Laboratory on CS110 Basics

In the first lab we will practice using some basic applications, like TextWrangler (text editor), Fetch (file transfer program), and Safari/Firefox (web browsers). We will begin learning HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), a language for structuring the content of web pages. We will also become familiar with the process of uploading material to the CS server and viewing our web pages in a browser.

Read the CS110 To-Do List, a checklist of things you need to do in the first two weeks of CS110.

Today, if you have not already registered for the class, you will use a guest account to access cs.wellesley.edu, which is the name of the CS server. In class, right now, we will all request accounts by filling out the account request form. This will help us set up an account that you will use throughout the semester. Your instructor will tell you the magic word in class.

Here's what we're going to do today:

  1. Log into the Macs, which run OS X.
  2. Using TextWrangler text wrangler icon (or Notepad on PCs), create a simple web page in HTML.
    Note: Do not use Microsoft Word. Don't even cut and paste from Word. This can introduce strange items into your HTML.

    Save the file on your desktop under the name yournamelab1.html (for example, jeanhlab1.html).

  3. View the web page locally in a browser firefox logo.
    Your browser's location bar should start with file:///Users/
  4. Upload the file to the CS server using Fetchfetch logo on Macs (or WinSCP on PCs). (You can use scp under Linux or OS X.)

  5. View the newly-uploaded page in a browser firefox logo.
    Your browser's location bar should start with http://cs.wellesley.edu/
  6. Modify your web page, in TextWrangler text wrangler icon (or Notepad), by adding more text and tags, save it, and view it locally in a browser.
  7. Upload the new version to the server, using Fetch fetch logo.
  8. View the web page in a browser firefox logo.
  9. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8 several times.