Web Applications Notes

WORKING WITH ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS

Computer Accessibility refers to the user friendliness of a computer system for all,
regardless of their disability. This is mainly a software issue. However, when a
combination of hardware and software, it enables a person with a disability or
impairment to use a computer. It is known as Assistive Technology.

There are numerous types of impairment that impact computer usage. These include:
• Cognitive impairments and learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism.
• Visual impairment such as low-vision, complete or partial blindness, and color
blindness.

• Hearing impairment including deafness.

• Motor or dexterity impairment such as paralysis, cerebral palsy, or carpal tunnel
syndrome and repetitive strain injury.
Accessibility Options in Control Panel are used to customize the way your keyboard,
display, or mouse function. Many of these features are useful for people with disabilities.
Accessibility Options available in Keyboard Tab

Sticky Keys: Sticky Keys is an accessibility feature to help computer users with
physical disabilities, but it is also used by others as a means to reduce repetitive strain.
Sticky Keys allows the user to press and release a modifier key, such as Shift, Ctrl,
Alt, or the Windows key, and have it remain active until any other key is pressed.
Filter Keys: It is an accessibility function that tells the keyboard to ignore brief or
repeated keystrokes, making typing easier for people with hand tremors.
ToggleKeys: It is an accessibility function which is designed for people who have vision
impairment or cognitive disabilities. When 165

ToggleKeys is turned on, computer emits sound cues when the locking keys (Caps Lock,
Num Lock, or Scroll Lock) are pressed. A high sound is emitted when the keys are
switched on and a low sound is emitted when they are switched off.
Accessibility Options available in Sound Tab

Sound Sentry: Sound Sentry is designed to help users with auditory impairments.
Sound Sentry generates visual warnings, such as a blinking title bar or a flashing
border, whenever the computer generates a sound.
Show Sounds: ShowSounds instructs applications that convey information by sound, to
also provide information visually, through text captions or informative icons.
Accessibility Options available in Display Tab

High Contrast: High Contrast is an accessibility feature to assist people with vision
impairment. You can change the size and color of fonts and the background for ease of
viewing.

Cursor Options: Cursor Options is also an accessibility feature that assists people with
vision impairment by changing the blink rate and width of the cursor.
1
Accessibility Options available in Mouse Tab

MouseKeys: MouseKeys is an accessibility feature that assists people who have

difficulty using a mouse. This option uses the keyboard (especially numeric keypad) as a
pointing device instead of a mouse.
Accessibility Options available in General Tab

Serial Keys: Serial Keys is an accessibility feature that assists people that have difficulty
using a keyboard or a mouse (or both). They can use special devices such as Sip, Puff
and Breath Switches to provide input to the computer through Serial Ports.

NETWORKING FUNDAMENTALS

A computer network is a collection of computers and other hardware components

interconnected by communication channels (cables or satellites) that allow sharing of
resources and information.

Networks are designed using the following architecture:

PEER-TO-PEER (P2P) ARCHITECTURE: Networks in which all computers have an
equal status are called peer to peer networks. Generally in such a network each terminal
has an equally competent CPU.

CLIENT-SERVER ARCHITECTURE: Networks in which certain computers have special

dedicated tasks, providing services to other computers (in the network) are called client
server networks. The computer(s) which provide services are called servers and the ones
that use these services are called clients.

TYPES OF NETWORKS

 LOCAL AREA NETWORK: A local area network (LAN) is one which connects
computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as home, school,
computer laboratory, office building, or closely positioned group of buildings.

Usually local area networks offer very high speeds and are used for connecting
computers and peripherals such as printers, scanners, etc.

 WIDE AREA NETWORK: A wide area network (WAN) is one which covers a broad
area (i.e., any network that links across metropolitan, regional, or national
boundaries). The Internet is the most popular WAN, and is used by businesses,
governments, non-profit organizations, individual consumers, artists, entertainers,
and many others.

INTERNET: The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that

use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a
network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and
government networks.

WORLD WIDE WEB: World Wide Web (abbreviated as WWW or W3, commonly known as
the Web), is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. With
a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other
multimedia, and navigate between them via hyperlinks.
Information is stored on web servers referred to as web pages are retrieved by using a
web browser such as Firefox on the local computer.

