Web Gallery

Static HTML Websites

"A static website is one that has web pages stored on the server in the format that is sent to a client web browser. It is primarily coded in Hypertext Markup Language, HTML.
Simple forms or marketing examples of websites, such as classic website, a five-page website or a brochure website are often static websites, because they present pre-defined, static information to the user. This may include information about a company and its products and services via text, photos, animations, audio/video and interactive menus and navigation.
This type of website usually displays the same information to all visitors. Similar to handing out a printed brochure to customers or clients, a static website will generally provide consistent, standard information for an extended period of time. Although the website owner may make updates periodically, it is a manual process to edit the text, photos and other content and may require basic website design skills and software.
In summary, visitors are not able to control what information they receive via a static website, and must instead settle for whatever content the website owner has decided to offer at that time." (wikipedia)

Below is an example of a site built to suit the needs of a sculptor. The site was built in HTML5. This keeps the site structure simple, although the downside being all updates are completely manual and can be time consuming to implement.

Dynamic Websites

"Two types of dynamic web sites

Client-side scripting and content creation

Using client-side scripting to change interface behaviors within a specific web page, in response to mouse or keyboard actions or at specified timing events. In this case the dynamic behavior occurs within the presentation.

Such web pages use presentation technology called rich interfaced pages. Client-side scripting languages like JavaScript or ActionScript, used for Dynamic HTML (DHTML) and Flash technologies respectively, are frequently used to orchestrate media types (sound, animations, changing text, etc.) of the presentation. The scripting also allows use of remote scripting, a technique by which the DHTML page requests additional information from a server, using a hidden Frame, XMLHttpRequests, or a Web service.

The Client-side content is generated on the user's computer. The web browser retrieves a page from the server, then processes the code embedded in the page (often written in JavaScript) and displays the retrieved page's content to the user.

The innerHTML property (or write command) can illustrate the client-side dynamic page generation: two distinct pages, A and B, can be regenerated as document.innerHTML = A and document.innerHTML = B; or "on load dynamic" by document.write(A) and document.write(B).

There are also some utilities and frameworks for converting HTML files into JavaScript files. For example webJS [1] uses innerHTML property for rendering pages from converted HTML on client-side.

The first "widespread used" version of JavaScript was 1996 (with Netscape 3 an ECMAscript standard).

Server-side scripting and content creation

A program running on the web server (server-side scripting) is used to change the web content on various web pages, or to adjust the sequence of or reload of the web pages. Server responses may be determined by such conditions as data in a posted HTML form, parameters in the URL, the type of browser being used, the passage of time, or a database or server state.

Such web pages are often created with the help of server-side languages such as ASP, ColdFusion, Perl, PHP, and other languages. These server-side languages often use the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) to produce dynamic web pages. Two notable exceptions are ASP.NET and JSP, which reuse CGI concepts in their APIs but actually dispatch all web requests into a shared virtual machine.

Server-side dynamic pages can also use the first kind of dynamic content on the client side.

While VM-based server-side languages and CGI would be preferred for new development, some web-servers also support Server Side Includes (typically for a file extension such as .shtml), and Jhtml was a Java server-side technology developed before JSP." (wikipedia info)

My preference is using a Dynamic server-side site with the content created in html. This allows for both customer or viewer experience tailored content and at the same time allowing the search engines to catalog the content easily and effectively.

Below is an example of a basic gallery set up for a graphic designer. The site had to be easy for the graphic designer to add content and keep the site current. By using a dynamic based application content can be added quickly and easily while allowing for a very interactive viewer experience.

Below are some examples of sites that are built in Joomla. The sites allow for client login and viewer tailored content. The content can include variations such as Blogs, Calendars with automated content, community based forums, newsletters, language changes based on viewer IP location, content suggestions based on what has been viewed, searcheable and format changes based on client platform; mobile phone, tablet, PC and browser variations.

One of the aspects of web development I have found to be the most rewarding and challenging is building successful online communities. The benefits of a successful online community are incredible and very rewarding. I have experienced communities in which the members share information and inspire others freely. The features that can be incorporated into a community are almost endless, from image galleries, news feeds tailored specifically to the community, pier to pier messaging, member specific store / classifieds, update newsletters, common social media integration, content can be deliverd to all or only specific groups, limited to members only, etc..