Which Web Log Analysis Tool Is The Best

In plain words web log analysis tools are the analytics software that purses a log file from a web server, FTP server or the mail severs to trace the activity of the visitors of those sites. In other words we use these tools to trace the visitors of all sorts for our websites through various servers. Gone are the days when the site owners simply wait for the direct activity of the visitors on the sites or simply rely on what the search engine optimizers or the developers are saying about the activities and success of the websites! Now even a common man can use the one of the many web log analysis tools in his or her site. For example, simply putting a short code in the html coding of any webpage, a site owner can use the Google analytics to fetch the most comprehensive log details from the web server about the visitor activities!

However we are not supposed to discuss about Google analytics (if it is not the best web log analysis tools)! Then now the question is very simple which tool is the best? And the answer to this question is not that simple! There are many web log analysis tools available on the internet and each one is packed with several great features! Some come totally free and some are paid services! But it is fact that all of those are not equally popular to the users. When working as a freelance graphic designer, open source developer and SEO consultant, I come across this particular question – which tool should be used to analyze the log data? I simply tell them that it depends on what type of services you are looking from the web log analysis tools or how would you like to use them? Do you have deep knowledge to handle the configuration data? Do you want a very easy to use and install tool for your site? Depending on the basis of the answers, I try to tell them the following things about few popular web log analysis tools:

• Google analytics: This is one of most used web log analysis tools as it is free, comes with comprehensive analysis and the trust of the giant search engine – GOOGLE. It helps to get traffic report with an eye on the marketing effectiveness of the visitor activities. It comes with the customization (drag and drop of the several analysis boxes) facility for the report to get the subsets of the traffic analysis, multi-dimensional analysis. It is best for anyone who wants simple interface to install and use.
• Web Log Analyzer: If you are trying to get one of the best web log analysis tools that can perfectly map visitor locations with the tracking of IP addresses, this tool is the best for you. This feature is the best one with all other features it has.
• Deep Log Analyzer: The best part of this tool that separates it from other web log analysis tools is its ability to log the files without any code or bugs in the sites. It can also analyze log from all the popular web servers. You can write your own queries or download the log files from the FTP servers.
• AWstats: If you are looking for web log analysis tools that can graphically analyze FTP or mail server statistics this tool is one you are looking for. More on that is its ability to export the analysis report in XML, text or PDF file formats. It even can generate the 404 page reference reports also.

• Piwik: Are you in search of open source web log analysis tools? The facility of open source – add, edit or removal of any feature- is available with this tool. If you have some developing knowledge or can hire website designer or the developer to customize it in look and functionality (plug-ins), this tool is the one you should use to analyze log data completely in your way!
• Analog: Among all the web log analysis tools, this one is the easiest to install and run on any operating system and can generate reports in 32 international languages! Particularly for these two features site owners and the developers love this tool most.
• Web Analyzer: Sometimes we find that many web log analysis tools are not functioning well in all the browsers! Those have a bunch of features but due to incompatibility with several browsers we feel sorry to use those! But the solution is here with Web Analyzer that can generate all the reports in HTML format and we till get all the bunch of comprehensive log reports!
• W3 Pearl and My Blog Log: These two small web log analysis tools are popular but not that much comprehensive ones. Yet with W3 pearl we can track the web log analysis data with the use of a page bug. On the other hand, via ‘My Blog Log’ we can get the information about a visitor activity (when he or she is to which page, how long is staying on a page or even page to page navigation). This helps to improve the page depending on the report. But these two tools are not complete to use singly for getting log data. These can be supplementary to other web log analysis tools.

Anyways, this is my reference on the use of tools for web log analysis. As I told at the beginning that it is always impossible to say which tool is the best, you may use any of the tools according to your requirements and expertise. There are lots of paid services also. Some of the above web log analysis tools even have paid versions. You can easily go for those to get more facility on analysis report. But it never means that free versions are useless. Whatever tool you select that will definitely work for you if you can make complete use of it. So choose one and get the proper analysis of your visitor and web or ftp server activities.

How to use DTD in XML and DTD in HTML documents

Document type declaration (DTD) is simply a notification or instruction put with a HTML or XML to clarify the mode of rendition of the documents in browsers, the version of HTML or XML in use and for validation of the coding. Though there are other factors to use DTD in HTML and DTD in XML. In other words it is the DTD for which the html and XML files properly work. There will arise several issues if the DTD is not properly used with the two file types.

Now here we will try to point out what type of situation may arise if you hire website designer who does not know how to use DTD properly. The coders should mind just a few points mentioned below to use DTD in HTML and DTD in XML. Let’s see the things:

• DTD in HTML and DTD in XML files are stated to identify the version of the XML or HTML in use. Without this declaration it is not possible to validate the files. All the validation systems use this process to put the mark of ‘standard verified XML or HTML’ against all the XML and html files. So the coders need to add red portion in their declaration.:

                          

                        <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"

             "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> 

or 

            <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

                <note>

                    <to>Tove</to>

                    <from>Jani</from>

                    <heading>Reminder</heading>

                    <body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>

                </note>

  

• If the DTD in HTML and DTD in XML files are not stated properly, the browsers would not understand the mode of XML or HTML to be shown to the viewers. When a browser does not find the DTD description then it directly shows the web pages in quirk mode, if finds out the description then shows the standard mode. In the following example follow the red marked area:

        

                <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"

                 "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">

                      But look the following one

                            <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC>

• Finding only the “public” note the browsers have to render the webpage in quirk mode (a display of web page in older version of a browser for finding DTD in HTML and DTD in XML files.  It is because the coding is not compiling with the latest validation updates provided to current browser version).

