Electronic Commerce

Planning for eCommerce

MIS 6453 -- Spring 2006

Instructor: John Seydel, Ph.D.

Student ObjectivesUnderstand what's involved in planning ecommerce initiativesSummarize the major strategies for developing ecommerce websitesDiscuss the management issues associated with implementing ecommerceHave a better idea of how JavaScript worksCreate web pages including HTML tablesUnderstand how XML works and can be used to facilitate ecommerce

AgendaDiscuss ecommerce planning

Discussion led by Kevin Lyles Additional comments

Some review questionsArticle discussions

Know Who I Am series Analyze This!

Address web page questions and issues Tables JavaScript Lists

If time: start looking into XML What it is How it works What's needed Example

Review QuestionsChapter 8: Question 3 – web serversChapter 9: Question 6 – KM softwareChapter 10 Question 1 -- cookies Question 2 -- steganography

Chapter 11 Question 3 – PayPal and other epayment

systems Question 6 – smart cards

Chapter 12 Question 2 – ignoring ROI Question 5 – business management function

Article Discussions

Davis/Guynes/Lyles: Know Who I Am seriesAvery: Analyze This!

Some Web Page Concepts Exercises

Creating a tableA closer look at the JavaScript examples OnLoad event handler (page3.html) Payment calculator (FKAuto_0.php)

Converting Exam 1 to a bulleted listOther . . . ?

XML, a Computer Language

Programming languages Procedural

Traditional (e.g., COBOL) Object-oriented (e.g., Java)

Nonprocedural (e.g., SQL)Scripting languages

JavaScript VBScript Perl

Markup languages: deal with the data HTML XML XHTML . . .

eXtensible Markup Language

XML facilitates interchange of information across disparate applicationsXML is more flexible than HTMLXML requires more than HTML, in particular a processing application

Facilitating B2B eCommerce

Now, Some More about Markup: HTML versus XML

Recall origins of HTML Means of exchanging research papers across

the Web Intended to indicate display features

XML: markup to describe content, independently of displayXHTML HTML reformulated to comply with XML

standards and concept That's why we avoid things like <font . . . > Style rules replace display functions Working toward less dependence on user

agents

What's Involved with XML?With XML, we can Create our own markup language Use someone else's markup

Thus, a DTD is required to ensure completeness and consistency Tells the user agent what the tags mean Provides syntax for the tags

Note: XML documents resemble HTML documents, but the tags are different DTD for HTML is built into browsers User agents need to look externally for

DTDs for XML documents

User AgentsMost widely known: browsers The big two (IE & Netscape) Challengers, e.g., FireFox

How about some others?Consider Cell phones PDAs WebTV Pagers

And the list continues to grow . . .

XML Components

XML documentDTDStylesheet CSS (preferred for the time being) XSL (not well supported yet)

Why Use XML?

Can do much more with itNot restricted to standard browsersCan render/process same set of data numerous ways, depending upon the DTD employedAllows for special purpose treatment of content (e.g., chemical formulae, house plans, etc.)Makes data free of contextHence Application integration through marked up data Greater overall flexibility

A Sample XML Document

Language: RML (Recipe Markup Language)Note XML declaration DTD for <recipe> element Content

How would this look?

Sample RML Document<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><!DOCTYPE recipe SYSTEM 'rml.dtd'><recipe cook='JoJo Beans'>

<title>Bean Burrito</title><category name='tex-mex' /><ingredients>

<item>1 can refried beans </item><item>1 small onion </item><item> 3 flour tortillas</item>

</ingredients><cooking>

Empty beans into saucepan and heat until beans are smooth. Then warm tortillas in microwave oven for 30 seconds.</cooking><serving>

Spread 1/3 of beans on each tortilla, sprinkle with onions, roll, and serve.</serving>

</recipe>

Notice Some Things

XML declaration and DTDOne tag contains all the others (root)All elements have start/endEmpty elements alsoElements are nested (e.g., item within ingredient) Hierarchical Parent/child relationships

Attribute values quoted (apostrophes)

Another XML Document<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?><!DOCTYPE

html PUBLIC 'http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd'

><html xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml' xml:lang='en' lang='en'>

<head><title>Home Page for Suzy Student</title></head><body background='images/torch.gif'>

<h1><a href='http://www.astate.edu'>

<img border='0' src='images/asu.gif' /></a>Suzy Jo Student

</h1><h3><em>Welcome to my web site; Here's what you'll

find:</em></h3>. . .

</body></html>

Now, the DTD

Can be within the XML documentMore often externalWhere can we find one to look at?How about ANY web page?Defines: elements, content, attributes, parent/child, entities

Element Declarations

General syntax <!ELEMENT name EMPTY> <!ELEMENT name #PCDATA> <!ELEMENT name child1,child2, . . . > <!ELEMENT name #PCDATA | child>

Consider XHTML elements img p ul div

Attribute Lists

General syntax<!ATTLIST attr1 attr2 CDATA #REQUIRED><!ATTLIST attr1 attr2 CDATA IMPLIED>

XHTML attributes (for <img> tag) src alt width height onMouseOver . . .

Entity DeclarationsGeneral syntax

<!ENTITY name 'text'>

Reference in XML document using &name; formatSome XHTML entities Non-breaking space Brackets Other special characters & symbols

In XML: use often in place of long text strings (e.g., copyright info)

Summary of ObjectivesUnderstand what's involved in planning ecommerce initiativesSummarize the major strategies for developing ecommerce websitesDiscuss the management issues associated with implementing ecommerceHave a better idea of how JavaScript worksCreate web pages including HTML tablesUnderstand how XML works and can be used to facilitate ecommerce

Appendix

A Map of Markup Languages

HT M L

XHT M L M athM L G uestM L . . .

XM L Others

SG M L