Designing an HTML form for a Web-based service

Assignment 2 — Web-Based Services (INFOSYS 290-3; Fall 2006)

Assigned: 2006-09-11 / Due: 2006-09-18

Author: Erik Wilde

Introduction: As a simple front-end for a Web-based service, an HTML form should be designed which can be used to enter a simple query for a set of bibliographic references. The HTML form should later serve as a front end for accessing a real service, but in this assignment, only the form should be designed so that it enables users to enter their query data.

Resources: Browsable Bibliography (author, keyword, and title indices)
Simple Bibliography Query Interface (author search only)

Instructions:

Introduction:	As a simple front-end for a Web-based service, an HTML form should be designed which can be used to enter a simple query for a set of bibliographic references. The HTML form should later serve as a front end for accessing a real service, but in this assignment, only the form should be designed so that it enables users to enter their query data.
Resources:	Browsable Bibliography (author, keyword, and title indices) Simple Bibliography Query Interface (author search only)
Instructions:	This simple query interface to an online bibliography enables users to search for substrings in author names, and returns those references which match the specified substring. This is a very limited way of finding references in the bibliography, and this assignment is about possible improvements, and how an interface could be designed. Explore the bibliography: Using the browsable version of the bibliography (currently there are around 2'500 entries in this bibliography), explore the bibliography and think about what possible users (scientists and students working in the Web technology and XML area) would like to do when working with the bibliography. What are likely queries they would like to use for searching the bibliography? Come up with at least 5 additional search criteria other than the simple author substring search provided as the starting point. Think of an interface: Based on the results of the previous step, what would be the most appropriate interface for these search criteria? The Web's capabilities in terms of interface design are limited, so simply think about what kind of HTML form elements you would choose for each of your proposed search criteria. Build the interface: Now write an HTML page that uses your proposed form elements to implement your interface. Because the simple Web-based service does not support your ideas, your form will not work, but in assignment 3 we will build a working service using an improved Web-based service. Make your HTML accessible in your iSchool Web space (`http://ischool.berkeley.edu/~yourname/`, which you can access as `public_html/` in your home directory on the iSchool's Unix machines). When you are finished, send me a short description of your proposed search criteria, along with the URI of your HTML interface implementing an interface for them. I will then choose some of the criteria proposed by the class, implement them, and make them available as an improved Web-based service for assignment 3.

This simple query interface to an online bibliography enables users to search for substrings in author names, and returns those references which match the specified substring. This is a very limited way of finding references in the bibliography, and this assignment is about possible improvements, and how an interface could be designed.

Explore the bibliography: Using the browsable version of the bibliography (currently there are around 2'500 entries in this bibliography), explore the bibliography and think about what possible users (scientists and students working in the Web technology and XML area) would like to do when working with the bibliography. What are likely queries they would like to use for searching the bibliography? Come up with at least 5 additional search criteria other than the simple author substring search provided as the starting point.
Think of an interface: Based on the results of the previous step, what would be the most appropriate interface for these search criteria? The Web's capabilities in terms of interface design are limited, so simply think about what kind of HTML form elements you would choose for each of your proposed search criteria.
Build the interface: Now write an HTML page that uses your proposed form elements to implement your interface. Because the simple Web-based service does not support your ideas, your form will not work, but in assignment 3 we will build a working service using an improved Web-based service. Make your HTML accessible in your iSchool Web space (http://ischool.berkeley.edu/~yourname/, which you can access as public_html/ in your home directory on the iSchool's Unix machines).

When you are finished, send me a short description of your proposed search criteria, along with the URI of your HTML interface implementing an interface for them. I will then choose some of the criteria proposed by the class, implement them, and make them available as an improved Web-based service for assignment 3.

please send comments to dret@sims.berkeley.edu
last modification on Friday, 02-Mar-2007 19:39:32 MET