The Coffee Cup Model
02/06/2009 - Ken Clark
As I start out on this journey to explain, in simple terms, just how your website is constructed, I glance over at my ****bucks cup and inspiration smacks me over the head like a triple shot espresso, and away I go.
To start, there are many programming languages out there and they all have their own unique benefits and drawbacks. No matter what the differences are, for this article and example they all have this similar function - the ability to include a file. This single ability allows us to create a simple site structure that gives the website consistency, the ability to update/expand rapidly, and provides for ease of maintenance. Here at CityMind we use ColdFusion(CF), a well rounded, simple but very robust language. Of course it helps that both of my bosses are "rock star programmers" in CF*.
Any website will have standard elements included such as Logo, Navigation, and Content. These are, of course, the very basics, and depending on your business and your website needs, you could have additional elements such as Articles, Contact Forms, Blogs, Photo Galleries, and custom programming applications.
In order to consistently display your website in a professional manner, most website developers worth their salt will use a programming language and "include" these elements in a sort of "template" layout. By doing this, we keep these vital elements from getting lost or jumping around on the page, helping your customers who visit your website find what they need quickly and without confusion. In order to explain this visually and keep you interested (lest your eyes begin to glaze over), I will focus once again on the steaming cup of shiny black goodness that sits patiently on my right.
As we study the aforementioned cup we notice that it is not one big solid mass but rather constructed out of a few different parts. In order to receive this beverage, we had to have a few things on hand: a cup, a lid, the outside cardboard cozy, the hot shiny black goodness and of course, depending on where you went, the metal-decorated tattooed, rude teen girl that took your money. Each of these elements contributed to the cup of coffee that now sits on my desk. Your website works the same way (sans the rude teen girl). Let me explain.
| Elements of the Coffee | Elements of the Website |
|---|---|
| The Lid | The Logo |
| The Cup | The Navigation |
| The Cozy | The Copyright Information |
| The Coffee | The Content |
| The Rude Girl | The Cool Website Dude |
When we stood in line and ordered, we ordered a coffee (the content). What came with it was all the other elements - the cup(navigation), the lid(the logo), etc. All these work together to provide a more pleasurable experience. Omit one and the experience becomes distinctly less pleasurable. You would not, for instance, walk into the local coffee shop and have them pour the coffee directly into your hand. The same goes for the website; the other elements are required to make it a more enjoyable and easy experience for your client.
Now here is the interesting part and the part that makes the "template" structure come alive. Say, for instance, when you get that shiny black goodness and you drink it all (you get free refills), you hand it back and ask for a different blend. Do they throw out the cup? No, they pour a different coffee into the same cup. So now you have a totally different coffee but the cup, lid, cozy and rude teen girl did not change. Likewise, when you select different pages on your website (the "About Us" page or your "Locations" page, as examples), your website did not change its structure-only the content area changed.
When we at CityMind craft a website, we build it using the CF programming language that allows us to "include" all the different elements of the page and gives us control over how the structure of your website is displayed, then displays them in a consistent professional manner.
This is just a simplified look at the most basic function of a programming language. However, by using CF we give you a solid foundation to build the most complicated and fascinating web applications you can dream of.
So the question becomes, What can we do for you? Call 941.306.2041 today for an evaluation of what we can do to expand your business or simplify your day to day office tasks.
The CityMind Group
*Trying to get a raise