General Instructions for your Assignments During Week 1 thro ✓ Solved

General Instructions for your Assignments: During Week 1 through Week 7 of this course, you will have a new assignment each week. You should create a new set of files for each assignment. During Weeks 1 through 7 you are NOT building on your previous assignment, like you did in WEBD121. Instead you are creating a new set of files for each assignment. However, make sure you save all of your files from each assignment because you will need them later for your Final Project.

During Week 8, for your Final Project, you will create a Home Page with a navigation menu that uses JavaScript for drop-down sub-menus, which will link all of your previous assignments together, creating a comprehensive website that showcases all of your work this semester. You must write the code files by hand for all assignments in this class. A simple text editor, such as Notepad or Notepad++ will suffice (or TextEdit on the Mac). DO NOT use GUI editors, such as FrontPage, Dreamweaver, etc. You must write the code for your web page files yourself.

If you are using a PC, it is strongly recommended that you download the free Notepad++ text editor because it contains extra features which assist with debugging, such as line numbering and color coding of different elements of syntax. Mac users should use the TextEdit text editor that comes with the Mac OS. However, if you are a Mac user, make sure you set TextEdit to use Plain Text by default. Make sure all of your web pages comply with the HTML 5 standards and CSS standards. DO NOT use obsolete HTML elements and attributes from previous versions of HTML.

By including the HTML 5 DOCTYPE declaration in your webpages, and validating all of your HTML files, you can be sure that your code complies with HTML 5. Also, make sure that your external style sheet (.css file) passes validation at the W3C CSS Validation Service. Make sure you use the "Validate by File Upload" option (and NOT the "Validate by Direct Input" option), on both of these validators since this is the way your instructor will check your pages when grading your assignments. Specific Instructions for Assignment 7: Perform all of the following steps to complete this assignment: 1) Begin by creating a new file in your text editor and include all of the basic HTML code like you did in your previous assignments.

Or you can simply make a copy of your HTML file from last week and name the new copy LastFirstAssignment7.html (where "Last" is your last name and "First" is your first name), but be careful not to overwrite your file from last week because you will need it again when you do your Final Project during Week 8. 2) Make sure you change the contents of the tag to "Assignment 7" (just the words – not the quotation marks) and make sure your full name is inside of the

Paper for above instructions

Introduction
Web development education requires a structured progression that builds foundational coding skills, improves technical accuracy, and reinforces best practices for long-term professional growth. In this course, students complete weekly assignments from Week 1 through Week 7, culminating in a comprehensive Final Project during Week 8. Unlike the cumulative structure of WEBD121, this course requires students to build new files for each weekly assignment, ensuring that they gain repeated hands-on practice with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Assignment 7 plays a pivotal role in this progression by guiding students through the creation of a fully compliant HTML5 document, the reinforcement of proper coding structure, validation techniques, style sheet usage, and preparation for integration into the Final Project website. This essay explains best practices for completing Assignment 7, the importance of using proper tools, adherence to web standards, effective code organization, and maintaining files for future use. The thesis of this paper is that mastering standardized HTML5 development practices in Assignment 7 ensures technical accuracy, prepares students for the multi-page integration required in Week 8, and fosters long-term success in professional web design environments.

Understanding the Requirements of Assignment 7

Assignment 7 requires students to create a new HTML file that meets current HTML5 standards, incorporates proper file structure, and prepares for inclusion in the Final Project. Students may either create a new file manually or copy the previous week's assignment and rename it according to the required naming convention (LastFirstAssignment7.html). If copying, students must ensure that the previous file is not overwritten, as Week 8 relies on the availability of all prior assignments. This practice emphasizes organization, version control, and careful file management—skills that are essential for professional web development.

One of the first required modifications in Assignment 7 is replacing the contents of the <title> tag with the words "Assignment 7". This ensures consistency across individual assignments and prepares the file for inclusion in a searchable, navigable multi-page website. Additionally, students must include their full name within the body of the HTML document. This practice simulates professional documentation where developers embed attribution information or metadata for internal tracking.

Required Tools for Completing the Assignment

Students must write all code manually using a text editor. Acceptable tools include:

  • Notepad or Notepad++ (Windows) — Recommended for features such as syntax highlighting, auto-indentation, and line numbering, which facilitate debugging and reduce coding errors.
  • TextEdit (Mac) — Must be set to Plain Text mode to avoid the insertion of stylistic formatting that corrupts HTML code.

