ASSIGNMENTS
1. Create a website and make a page with a proposal for a possible final project.
2. Download and install the required software.
3. Research local fab labs and makerspaces. Is there a space in your community that you can access?
4.Read Chapters 1-3 of Making Things Move.
My Work
I had never used html to create a website; hence, I had a lot to learn. Since I had no prior experience, I was mainly trying to understand the basic concepts that were being thought. I had used python, and C++ before, and (even though they are very different) these helped me understand the html language more easily. To begin, I downloaded Sublime Text, GitHub Desktop, and created a GitHub account. Getting used to the interface was a bit hard for me, but got the hang of it as I started to work on it. By following the steps, I first created a new repository. Now I needed a template to start working on. Since I was new to htrml, I decided to download the given simple template to learn the basics. I had some problems while downloading the template, but with some help, I managed to properly add the template to my repository. The first things that I did were changing the title, and inserting new images for the first three weeks. I also needed to create an About-Me page, and add some ideas for my final project. I added a hyperlink with my name on the top, which would lead the user to the About Me page. Obviously, this page had a very simple design I just wrote some information about myself, managed to insert a photo of me, and finally wrothe the project ideas at the bottom of the page. I tried to alter the style of the page, and played around with the colors for a while. [The image on the left is a section of the code of my first website, taken from Sublime Text]
GitHub Desktop
As I made changes to my code, I also need to use GitHub Desktop to save the changes to the remote repository. This process of going back and forth between GitHub Desktop and Sublime Text seemed to be a bit challenging at first, but I got really used to it as I practiced more. I found it easier to view my website locally to see the changes more quickly. When I was satisfied with the changes that I made locally, I would then go to GitHub Desktop. The interface of GitHub Desktop is pretty easy to use. After making any kind of change on Sublime Text, I just open GitHub Desktop, and all the changes are clearly visible. I just wrote a short summary for each change (to make it easier to understand afterwards), and pressed "Commit to Main". Then just by clicking "Push Origin", I changed my main website. I really started to enjoy using these programs and started to feel more comfortable while working on my website. Therefore, I decided to improve my website, and make it look more professional. [The image on the right is from GitHub Desktop]
The Final Website
I needed a new template to start working on, so I started researching free CSS templates. After some time, I found a template that I liked a lot. It was called MINI PROFILE FREE CSS TEMPLATE, and was perfect for what I wanted to do. I mainly just changed the texts, the images, and played around with style of the template to turn it into the website that I had in mind. I added each week, the About Me page, and the Final Project Ideas to the home page. I was really happy with how the website was looking. While working on the style, I found the html color codes, and it helped a lot. I now needed to work on the specific pages such as the weeks, and the about me page. Once again, to make the website look more proffessional, I downloaded several different templates from the internet (the same website that I found the home page template) and started editing them. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I am getting better at html as I work more on it. I hope to have a really cool website at the end of this course. [The image on the left is from the final website home page]