I usually use PHP and MySQl for my projects. Since these two are the driving mechanism of the system, look and feel or the layout designing need to use HTML and CSS. Generally uses bootstrap framework, because it has almost all components need to develop a web application. These days, a responsiveness is crucial.
For a web app, easiest approach to design is use a admin template that uses bootstrap framework and possibly latest HTML and CSS standards (at the time of writing this HTML5 and CSS3). Because a template can save lots of time you need to spend on designing interfaces and use that time for coding.
There are lots of good free admin templates available. I generally prefer to use only one template for one project. Because it is good when you showcase your works.
After downloading a template, first need to open the index.html file and see if it is fully functioning. There are some free templates that not gives full functions as it shows in their demo. So, before starts developing checking downloaded files are important. Generally checks for forms, tables, charts, icons, and responsiveness.
Next create a project folder and copy only index.html file and all folders. Don't copy other files now. We need to create our app templates from using only index file and then copy other components when needed. Open the index.html file in a text editor (I prefer using notepad++) and see for linked css and js files. Some css and js files may linked to the original location online. It is good to download these outside linked files and link them locally. Because if those files some day removed or updated, your application may not work correctly. You should download all online linked files to your project folder (css files into css directory and js files in to js directory) and change the link in the index.html file to local path. After changing all links, open the index.html file and check if all functions in the home page works. If not most probably you made a mistake in updating local path links. Carefully check for path errors. Additionally if you are using Google Chrome or Firefox, you can open developer console (F12) and see for error information. This developer console is a very important tool when developing web apps.
The next thing you need to do is creating the app template from index.html file. Since I use PHP, first I rename index.html in to index.php so I have a php file. Next thing is to define header and footer of the template. Header is to top static part of the page including left side control panel (if any) and other static navigation menus until main page contents begin. Footer is the static bottom part of the page. This header and footer is common all over the application (in all other pages).
Generally the header starts from open html tag and stops at starting of main page contents div element. Cut and create a separate php file called header.php and paste all header codes to that file. Then you can include the header file to the index page. Same way should create footer.php file and include it to the index file. Now you have your basic app template of index.php, header.php and footer.php files.
Now the index.php file looks like this;
include('header.php');
Page contents HTML codes
include('footer.php');
This format resembled the complete index.php file at runtime.
Next we need to strip out all unwanted elements from dashboard and include only wanted elements or you can leave the dashboard as it is until finishing the whole app and develop the dashboard last.
For a web app, easiest approach to design is use a admin template that uses bootstrap framework and possibly latest HTML and CSS standards (at the time of writing this HTML5 and CSS3). Because a template can save lots of time you need to spend on designing interfaces and use that time for coding.
There are lots of good free admin templates available. I generally prefer to use only one template for one project. Because it is good when you showcase your works.
After downloading a template, first need to open the index.html file and see if it is fully functioning. There are some free templates that not gives full functions as it shows in their demo. So, before starts developing checking downloaded files are important. Generally checks for forms, tables, charts, icons, and responsiveness.
Next create a project folder and copy only index.html file and all folders. Don't copy other files now. We need to create our app templates from using only index file and then copy other components when needed. Open the index.html file in a text editor (I prefer using notepad++) and see for linked css and js files. Some css and js files may linked to the original location online. It is good to download these outside linked files and link them locally. Because if those files some day removed or updated, your application may not work correctly. You should download all online linked files to your project folder (css files into css directory and js files in to js directory) and change the link in the index.html file to local path. After changing all links, open the index.html file and check if all functions in the home page works. If not most probably you made a mistake in updating local path links. Carefully check for path errors. Additionally if you are using Google Chrome or Firefox, you can open developer console (F12) and see for error information. This developer console is a very important tool when developing web apps.
The next thing you need to do is creating the app template from index.html file. Since I use PHP, first I rename index.html in to index.php so I have a php file. Next thing is to define header and footer of the template. Header is to top static part of the page including left side control panel (if any) and other static navigation menus until main page contents begin. Footer is the static bottom part of the page. This header and footer is common all over the application (in all other pages).
Generally the header starts from open html tag and stops at starting of main page contents div element. Cut and create a separate php file called header.php and paste all header codes to that file. Then you can include the header file to the index page. Same way should create footer.php file and include it to the index file. Now you have your basic app template of index.php, header.php and footer.php files.
Now the index.php file looks like this;
include('header.php');
Page contents HTML codes
include('footer.php');
This format resembled the complete index.php file at runtime.
Next we need to strip out all unwanted elements from dashboard and include only wanted elements or you can leave the dashboard as it is until finishing the whole app and develop the dashboard last.