The prohibition against GUI-based editors such as Dreamweaver reflects the course goal of ensuring that students understand core HTML semantics, structural logic, and troubleshooting techniques. GUI editors often auto-generate code, which may not follow best practices or may introduce proprietary syntax not compliant with HTML5 standards. Manual coding ensures that students gain mastery over proper tags, attributes, indentation, nesting, and accessibility features.

Importance of HTML5 Compliance

All assignments, including Assignment 7, must comply with HTML5 standards. This includes:

  • Using the proper DOCTYPE declaration: <!DOCTYPE html>
  • Ensuring semantic structure (e.g., <header>, <nav>, <main>, <footer>)
  • Avoiding deprecated tags (e.g., <font>, <center>)
  • Ensuring properly nested and closed elements

HTML5 compliance is crucial not only for validation but also for browser compatibility, accessibility, and long-term maintainability. Valid code improves rendering consistency across platforms and devices, supports assistive technologies used by individuals with disabilities, and aligns with industry expectations for modern web development.

CSS Validation and Proper Styling Practices

Students must create and validate an external CSS file using the W3C CSS Validation Service. External style sheets provide several advantages:

  • Code reusability across multiple pages
  • Improved maintainability
  • Cleaner HTML structure free from inline styles
  • Greater consistency in aesthetics and layout

Students must upload their .css file to the W3C CSS Validator using the "Validate by File Upload" option. This is important because the instructor will grade files in the same manner, ensuring consistency between student tests and instructor evaluations.

Best Practices for File Organization

Because Assignment 7 will later be integrated into a multi-page Final Project, students must maintain orderly file structures. Recommended practices include:

  • Saving each assignment in its own folder labeled by week
  • Maintaining backups of every file
  • Using descriptive, consistent filenames
  • Storing images, CSS files, and JavaScript in dedicated subfolders

Organization reduces confusion during Week 8 when students create a homepage with JavaScript-based navigation. It also mirrors the directory structure used by professional web developers, who often manage multi-page sites with reusable assets.

Preparing for the Final Project

Assignment 7 plays a foundational role in preparing for the Final Project, where students will create:

  • A JavaScript-powered drop-down navigation menu
  • A homepage linking all previous assignments
  • An integrated, multi-file website showcasing semester-long progress

Assignments must match stylistically and structurally to ensure seamless integration. Students who follow standards in Assignment 7 will save time during Week 8 and reduce the likelihood of errors when linking files.

Academic and Professional Importance of Manual Coding

Learning to hand-code provides numerous long-term benefits. Professional developers must understand core markup to diagnose issues, optimize performance, and implement accessibility features. Employers frequently test candidates’ ability to write clean, efficient code without relying on GUI editors.

Assignments such as this reinforce:

  • Attention to detail
  • Debugging skills
  • Knowledge of HTML semantics
  • Code readability and organization
  • Understanding of web standards and accessibility

These competencies are essential for success in front-end development, UX/UI design, and full-stack programming.

Conclusion

Assignment 7 serves as both a technical exercise and a preparation step for the comprehensive Final Project. By following HTML5 standards, validating CSS, maintaining clean file structures, and writing all code by hand, students strengthen their foundational web development skills. These practices build accuracy, confidence, and professional readiness. Mastering the principles applied in Assignment 7 ensures a smoother integration of all previous assignments into the Week 8 Final Project and prepares students for future academic and industry success.

References

  • W3C. (2023). HTML5 Specifications. World Wide Web Consortium.
  • W3C. (2023). CSS Validation Service.
  • Duckett, J. (2014). HTML & CSS: Design and Build Websites. Wiley.
  • Keith, J. (2010). HTML5 for Web Designers. A Book Apart.
  • Freeman, A. (2021). Pro HTML5 with CSS. Apress.
  • Meyer, E. (2018). CSS: The Definitive Guide. O’Reilly.
  • Mozilla Developer Network (MDN). (2024). HTML5 Documentation.
  • Mozilla Developer Network (MDN). (2024). CSS Standards Guide.
  • Robbins, J. (2018). Learning Web Design. O’Reilly.
  • Krug, S. (2014). Don’t Make Me Think. New Riders.