote the book.
This book gives you an overview of all the general aspects of web development, in a traditional way, using plain HTML to do static websites, as well as the current way, to enable you to create your web pages dynamically and make sure that they look great on mobile devices as well, by using responsive design. We conclude by giving you a hint of what is yet to come if you replace the traditional web server by writing your own using node.js.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, The World Wide Web, gives you an overview of the history of what we know today as the World Wide Web.
Chapter 2, HTML, introduces HTML and gives you an overview of the most commonly used HTML tags to do web development. You will be able to create a basic website after reading this chapter.
Chapter 3, CSS, explains how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). This is used for the presentation part or layout of your website, from color to dimensions to typefaces. The most commonly used CSS properties are explained here. Once you are done with this chapter, you will be able to make your basic website look good.
Chapter 4, JavaScript, first gives you an introduction to the world of programming and programming languages. Next, the overall syntax of JavaScript and how to use it for client-side programming is introduced.
Chapter 5, PHP, explains PHP, which is another programming language. This one is used to do server-side programming. It requires a web server to do the development of your website and deploy it. You will learn how to dynamically create your web pages, rather than having to write a bunch of HTML files.
Chapter 6, PHP and MySQL, introduces MySQL, an open source database. You will learn how to create a database, manage it using the phpMyAdmin tool, and perform basic CRUD (create, replace, update, delete) operations from within a PHP program.
Chapter 7, jQuery, covers a popular JavaScript library. It allows you to write more compact and clean code and handles browser incompatibilities for you. With this, it is going to be a lot easier and faster for you to write JavaScript code that traverses and manipulates the web page. It does so by using selectors, which you learned to use with CSS. So, with jQuery, you can write JavaScript code without having to learn a lot of JavaScript.
Chapter 8, Ajax, introduces Ajax. It represents a collection of techniques to make it easy to dynamically change only portions of a website. With this chapter, we have entered the world of what I call modern web development
. The interface that we use for our Ajax calls is jQuery.
Chapter 9, The History API—Not Forgetting Where We Are, explains a very important piece of the web development puzzle. Once we are changing pages on the fly so they look different but actually remain the same page (URL), strange things can happen when visitors want to go back to what they think is the previous page. A solution for this is described here that will not only work for HTML5 but for HTML4 as well.
Chapter 10, XML and JSON, describes XML and JSON. They are two popular formats to exchange data, for example the server and the client. Although XML is used in a variety of environments, JSON is closer to the web development community.
Chapter 11, MongoDB, describes an alternative to MySQL as a database. This is a so-called NoSQL database and a document database. Documents are conveniently in the JSON format. Here, how to access a MongoDB database from within a PHP program is described.
Chapter 12, Mobile First, Responsive Design with Progressive Enhancement, has the longest chapter title of the book. It explains how modern web development has to be done now that more people are using mobile devices instead of traditional computer screens to go to websites.
Chapter 13, Foundation – A Responsive CSS/JavaScript Framework, describes most of the features of the Foundation framework, which helps you with your responsive design.