State of the Website Content: Static vs. Dynamic

For all webmasters, one of the key decisions to make when implementing a website is whether content of the site will be of a static or dynamic nature. The reason this decision is important is because it will influence every design decision you make from here on out for the site. Neither way of presenting content is wrong, but each each manner has it's pros and cons to take into consideration.

Static Content

Static website content means that the content of the web page is saved to disk within the page's display information, and the page is passed to the requesting browser without alterations. Typically, static pages are designed solely in HTML (HyperText Markup Language), which defines the framework in which the content will be viewed. Since this article is geared towards webmasters, we'll assume that you're already familiar with the majority of the language.

PROs:

• All web hosts support the use of HTML.
• Pages will produce identical output whenever and wherever they are loaded.
• Static content is extremely easy to test in the development stages, helping prevent errors.

CONs:

• All content changes must be made directly to the file on the web host's server.
• Content changes must be made by someone familiar with at least the basic workings of HTML (often leading to a greater burden on most webmasters).
• Some popular dynamic features, such as forums and interactive calenders, are very difficult to implement in a static environment.

Dynamic Content

Dynamic website content is content that inserted into a display framework by a program or script when the page is called by a requesting web browser. This can be as simple as a counter or current date and time information, or as complex as custom user management and interfaces. Many of these scripts work together with HTML in order to produce robust and flexible content possibilities. Most web sites with dynamic content also rely on the use of a database as well, which is used to store the information for retrieval.

One of the nice features of using dynamic content is the ability to update content in a database through the web interface. This allows individuals who may not be familiar with the formatting tags of HTML to easily update information that will be posted on the site. While the initial preparation of these tools may take a substantial amount of time, once they are implemented, very little upkeep is required on the part of the webmaster.

In order to implement dynamic website content, you will need to select a program/script and a database server to work with. You will find that many web hosts will provide hosting packages that combine at least one program or script along with a database to use for storing content. Some of the common options include:

• Programs/Scripts
• Active Server Pages (ASP) - ASP is Microsoft's server-side scripting language that is typically paired with IIS on computers running some version of Windows
• ColdFusion - ColdFusion is Macromedia's tag-based programming lauguage for writing internet-based applications
• JavaScript - JavaScript is an object-based scripting language that is used for web applications as well as other projects
• PHP - PHP is a general-purpose scripting language best suited for web development.
• Database Servers
• Microsoft SQL - Microsoft SQL Server is the software giant's primary and most powerful database tool, and has a number of useful management applications that accompany it.
• MySQL - MySQL is a free, Open-Source database server for which there are a number of 3rd party management application.
• Oracle - Oracle is an extremely powerful database server that is distributed by the world's largest enterprise software company.

In the coming weeks, we will be addressing the differences in each one of these alternatives in more detail so that you can find the one that best fit your needs. However, the use of dynamic website content typically has the following strengths and weaknesses:

PROs:

• Separation of the content from the design framework of the page, allowing for more flexibility.
• The ability to create powerful custom tools for the management and presentation of your site, or implement pre-made packages that can be altered to fit your sites needs.
• Most web hosts provide one or more of these tools along with their standard hosting packages, meaning no extra costs for you!

CONs:

• There is a substantial learning curve for these dynamic languages/scripts and database servers.
• Due to the use of dynamic content, there is more greater chance of errors occuring if content is not handled properly, so more development is required.
• The use of additional applications may require more upkeep of the site's framework.

The vision you and your church or group have for the site and the resources you have available will greatly impact the decision of how you want to handle your content. Static web content is still the standard for many pages on the web. However, with the growth of user participation in the web leading to the flourishing of dynamic content on almost every major site, I recommend trying to work towards the dynamic approach. Not only will you be able to have a database record of everything on your site, but you will be able to port that content between languages/scripts over time if need be. While it does require more time and effort, the rewards are well worth it!