Overview

This unit is designed to introduce a variety of technologies and techniques typically used in development of contemporary web-based systems, and to enable students to achieve a level of fluency in using these in a thoughtful and considered manner. Two web programming techniques will be introduced. The first is to use web-based embedded scripting language (PHP) on a web server (Apache) and a server-side database (MySQL), and the second is to use Ajax to manage asynchronous client-server communication and XML/JSON as data exchange languages.

Requisites

Prerequisites

Undergraduate
COS10011 Creating Web Applications
AND
COS10009 Introduction to Programming

Postgraduate
COS60004 Creating Web Applications
AND
COS60006 Introduction to Programming
OR
COS60010 Technology Inquiry Project
OR
MA-ITPC1 Master of Information Technology (Professional Computing)

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Describe, identify and debug issues related to the development of web applications
  • Design and develop interactive web applications using embedded server-side scripting language PHP
  • Use MySQL for data management and manipulate MySQL with PHP
  • Design and develop asynchronous web applications using Ajax techniques
  • Use client-side dynamic scripting language JavaScript and server-side scripting language PHP with Ajax
  • Apply XML/JSON technologies for data management with Ajax
  • Use Ajax framework, web services and APIs and apply design patterns for developing web applications

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		2.00 12 weeks 24
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		8.50 12 weeks 102
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Class ExercisesIndividual 15 - 25% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 
Project 1Individual 30 - 40% 1,2,3 
Project 2Individual 40 - 50% 1,4,5,6 

Content

Server-side scripting language PHP: variables, data types, operations, strings, functions, control statements, arrays, files and directory access, maintaining state

  • Web programming approach by using embedded PHP
  • Access and manipulation of MySQL
  • The Ajax web application development approach
  • DOM and CSS used in JavaScript
  • Asynchronous content update technologies
  • XMLHttpRequest objects used to communicate between clients and servers
  • XML and JSON
  • XSLT and XPath as mechanisms for transforming XML documents
  • Web services and APIs (especially Google Maps)
  • Ajax frameworks for contemporary web application development
  • Design patterns used in web applications

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.