This course focuses on server-side web programming to develop dynamic, data-driven web applications. Most websites use some type of server-side technology to dynamically display different content based on a user's request.

Modern web development uses many different technologies, and in this course we will cover several that illustrate different programming models for building web applications. Topics will include:

• Web Foundations
• Web Browsers and Servers
• HTML and CSS Refresher
• PHP, an open source server-side scripting language
• SQLite database
• JavaScript
• Intro to Node.js, an open source JavaScript server environment
• Web APIs (Browser and 3rd Party)
• Web Performance

Experience with browser technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) is assumed, and some programming experience is required, e.g., JavaScript, Python, or Java.

• Learn the core technologies for server-side development of data-driven web applications
• Develop web applications that integrate these technologies
• Develop a knowledge base that allows you to learn more about these web technologies and others, on your own

There is no required textbook for this class. All of the course materials are available from the Schedule pages for each week. These include

• Slides for each topic (PDF format). The slides contain many links to related online resources.
• Multiple recordings for each topic (mp4 format)
• Examples (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Node) that are referenced in the slides
• Useful links to supplemental resources.

A basic text editor is needed for code development. There are many to choose from, and here are a few suggestions:

• 5 Best Cross-Platform Code Editors for Web Developers
• What text editors are available?

For PHP and Node.js development, software environments must be installed and configured. Detailed instructions on installation and setup will be provided in the course materials.

For some assignments, you will need to host your web application on a web server. Everyone in this class should already have an account on the SILS Opal web server. You are not required to use this server, but it is available if you do not already have access to web hosting.

For additional information, see Connecting to SILS Servers.