2
A Web Browser is a software used to view Web sites and acts as an interface between
the user and the World Wide Web.
A Web server is a computer that stores web sites and their related files for viewing on
the Internet.
Some of the advantages associated with networking are:

 Data Sharing: One of the most important uses of networking is to allow the
sharing of data.

 Files Transfer : Users can send text files, spread sheets, documents,
presentations, audio files, video files, etc. to other users.

 Hardware Sharing: Hardware components such as printers, scanners, etc. can

also be shared. For example, instead of purchasing 10 printers for each user, one
printer can be purchased and shared among multiple users thus saving cost.

 Internet Access Sharing: You can purchase a single Internet connection and
share it among other computers in a network instead of purchasing multiple
Internet connection for each computer. This is very commonly found in Internet
café (browsing centres), schools, colleges, companies, etc.

 Usage of network based applications: Such as web browsers, email clients, chat
application, audio & video calling, etc. is another advantage.

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER: An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization

which provides you with access to the Internet via a dial-up (using modem) or direct
(hard wired) or wireless connection.

MODEM: Á modem is a device that converts digital computer signals into a form (analog
signals) that can travel over phone lines. It also re-converts the analog signals back into
digital signals. The word modem is derived from its function MOdulator/DEModulator.

Types Of Common Internet Connectivity

Dial-up: Dial-up Internet access is a form of Internet access that uses the facilities of the
public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a connection to an Internet
service provider
(ISP) via telephone lines using a device called MODEM. Users dial a particular number
provided by the ISP and gain access to the Internet.
Dial-up connections are extremely slow and in most cases, it is replaced by a high
speed connection such as DSL or Cable Modem.
DSL: Digital subscriber line(DSL) provide Internet access by transmitting digital data
over wires of a local telephone network. DSL service is delivered along with wired
telephone service on the same telephone line.

Cable Internet Access: Cable Internet Access is a form of broadband Internet access
that uses the cable television infrastructure. Cable Internet Access is provided through
existing cable TV networks; this is similar to DSL that is provided over existing telephone
lines.

3G: 3G, short for 3rd Generation is a set of standards used for mobile devices and
mobile telecommunication services and networks. High-Speed Downlink Packet Access
(HSDPA) is 3G mobile telephony communications protocol that allows higher data
transfer speeds and capacity.
3
WiMAX: WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a wireless
communications standard designed to provide mobile broadband connectivity across
cities and countries through a variety of devices.

WI-Fi: Wi-Fi is a popular technology that allows an electronic device such as computers
or mobile phones to exchange data wirelessly over a network, including high-speed
Internet connections. WiFi devices such as personal computer, smartphones, video game
console, etc. can connect to a network resource such as Internet through a device called
the Wireless Access Point (WAP).

DATA TRANSFER ON THE INTERNET

• Each packet is sent from computer to computer until it finds its destination. Each
computer on the way decides where next to send the packet. All packets may not
take the same route.
• At the destination, the packets are examined. If any packets are missing or
damaged, a message is sent asking for them to be re-sent. This continues until all
packets have been received intact.
• The packets are now reassembled into their original form. All this done in seconds!

INTRODUCTION TO INSTANT MESSAGING

Instant messaging (IM) is a form of communication over the Internet that offers an
instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver.

Key Features of an instant messaging are as follows:

• Text Messages can be sent to one or more person (Similar to SMS)
• Audio calling and conferencing.
• Video calling and conferencing.
• File transfers (Not limited to documents, spread sheets, audio files, video files, etc.)
• Message history (Save messages for future reference).

Instant Messaging Account: Participants messaging to each other need to be signed in

to the same instant messaging software. To use instant messaging software, a user must
have a valid instant messaging account.

Instant Messaging Services: There are two kinds of instant messaging software –
application based and Web based.

Application based instant messaging software is downloaded and installed on user’s

computer. Some of the popular instant messaging software are:
• Google Talk
• Yahoo! Messenger
• Skype
• Windows Live Messenger
• Rediff Bol, etc.

