SkinGenerator.com Blog
Html menus have become a very popular element to just about any website. If you happen to be a web designer hoping to build a html menufor your website, the overall best option is to utilize a jQuery menu system. There are two important reasons behind why jQuery menus will very quickly become the standard for website navigation.
First off, jQuery menus are completely SEO-friendly as opposed to their earlier Javascript or Flash relatives. There are some legitimate justifications to be made about making Javascript and Flash menus SEO-friendly, but ultimately, the html mark-up for a jQuery menu is generally a simple unordered list. You simply can't get more SEO-friendly than that!
Subsequently, jQuery menus have a sizeable amount to offer in terms of advanced user interface features. jQuery has proven to be capable of pulling off some pretty complicated animations and effects. As the use of jQuery grows, so will the collection of jQuery plug-ins, making it an even more formidable technology.
Ok, so now that that you're (I hope) confident of the power and flexibleness of jQuery, just a single obstacle; Like all brand new technologies, there is a considerable learning curve associated with figuring out how to develop an innovative jQuery menu for your website. This is one of the primary motives that our jQuery menu builder was built. Not only can you generate an awesome menu for your website, but it's also a superb way to learn by example since you can download all of the html, css, and jQuerycode and images required to run the menu. As always, we look forward to receiving your opinions on our tool as we proceed to work toward improving upon it.
Before the debute of today's content management systems, many profitable web design businesses relied on managing static HTML sites for a substantive percentage of their profit. On the other hand, with the emergence of content management systems such as DotNetNuke, the end user has rather quickly become savvy of the positive aspects offered by dynamic web sites. The skinning architecture in DotNetNuke allows professional web designers to create stunning user interfaces which integrate seamlessly with the underlying portal application to deliver a impressive, yet visually appealing customer web site.
One of the great things about classic ASP - and one of the key explanations for its reputation as a rapid web development (RAD) tool - is the fact that ASP scripts can be injected into regular HTML markup to turn otherwise static HTML content into intelligent web pages. This feature makes it feasible to rapidly write ASP applications that construct web pages dynamically from a database and to generate powerful web applications.
Skinning entails the use of "templates" which distinguish presentation and layout attributes from application logic. An intelligent skinning engine is then used to construct the artifacts into a final product. This two-tiered approach affords both developers and designers a good level of independence when it comes to maintaining a web site, and can significantly reduce the time and effort needed in the post-release phases of a development project.
However, skinning also presents some complexities to your web application. The process of merging multiple files into a single page can cause severe performance degradation. Not to mention, developers must be properly educated to keep the presentation details of layout and appearance abstracted from their script code. Both of these items can be mitigated through the use of technology and a robust skinning architecture.
Because of this the skinning solution needs a procedure for a web designer to define a skin using the most obvious base technology. HTML is the lowest common denominator when it comes to the Web and has the greatest support in terms of design tools.
Based on the demands and challenges described above, it would seem useful to enable web designers to include placeholders into their HTML markup which represent dynamic functionality. This can provide the cleanest abstraction of “form” and “function”. The skin file could be altered without affecting the application logic. The application logic could be re-factored without impacting the user interface. The only concern is the performance penalty imposed by this additional layer of separation.
Website navigation techniques have existed since the begining of the world wide web. Offering user friendly navigation for your website viewers is a critical part of your website design. Over time there have been many advancements relevant to website menu tools yet some of these have actually had negative results with regards to Website placement because they have made it tougher for search engines to naturally crawl your website.
Among the most well-known menu system types are the simple html menu (1 level only), horizontal drop down menu, vertical menu (aka: side navigation), tabbed navigation and floating navigation. Each type of navigation has its own set of pluses and minuses. Figuring out which type is most effective for a specific website is dependent on the overall website design and the hierarchy of the site.
