Help - File Formats

Information on the different files and formats used in the site.

In order to try and make your visit to my website as easy, informative and user friendly as possible, I have made use of assorted technologies to achieve this.

These pages are formatted in XHTML 1.0 (Hyptertext Markup Language 1.0). Each of this site's pages is currently being tested for validation against the W3C automated service so that it fully meets the required standard.

I have made every effort to ensure that all information is available to as many users as possible, and some information has been provided for downloading in PDF using Adobe Acrobat. Some files will require that you use a plug-in. A plug-in is an add-on to your web browser that enables you to view files other than HTML.

Various technologies are involved in delivering the web site to as wide a spectrum of media as possible. All perform a different task. No technology has been used that is not mutually exclusive, with the intent to make this web site as user friendly as possible. The list is not exhaustive but covers the main technologies used.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

HTML is the most well known language. It is primarily used to structure the pages on this site into some kind of framework. Other technologies can and are used to work with and alongside HTML (see below), however at time of writing, it is believed this approach is more widely accessible than any other.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

Whereas HTML is used to create a framework structure, CSS is used to style how it looks. By adopting this method, it is possible to provide information that can bee seen in many different ways, for example it creates a version of each page that can be printed, accessed via mobile phone, projector, tv and others.

PHP (Personal Hypertext Preprocessor)

PHP is a language that processes information to provide the finished web page. When someone requests a web page (clicks on link etc.), the PHP processes the information on the server, works out what has been requested, then returns the appropriate information. Its use vastly improves the speed and security of processing information.

JS (Javascript)

Extremely usefull, this language enables many extra features of the internet to be utilised. Due to its lack of compatibility with some browsers and viwers, it's use has been limited on this site. However Javascript is becoming ever more widely accepted.

Flash

Though used more and more on the web, especially since the advent of YouTube, MySpace and others, many browsers and users have issues in processing the information. As with other technologies, where flash has been used, an alternative has been provided for those who may not be able to access it.

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