Web based instant messaging software is accessed using browsers such as Internet
Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc. Some of the popular web based instant
messaging software are:

• Meebo
• Yahoo! Messenger for the Web
• MSN Web Messenger
• IMO, etc.

4
 CREATING AND PUBLISHING WEB PAGES – BLOG

A blog is a discussion style site used by non-technical (or technical users) users for
creating personal web pages. Blogs are similar to an online personal diary and simple to
use.
You can use a blog to convey messages about events, announcements, news, reviews,
etc.

Some of the popular blogs include:

• www.WordPress.com
• www.blogger.com
• www.blog.com
• www.weebly.com
• www.blogsome.com

CREATING A BLOG ACCOUNT

Before you start using a blog, a blog account is required. To create one, you need a web
browser and an internet connection.

• Open the Web Browser.

• On the address bar type https://signup.WordPress.com/signup/. You should now

get to a page with the fields Blog address, Username, Password, Email Address
and Language.
• Blog Address: You must provide a unique address to your WordPress Blog. This is
the address which others will use to view your blog.
• Username: You should choose a username for managing this blog.

• Password: Securing your WordPress blog account with a strong password is

important. A combination of uppercase and lowercase letters with some digits
along with symbols would be a strong enough password. You need to enter the
password twice.

• Email Address: You must provide your Email Address here. An activation link will
be send to you from WordPress after you click “Create Blog”.

• Language: You can choose your own language for blogging from the list given.

• Click Create Blog.

Once you have created a blog, you need to submit content that you want others to view.
This process ids called posting content.

• To create a post, click New Post.

• You must provide a title for your post; choose a tile that this post will focus on.

- Once you have finished typing the content, you need to publish the post for others to
see.

- Click Publish Post to publish your content. To view the post, you can type the blog
address in the address bar of the web browser, you should see your blog along with the
post (displayed below).

You can also add photos, videos, etc. to the blog using the options available in
WordPress.
5
 USING OFFLINE BLOG EDITORS

If you do not have an active internet connection, you can create blogs using a blog
application and publish the blog whenever internet connectivity is available.

There are several free offline blog editors available that can be downloaded and installed
on the local computer such as:

• Qumana
• Windows Live Writer
• Blogdesk

ONLINE TRANSACTIONS
Online transactions deals with transfer of money over the internet. Revolution in the
electronic media has made transaction handling easy .

Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce where customers can buy or sell
goods over the Internet.
Online shopping could be useful in situations when:
• A customer does not have sufficient time to visit stores.
• Visiting a store is more expensive than purchasing a product online.
• A product or service that is not available in the local market is available online.

Some of the popular online transaction websites are:

• IRCTC, an online portal for booking flight and train tickets.
• Flipkart, an online shopping portal for buying consumer products.
• EBay, an online portal for buying and selling goods.
• Redbus, an online portal for booking bus tickets.

INTERNET SECURITY

Internet security is a branch of computer security specifically related to the Internet,

often involving browser security but also network security. Its objective is to establish
rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet.
Best Practices for Security

• Use strong passwords, a combination of alphanumeric and special characters

could be used for creating a password that is not so easy to crack or guessed by
other users.

• Do not keep passwords such as your favorite color, friends or relatives name, bike
number, mobile number either as single or combined option. These passwords are
easy to guess if a user knows you personally.

• Change your password frequently at least 2 or 3 weeks so that your account

information remains secure.
• Using strong passwords can lower the risk of a security breach; effectiveness of a
password depends on the security mechanism of the software and users
involvement in generating a strong password.

• Most websites check for password effectiveness when a user attempts to register
for the first time or when they change password.