There are also many various technologies needed to accommodate these various menu system types such as standard HTML, CSS (cascading style sheets), Javascript, jQuery and Flash. From an SEO perspective, building your navigation with simple HTML and CSS is the safest option. However with the arrival of jQuery into the mix, many of the incredible effects only achievable with Javascript can now be applied to a standard HTML unordered list, which is actually extremely SEO-friendly. As far as Flash goes, ther may be ways to get your navigation menu to be relatively SEO friendly, but the bottom line is that flash navigation should be prevented if SEO is a number one concern.
The last consideration that remains is where should the navigation be positioned? The obvious major 2 standards are along the top and the left side. However many blog sites have their navigation located to the right side. There are also many sites that use a mixture of both. For example, their top navigation represents the 1st level of their site and the sub navigation is displayed in the form of left or right nav.
With all this in mind, the final decision to use a common html menu system over a more sophisticated jQuery menu system really comes down to the amount of time you are willing to invest towards the creation of your navigation. jQuery is an awesome new technology, but defintely has a considerable learning curve. If you do want a more sophisticated navigation system and don't have practical experience with jQuery, it's best to make use of an online jquery menu bulider. This way, you get the benefits of having a very SEO-freindly navigation system and the impressive user experience provided by jQuery's capabilities.
Image jquery menus have become a very standard piece to just about any website. If you are a web designer planning to create a image jquery menufor your website, the overall most advantageous option is to implement a jQuery menu system. There are two important reasons jQuery menus will soon become the standard for website navigation.
Firstly, jQuery menus are 100% Search engine optimized as opposed to their earlier Javascript or Flash cousins. There are some legitimate arguments to be made about making Javascript and Flash menus SEO-friendly, but inevitably, the html mark-up for a jQuery menu is generally a common unordered list. You simply can't get more SEO-friendly than that!
Next, jQuery menus have a tremendous amount to offer when it comes to innovative user interface bells and whistles. jQuery has proven to be capable of pulling off some pretty innovative animations and effects. As the use of jQuery grows, so will the library of jQuery plug-ins, making it an even more impressive technology.
Ok, so now that that you're (hopefully) convinced of the strength and flexibleness of jQuery, just one disadvantage; Like all emerging technologies, there is a significant learning curve associated with learning how to create an advanced jQuery menu for your website. This is one of the major motives that our jQuery menu builder was designed. Not only can you make an impressive menu for your website, but it's also a fantastic way to learn by example since you can download all of the html, css, and jQuerycode and images needed to run the menu. As always, we look forward to receiving your comments on our tool as we continue to work toward improving upon it.
Previous to the latest content management systems, a great many expert web design providers depended on handling static HTML internet sites for a substantive part of their sales revenue. Nevertheless, with the emergence of content management systems such as DotNetNuke, the customer has promptly become knowledgeable of the many benefits provided by dynamic websites. The skinning architecture in DotNetNuke allows professional web designers to create beautiful user interfaces which integrate seamlessly with the underlying portal application to yield a powerful, yet aesthetically attractive customer website.
The words “Skinning” pertains to a software architecture which provides you with a manageable way to separate application logic and content from its presentation. This abstraction of “form” and “function” is sometimes referred to as a two-tiered presentation model. The benefits of skinning are that application logic and web page layout are segregated and can be designed and modified separately. A software developer and a web page designer can collaborate without the possibility of interfering with each others work.
Skinning entails the use of "templates" which separate presentation and layout characteristics from application logic. An intelligent skinning engine is then utilized to assemble the artifacts into a final product. This two-tiered approach offers both developers and designers a considerable degree of freedom when it comes to maintaining a web site, and can extensively reduce the time and effort required in the post-release phases of a development project.
However, skinning also presents some complexities to your web application. The process of merging multiple files into a single page can result in serious performance degradation. Not to mention, developers must be effectively educated to keep the presentation details of layout and appearance abstracted from their script code. Both of these items can be mitigated through the use of technology and a solid skinning architecture.
As a result the skinning solution needs a method for a web designer to define a skin using the most basic base technology. HTML is the lowest common denominator when it comes to the World wide web and has the widest support in terms of design applications. The only problem with HTML is that it is ultimately static - yet a web application has demands for dynamic components as well.
