Create a simple mark-up language document to specification



From the official document:
 * "This unit defines the competency required to design, create and save a simple mark-up language document to a given specification using a text editor rather than an authoring tool"

Basically, that means you'll be able to create simple web pages to current standards without needing expensive software. You'll learn a few different markup languages for the web, but will focus mostly on Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

You can read more about this unit on the National Training Information Systems Official document for ICAB4135A.

This unit forms part of the following qualifications:
 * Cert IV Websites Qualification in Australia

How this unit will help you
After learning and applying the skills required by this unit you'll be able to demonstrate your skills in:


 * creating simple web pages according to specification without using a WYSIWYG editor such as Dreamweaver or Frontpage,
 * creating the all-important hyper-links, creating tables, linking to images, lists etc.
 * structuring the information of a page with headings, paragraphs and divisions so that it is accessible,
 * validating your document, testing in different browsers, checking colours etc.,
 * In addition, you may also choose to demonstrate your skills in creating a different type of mark-up language, such as a Scalable Vector Graphics document.

Ideas for learning the required skills
If you are learning in a classroom context then your facilitator will have lots of fun activities to learn the required skills! In addition, you may find the Build a basic web page resource useful. It has lots of activities such as What is HTML, HTML Challenges and CSS Challenges, as well as links to some other great online tutorials.

You may like to learn another markup language (other than HTML) too, in which case demonstrating some Scalable Vector Graphics through XML Challenges 1-3 will provide a fun way to do this.

Ideas for demonstrating this unit
The best way to demonstrate these skills is through the webpages that you create. These might include activities you've done while learning, a small website about a hobby of yours (2-4 pages) or a small client site for a family friend (2-4 pages). Normally part of your demonstration will include answering questions about your pages and making small modifications to verify that it is your work and you understand everything included in the pages.

Some of the criteria require that you have considered who your target user audience is and how they will use your web pages/site (criteria 1.1-3), in which case a small client site will be more appropriate to demonstrate these criteria.

It may be that none of the web pages that you have designed and created so far include all required criteria, such as image-maps or tables. If this is the case you may need to demonstrate these skills separately (using, for example, the HTML Challenges).

Grading
If you are demonstrating this unit as part of a formal course, you might find that the unit is graded (meaning you can not only demonstrate your competence, but can also gain a credit or distinction). Your facilitator may already have set criteria that your college uses. If not, here are some ideas for possible credit/distinction activities that you can discuss with your facilitator:


 * Ensuring that all your documents validate using a strict DOCTYPE (HTML 4 Strict or XHTML 1.0 Strict)
 * Completely separating your content and presentation (in your HTML and CSS respectively)
 * Using Microformats to markup some information (such as contact details).
 * Successfully demonstrating some of the XML challenges.
 * Learning independently to present high quality work for assessment.
 * Researching and presenting new standards such as XHTML2 and HTML5 with excellent communication skills (and perhaps explaining why there are two new HTML standards!)

Notes and discrepancies
For example, Elements 3 and 4 of the competency seem to be (not only outdated) but specifically about HTML. Yet under Knowledge and Skills in the NTIS Document, it states "Ability to use a variety of mark-up languages to meet a variety of needs". To be honest, I think the document is a tad confused itself (talks about a ".dhtml" extension and DHTML as a markup language?)
 * According to the official document, this unit could be grouped together with ICAB4137A - Produce basic client side script for dynamic web pages - which would be fine, once learners have learned how to program and apply Javascript to their pages. In the mean time, a much better grouping is Develop Cascading Stylesheets and FTP.
 * Some of the criteria for this unit are out of date (using HTML to control the presentation of your web page). For example, criteria 3.2 Apply a suitable background colour. These presentational aspects of this unit should be demonstrated using CSS (and hence as part of the unit Develop cascading style sheets).
 * There's some confusion as to whether this unit is meant to:
 * Just demonstrate competence with (X)HTML
 * Demonstrate competence with (X)HTML and familiarity with one or two other markup languages (VRML, SVG)
 * Demonstrate competence with a number of different versions of HTML (HTML4, XHTML1.0 strict, transitional etc.)