UNIT I: Information and Communications Technology Today:

Development and Commonly Used Tools

Module 4: Online Tools for Content Development
Online Platform and Applications

 Platform
- It refers to a program created by developers that can be modified or reprogrammed
by outside users.
- It is a facility for programming or developing an application tailored to the user’s
specifications.
 Online Platforms
- These are online Web sites created to aid users in creating their Web content and
cater to different kinds of information such as texts, images, and videos.
- Another unique feature of online platforms is the ability to program, modify, and
access the application remotely using the Internet.
 Formula Translating System (FORTRAN)
- The first successful commercial programming language compiler, helped humans
give instructions and interact with computers without altering the hardware
component of the computer

Platform Categories

 Application Programming Interface (API)

- It is a set of governing protocol or rules on how software elements should
communicate and interact with one another

3 Types of API

1. Access API – This type of API runs in a remote machine, server, or computer, and
the application is accessed remotely by a guest user application to draw data and
services.
2. Plug-in API – It is used in the user end. Generally, different developers create
different applications that can be integrated or “plugged in” to a core application
and/or the GUI of these applications.
3. Runtime Environment – These API are platforms for developing different
applications, wherein programs or application codes are evaluated in the said
APIs.

Common Web site that use plug-in API

a. Youtube – It is a Web site dedicated to hosting video clips.

b. Flickr – It is a Web site that caters to the hosting of images.
c. Twitter – It is a social networking service that enables users to send and read short
messages with 140 characters.
 d. Facebook – It is a social networking Web site that requires the user to register an
account and create a user profile
e. Google Maps – It is used to indicate a location of an establishment described on a
Web site

Web Designs Principles and Elements

Pointers in Making a Web site

1. Purpose
2. Communication
3. Typefaces
4. Colors
5. Images
6. Navigation
7. Layouts
a. Grid
b. F-Pattern
c. Mobile
8. Load Time

Web Design Using Templates and WYSIWYG

 WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get. It is an application
that is used to create a Web site either online or offline.

WYSIWYG applications for both online and offline development

1. Adobe Dreamweaver – This is an offline proprietary Web development tool
offered by Adobe Systems. This tool presents a wide range of tools for the drag-
and-drop option.
2. Amaya – It is an open source Web site development tool used to update
documents directly on a running Web site. It enables continuous browsing and
editing of a Web site.
3. Microsoft Expression Web – This is a propriety Web site development tool created
by Microsoft.
4. IM Creator – This is a Web site that caters to both experienced and inexperienced
users, and to creators of Web sites and Web Pages
5. Wix

Online Presentation Tools

1. Prezi – It is a cloud-based application dedicated to help you create a presentation.

It offers its offline version that can be installed on a desktop computer.
2. SlideShare – This is considered as one of the earliest forms of online presentation
media. It provides a facility for uploading and sharing presentation files.
3. MindMeister – This is an online collaborative tool in which different individuals
can share ideas on a common scratchpad-like workspace.

Cloud Storage

- It is a service wherein files from users are stored online. The files are uploaded by
users and are received by a storage server that hosts the service

Common storage Web sites and services

1. Google Drive – This is a storage application by Google. This application does not
only store files but also accommodates online editing and collaboration.
2. Dropbox – This is a file hosting and storage service developed by Dropbox, Inc. It
a offers a facility to synchronize and create folders for file organizations.
3. Evernote – This is an online not-taking and archiving application service. The
facility offers a Web application similar to that of a word processor