Based on the demands and issues specified above, it would seem useful to allow web designers to incorporate placeholders into their HTML markup which represent dynamic functionality. This provides the cleanest abstraction of “form” and “function”. The skin file could be modified without affecting the application logic. The application logic could be re-factored without impacting the user interface. The only issue is the performance penalty added by this additional layer of separation.
Website menu solutions have been around since the dawn of the world wide web. Delivering simple point and click navigation for your site visitors is a vital part of any website design. Through the years there have been many advances relevant to website navigation technologies and surprisingly some of these have actually had negative results regarding Web optimization because they have made it more difficult for search engines to efficiently crawl your website.
Among the most widely used menu system types are the simple html menu (1 level only), horizontal drop down menu, vertical menu (aka: side navigation), tabbed navigation and floating navigation. Each style of navigation has its own set of positives and negatives. Deciding which type is most suitable for a certain website is dependent on the overall website design and the structure of the site.
There are also several technologies needed to support these various menu system types such as standard HTML, CSS (cascading style sheets), Javascript, jQuery and Flash. From an SEO perspective, building your navigation with simple HTML and CSS is the safest option. However with the arrival of jQuery into the mix, many of the fantastic effects only doable with Javascript can now be applied to a standard HTML unordered list, which has always been truly SEO-friendly. As far as Flash goes, there are a few ways to get your navigation menu to be moderately SEO friendly, but the bottom line is that flash navigation should be prevented if SEO is a top concern.
The last aspect to consider is where should the navigation be positioned? The obvious main 2 standards are along the top and the left side. However many blog sites have their particular navigation located to the right side. There are also a number of sites that use a mix of both. For example, their top navigation represents the 1st level of their site and the sub navigation is provided in the form of left or right nav.
With all this in mind, the determination to use a common html menu system over a more sophisticated jQuery menu system really comes down to the amount of time you are willing to spend towards the development of your navigation. jQuery is an awesome new technology, but defintely has a sizeable learning curve. If you do prefer a more advanced navigation system and don't have practical knowledge with jQuery, it's most effective to take advantage of an online jquery menu bulider. This way, you get the rewards of having a very SEO-freindly navigation system and the excellent user experience provided by jQuery's capabilities.
A crucial aspect of virtually any website is the menu system used(ie jquery tree menu. If you are a web designer planning to create a jquery tree menufor your website, the overall most effective option is to build a jQuery menu system. There are two important reasons behind why jQuery menus will quickly become the standard for website navigation.
First off, jQuery menus are purely Search engine optimized in contrast to their earlier Javascript or Flash cousins. There are some real justifications to be made about making Javascript and Flash menus SEO-friendly, but ultimately, the html mark-up for a jQuery menu is generally a basic unordered list. You simply can't get more SEO-friendly than that!
Second, jQuery menus have a vast amount to offer with regards to innovative user interface bells and whistles. jQuery has proven to be capable of pulling off some pretty advanced animations and effects. As the use of jQuery grows, so will the library of jQuery plug-ins, making it an even more compelling technology.
Ok, so now that that you're (hopefully) confident of the strength and flexibleness of jQuery, just one particular disadvantage; Like all new technologies, there is a significant learning curve associated with learning how to construct an innovative jQuery menu for your website. This is one of the major reasons that our jQuery menu builder was designed. Not only can you make an awesome menu for your website, but it's also a superb way to learn by example since you can download all of the html, css, and jQuerycode and images needed to run the menu. As always, we look forward to getting your opinions on our tool as we continue to work toward improving it.
Previous to advanced content management systems, the majority of commercial web site design agencies relied on handling static HTML websites for a sizable chunk of their revenues. On the other hand, with the breakthrough of content management systems such as DotNetNuke, the end user has promptly become knowledgeable of the advantages offered by dynamic sites. In order to cope with this new requirement, web designers need to become familiar with the possibilities presented by these new technological breakthroughs. The skinning architecture in DotNetNuke allows professional web designers to create beautiful user interfaces which assimilate seamlessly with the underlying portal application to generate a robust, yet aesthetically desirable customer web site.
