3 - Produce a Solution

  Standard tools         
      - PC , Digital Camera
      - WWW (download pictures)
      - Web Dwarf, 1stPage, Front Page, Dream Weaver  
      - Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop
   Documentation
     You must write instructions and/or explanations           
     about how your pages were constructed, and how
     they can be expanded/fixed/changed later.
     Otherwise the site dies when the authors leave.
1 - Set Goals
2 - Plan a Solution

   Organization           
      - teams of 2 students, one topic for each team
   Structure           
      - Folders (where are things stored)              
          T:hotline\           
      - Naming Convention (how are files/folders named)    
          T:\hotline\topic##, small letters, no spaces
   List of topics
      -  art01    -  art21   - math01 ....
   Each topic (folder) must contain a page named
          index.html           
      The HOMEPAGE (main page) will link to these

4 - Test and Improve

    Testing should be planned in advance -  
       this saves a lot of trouble.  For example,  
       if it will be tested at 800x600 resolution,  
       you should design for this.

    Fix problems if possible           
      Avoid the habit of throwing away your  
      work and starting over every time you
      find problems.  Most problems can be
      fixed without re-doing lots of work.

    Redesign if necessary            
      Only patching (fixing) problems one at a
      time can lead to an unmanageable mess in
      the long run. If there are lots of problems, it
      may be better to redesign the solution
      (go back to step 2) or even start over again
      (return to step 1).

    Check Goals           
       It is only a good solution if it meets the goals
       stated in step 1.  Usually most goals are
       well accomplished, but some goals are not
       met quite so well. If there are clear  
       deficiencies, you may need to spend more
       time on the solution.  If there are serious
       deficiencies, you may need to redesign.
Software Development Cycle

Software development is cyclic.  It goes through several stages

          Goals --> Plan --> Production --> Testing  
             ^                                                           v
             ^<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
             
and then usually cycles back to previous stages when problems are found.  
For example, the initial plan might involve using Flash animations, but later testing might show this to be ineffective.  Then the plan should be changed,
and the software reconstructed.  

A more serious change involves the goals.  It might be discovered later
that we need to have security measures in this program - to protect privacy.  Then every page might require a password check. If that happens, then
security would be added as a goal, some different plans might be made,
and a new improved version of the software created.

It is important to plan the testing BEFORE starting work on the software.
This saves lots of wasted effort in the long run.  Many developers ignore
the fact that an end-user should be involved in the testing. If that is the case,
it is useful to identify an end-user before starting the development.  
This user can make useful contributions to the goal-setting stage.