Site Key and Guide
I hope that this site is intuitive. This page describes the presentation conventions i have used for this site, and my design philosophy for its authoring.
Conventions used in the presentation of the "Geology of Portsdown Hill" website
These comments describe the meaning and expected actions of different fonts and styles.
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The text defined is all relative in size; i.e. it is generally "medium" but may be "small" or "large". This means that your browser defaults will be used, so if you want to change the size, you can.
(Some browsers also change the font size if you hold down the 'ctrl' key and spin the mouse-wheel) - Text appearing like this is a glossary term. If you hover the mouse over, you will get a short description of the term. If you "click the mouse" over the term, you will be taken to a glossary entry for that term (if one exists), which may have more detail.
[when the site is complete:] If you have a windows browser, and if javascript is enabled in your browser, then the glossary page will open in a separate window. Otherwise, it will open in the current window, and you must use the "back" button to return to where you were. - Text appearing like this is an 'internal hop' within the page. Clicking it will take you to a new place, within the same web page. This is used for the 'contents' headings at the beginning of the text pages, so you can go directly to where you want to be.
- Text appearing like this is an 'internal link' to a "content" page within this website. Clicking it will take you to that new page, within the same window, so you need the back-button to return. (Unless you have intentionally opened a new window, by using the right mouse button and selecting "Open in new Window".).
This style has generally been used for the pages of content on the left-hand navigation bar.
- Text appearing like this is an 'internal link' to a "reference" page within this website. Clicking it will take you to that new page. If you have a windows browsers and if javascript is enabled, then the page will open in a separate window, so you have both open. Otherwise, the "reference" page will open in the current window.
This style has generally been used for the pages on the right-hand navigation bar.
- Text appearing like this is an 'external link' to a new website. If you have a windows browsers and if javascript is enabled, then the page will open in a separate window, so you have both open. Otherwise, the new site will open in the current window. (Unless you have intentionally opened a new window, by using the right mouse button and selecting "Open in new Window".).
- Images with no borders are just that - images.
Images with borders, as shown, [include a clickable image.] can be expanded to full size (alone in a window) by clicking the image. If javascript is enabled, then the image will open in a separate window. Otherwise, the image will open in the current window.
You made it!
Design approach used while authoring the "Geology of Portsdown Hill" website
The Wonderful World of Web design allows freedom of choice to the browser writer (beit Netscape, Internet Explorer, Opera or whoever), to the web author (me!) and to you, the user. You can choose which browser you use and set your preferences within it.
This is grand from a user-choice aspect, but makes writing websites that are viewable in all browsers something of a challenge. The first pages were written for a specific browser - so pages "written for Netscape" did not view in IE, and vv.
Furthermore; not all browsers are windows-based. The Lynx browser is a text-only browser, and can be used for audio-reading for those with sight impediments.
Also, "you, the user" have the choice of setting your preferred fonts and disabling javascript, image download, and all sorts. Your main choice is the browser you use - and whether or not you opt to update to the latest browser offerings.
The "World Wide Web Consortium" (W3C) are bringing in (voluntary) standards and guidelines to solve this problem of 'cross-browser incompatibility', and 'user accessibility' - so all pages view in all browsers. To this end, they have issued guidelines for browser authors and page authors.
I have attempted to adhere to these guidelines in writing all of my pages. I have tested them across various screen sizes and different browsers, from Netscape x.x up, IE5 up, Opera and Lynx. [Netscape 4.7 is a challenge waiting to be tackled.]
Validation awards
All my pages have been written to earn the following awards:
| From the WorldWideWeb consortium web site validation | |
| W3C XHTML Strict validation |
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| W3C Style sheet validation |
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| W3C Accessibility validation |
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| Any Browser[include logo and link. - am i allowed it if i fail in NS 4.7?!] |
Tools Used
| All pages were written using the excellent, free but professional HTML-KIT |
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If you have any problems with the accessibility of this site, please contact me at: portsdown@bbm.me.uk