One of the nice things about classic ASP - and one of the major reasons for its reputation as a rapid web development (RAD) tool - is the fact that ASP scripts can be put into regular HTML markup to turn otherwise static HTML content into intelligent web pages. This feature makes it feasible to rapidly write ASP applications that make web pages dynamically from a database (or other external data source), and to develop highly effective web applications.
However, this ease of us comes with a price. Many ASP web sites have a mangled spaghetti of intermingled HTML markup and ASP script, making them tough to decipher and even more difficult to maintain. This difficulty often rears its ugly head when web designers need to update the user interface. Since the presentation attributes are embedded in the ASP script, modifications often require a joint effort between a web developer and a designer to ensure the integrity of the modification. This eventually results in much more work, more time, and higher cost.
Skinning entails the use of "templates" which distinguish presentation and layout attributes from application logic. An intelligent skinning engine is then used to build the artifacts into a final product. This two-tiered approach affords both developers and designers a reasonable degree of freedom when it comes to maintaining a web site, and can greatly lessen the time and effort required in the post-release phases of a development project.
However, skinning also introduces some complexities to your web application. The process of merging multiple files into a single page can result in considerable performance degradation. Not to mention, developers must be well educated to keep the presentation details of layout and appearance abstracted from their script code. Both of these items can be mitigated through the use of technology and a robust skinning architecture.
As a result the skinning solution needs a technique for a web designer to define a skin using the most basic base technology. HTML is the lowest common denominator when it comes to the Web and has the greatest support in terms of design applications. The only problem with HTML is that it is absolutely static - yet a web application has requirements for dynamic components as well.
Based on the demands and issues specified above, it would seem to be useful to enable web designers to include placeholders into their HTML markup which represent dynamic functionality. This provides the cleanest abstraction of “form” and “function”. The skin file could be modified without impacting the application logic. The application logic could be modified without affecting the user interface. The only issue is the performance penalty imposed by this extra layer of separation.
Website menu solutions have been around since the dawn of the web. Supplying user friendly navigation for your site visitors is a crucial part of your website design. Through the years there have been many advancements with regards to website navigation solutions however some of these have actually had a negative impact with regards to SEO because they have made it tougher for search engines to efficiently crawl your website.
Among the most widely used menu system types are the simple html menu (1 level only), horizontal drop down menu, vertical menu (aka: side navigation), tabbed navigation and floating navigation. Each type of navigation has its own set of pros and cons. Figuring out which style is most suitable for a certain website is based upon on the overall website design and the structure of the site.
There are also many distinct technologies necessary to support these various menu system types such as standard HTML, CSS (cascading style sheets), Javascript, jQuery and Flash. From an SEO perspective, building your navigation with simple HTML and CSS is the safest option. However with the debute of jQuery into the mix, many of the impressive effects only available with Javascript can now be applied to a standard HTML unordered list, which happens to be highly SEO-friendly. As far as Flash goes, there are a few ways to get your navigation menu to be moderately SEO friendly, but the bottom line is that flash navigation should be prevented if SEO is a top concern.
The last consideration that remains is where should the navigation be positioned? The obvious main 2 standards are along the top and the left side. However many blog sites have their navigation located to the right side. There are also a number of sites that use a mixture of both. For example, their top navigation represents the 1st level of their site and the sub navigation is presented in the form of left or right nav.
With all this in mind, the decision to use a very simple html menu system over a more sophisticated jQuery menu system really comes down to the amount of time you are willing to devote towards the creation of your navigation. jQuery is an awesome new technology, but defintely has a significant learning curve. If you do prefer a more advanced navigation system and don't have practical knowledge with jQuery, it's most effective to utilize an online jquery menu bulider. This way, you get the added benefits of having a very SEO-freindly navigation system and the exceptional user experience provided by jQuery's functionality.