6
 Following is a general guideline for managing strong passwords.
• Keep the length of the password at least 12-14 characters if permitted.
• Avoid keeping passwords based on repetition, dictionary words, letter
or number sequences, usernames, relative or pet names, etc.
• Including numbers, and symbols in passwords if allowed.
• Use capital and lower-case letters.
• Avoid using the same password for multiple sites or purposes.
• Avoid using something that the public or workmates know you
strongly like or dislike.
• Use random password generators if possible.
Example of a strong password: u1vX:,4Hd{]$

• Use encryption software

• Keeping your username and password private
• Registering with trusted websites
• Do not share personal information
• Do secure transactions
• Use antivirus and antispyware software
• Do not immediately respond to mails from unknown users
• Clear browser cookies frequently
• Keep the operating system and software applications up to date
• Install firewalls
• Never install software from unknown sources
• Remove unwanted or unknown software applications

MAINTAIN WORKPLACE SAFETY

Maintain Workplace Safety

Basic Fire safety rules in an organization are :

Most of the time fire can be prevented using appropriate measures.
- Fire escape plans must be installed at proper levels
- Conduct regular drills
- Smoke alarms must be placed at proper intervals
- Keep workplace a no-smoking zone
- Maintenance of safety equipment must be taken care of regularly

Falls and Slips Safety rules

- Keep the moving area clean and clutter free.
- Workplace must be proper ventilated receive light.
- Wear non slippery footwear.
- Floors must be clean and dry
- Oil spills, dust must be immediately cleaned.

Electrical Safety Rules:

- Electrical equipment used should be approved by a recognised organization.

- Workers should be trained to handle the electric equipment safely
- Damaged and hazardous electrical equipment should be immediately replaced. All old
and workout and frayed switches and wires should be changed.
- Heat emanating equipment should be kept away from the electrical equipment.
- Take care that the outlets/ circuits should not be overloaded .
- Switch off and unplug the electrical appliances before cleaning or relocating them.
7
Use of First Aid
First Aid is the immediate assistance provided to the injured to save life and minimize
health loss till the proper medical aid/ facility is provided.
Some rules of First Aid are :
- Assure the injured to remain calm and not to panic
- Keep them warm if they are under shock
- Do not move the victim in case of back/neck injury

PREVENT ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES

Accident: an accident is an unplanned event that may happen all of a sudden and may
lead to unwanted or unprecedented results/outcomes.

Or

It can be defined as an unfortunate incident that occurs unintentionally causing

hazardous result or injury or unwanted results.

Types of Accidents:

Accidents may be of following types :

- Accidents at workplace : Slips and fall accidents, fire
- Industrial disease/illness
- Road traffic accidents
- Clinical Accidents
- Sports related accidents

Handling Accidents:

Accidents must be handled carefully. The accident should be handled compassionately

without assigning blame on others.
- Every organization must follow SOP for accident handling
- Safety measures must be placed to prevent workplace accidents
- Immediately call the medical team for any injury
- Stay alert
- Pay attention to and follow emergency drills

Emergency
Any unexpected situation that needs immediate attention and action.

An emergency situation might pose a sudden risk to life, property health etc. and needs
intervention to prevent deteriorating results/ hazards.

An emergency situation is one that:

● threatens the employees, customers or the public
● disrupts or shuts down the operations
● causes physical or environmental damage

Types of Emergency :
- Chemical spills
- Extreme heat waves
- Droughts
- Pandemics

8
- Terrorist attack
- Fire
- Floods
- Thunderstorms
- Leakage of some hazardous gas/ chemical

Generally the situation of emergency occurs as a result of some disaster. Disaster may
be either natural or caused by some human activity.

Some of the types of emergencies that require evacuation are:

● Fire
● Explosion
● Floods
● Earthquake
● Hurricane
● Tornado
● Toxic material release
● Civil disturbance
● Workplace violence

PROTECT HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK

Hazards And Sources Of Hazards

An organization can face some health hazards that could put the lives of the employees
in danger. A hazard is anything that is the source of any potential harm, damage or any
kind of potential loss of health or life.
Hazards can be of different types depending on the industry and the environment in
which the employees work. The different types of hazards include:

● Physical
● Chemical
● Biological
● Mechanical

Healthy Living

‘A healthy body has a healthy mind’ - a very popular saying is true .

‘Healthy Lifestyle leads to a healthy being. A healthy living has a lasting impact on an
individual which ultimately yields a healthy environment at home as well as at work
place. A happy and healthy worker will always perform best to his ability.
A healthy lifestyle helps to keep and improve people’s health and well being.

A healthy lifestyle includes :

- healthy eating habits
- physical activities
- stress management
- healthy mind
- sound sleep
- goal setting