File Types

HTML

Strengths Weaknesses
  • Very modular
  • Easy to create
  • Easy in integrate multimedia objects
  • Flexibility to create different views of the same information for different audiences
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  • Long documents hard to view but easy to print
  • Modular documents hard to print but easy to view
  • May be difficult to present to non- networked viewers
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    Adobe Acrobat Format

    Strengths Weaknesses
  • Can be created from virtually any "conventional" source (word processing, graphics, anything)
  • Retains look and feel of the original document
  • Easy to print
  • Distribution possible without losing control of source file
  • Viewer currently a free Netscape helper, soon to be built-in
  • Viewer available for Macintosh, Windows, and some Unix platforms
  • Files are small in size relative to source file
  • Files support color
  • Files support various additional features, including multiple display modes, hot WWW links
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  • Several steps involved in creating file
  • Additional software required to create files
  • User needs to download entire file before viewing
  • Documents formatted for standard page size can be difficult to view
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    Graphics Files

    Strengths Weaknesses
  • Image maps can be useful to guide user choices
  • "A picture is worth a thousand words"
  • Often good as a supplement to text
  • Some users may not have graphics capabilities
  • Need to create text alternatives for key pages
  • Graphics may be slow for dial-up users
  • Graphics are not always a good substitute for good text

    • Feature Comparisons for HTML Authoring Tools