A Technology Pattern from
Patterns for Personal Web Sites

Downloadable Weblet

Sometimes a page, or set of pages, is useful outside the context of surfing the Web. For example, your site might offer a tutorial or F.A.Q. that people may want to read when they're not online.

This problem can sometimes be mitigated by creating a page of the Appropriate Length that can be downloaded. However, if the content spans several pages, or is a single page with many images, downloading becomes a chore.

Therefore, if you anticipate that a page or pages will be useful offline, offer an archive file that contains the entire 'weblet' in an easily downloadable form.

Creating a downloadable weblet requires an approach slightly different from creating normal Web pages. Offline Readability is a must, as are Readable Links. If the weblet spans multiple pages, then links between them should be Relative Links so that they will work when viewed offline.

Provided it isn't too large, Deep Content (especially a Gift to the Community) is a good candidate for Downloadable Weblet.

These pattern pages are available as a Downloadable Weblet. The archive file (zip format) is 94K.



Last updated 23 June 2002
http://www.rdrop.com/~half/Creations/Writings/Web.patterns/downloadable.weblet.html
All contents ©2002 Mark L. Irons