• Suppose the client browser does not support the latest updated CSS formats you have used in your coding, what would be the display or how will you be able to show the web pages in proper condition on those browsers? Answer is very simple use “transitional” mode of coding. But if the case is otherwise the mode of DTD in HTML and DTD in XML files will be “strict”. See the coding below:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC

                                                "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"

                                                 "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

            Or simply 

           <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC

                                               "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"

                                               "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">

• Now there may be some cases when you need to code or use DTD in HTML and DTD in XML files for your private view. The web pages will be visible in your system only. How would you stop the public view of those pages? The answer is very simple use “system” keyword in the coding, instead of “Public”. Look at the code below:

                    

                    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

                    <!DOCTYPE note SYSTEM "Note.dtd">

                    <note>

                        <to>Tove</to>

                        <from>Jani</from>

                        <heading>Reminder</heading>

                        <body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>

                    </note>

If you write “public” at the place of the “system” the pages will be visible to the world. So DTD in HTML and DTD in XML files has to carefully state if the pages are to be viewed by public or not. A small mistake may disclose huge confidential matters to the world.

• Without the proper DTD in HTML and DTD in XML files the page elements may not come in display. Particularly in the XML files DTD are the building blocks to structure the legal elements. If there is any mistake the complete coding will be useless. On the other hands many a times XML data is shared within various groups. In such cases if common DTD is not present, sharing will not be possible.

However in this way you may have understood how to use the DTD in HTML and DTD in XML properly. There are many other document type declarations for proper functioning of the XML and the HTML files. I have only tried to exemplify the few ways to use it. But here I must tell you one thing for sure, there are many coders who do not perform these tasks or take this ways to make the web pages perfectly functioning in all the browsers. As a freelance graphic designer, I never feel any lethargy to make the DTD in HTML and DTD in XML perfect for all my client sites.  I know how to make my clients satisfied with best of design and development. Hope you find the best coding for your web building purposes! 

What is cross browser dhtml

We more or less no what is Dynamic HTML (DHTML). Simply to give the plain HTML the interactive attitude the developers use DHTML. And really it has bought life to the HTML. At the same time there are some issues for which dhtml do not perform well across all the browsers. Especially the problem of cross browser compatibility of the dhtml occurs in the "Netscape Navigator" (NS) and "Internet Explorer" (IE). Actually the dhtml is a coding that works for the document object model (DOM) manipulation in the object oriented coding structuring. But it has gone really a headache for the developers to make the dhtml compatible in cross browser platforms (NS and IE). But it does not really mean that the developers are going to end up sacrificing to the issue – they have invented the cross browser dhtml coding with which their dhtml can nicely work on all the browsers.

Now here we are going to see what the purpose of cross browser dhtml is! Rather as a freelance graphic designer I will try to venture how the dhtml is made cross browser compatible in plain language. Let us see the things in a non technical language:

• Adapting to the specific DOM for all the browser platforms is a great issue. We all know that DOM is the key for modifying an object‘s property or triggering a specific behavior. This is a no issue for the developers to code in dhtml. But eventually it is found that the NS and IE have developed some specific DOM structure to integrate into their browsers. Foe example the coding to comply with the IFRAME model for the IE is not supported in NS. So what is going to be the solution - cross browser dhtml. Developers simply code their dhtml for both browsers.
• It may be the case that developers have to use two separate dhtml pages to comply with the NS and IE. This process of cross browser dhtml coding is known as creation of "forking page". The client (browser) side when requests as NS it pulls the code for it and same way it shows specific dhtml code when requested from IE. The compatibility issue is more or less solved in this way.
• Another way of creating cross browser dhtml is through amalgamation of the requirements for NS and IE. In this process developers create a coding structure that contains the contingencies for both the browsers. This is a code which works as relevant when particular browser request is got. The importance of using this type of dhtml is nothing but the light weight coding. At the same time the developers do not have to update their dhtml files also.
  
• To make the cross browser dhtml situation the developers also use syntax patching or the meta dhtml creation process. In this process a ‘fork page’ is used at the beginning of a the dhtml structure which creates common library. In other words a patch up work is done atop the syntax structure of the DOM language. Simply meta dhtml is simple building blocks from which cross browser dhtml can be constructed.
• To make the cross browser dhtml situation developers use the meta function library. This is nothing but a set of functions all of which operates separately on the basis of particular meta language principles that make the dhtml cross browser compatible. The useful part of this is very much interesting. Depending on this functional library no incompatible situation occurs as the library is huge to support almost all the issues.

Hope you have understood what is cross browser dhtml and how the developers have gone their all out to make the dhtml coding compatible to all the browsers. There are other processes in use for making dhtml working for all the browsers. I have tried to show you only five points that are hugely effective in this purpose. At the same time I must tell you that no specific example is cited simply to make the reading a normal one for all the reader who feel little uneasy when reading with technical citations. So when you hire website designer and web developer, do care and ask how will be the coding of the web pages. Do they know how to tackle the cross browser dhtml situation? I have told you to ask the designers as they do have a helping part in making the web pages compatible in several cross browser platforms. However in my case, as a freelance graphic designer, I never stop coding the web pages of my client cross browser dhtml compatible for highest performance in all the browers! At least I help my client in this regard up to my level best.

Colocation rack space - pros and cons

For a website, hosting is very important. If you have a very small website then there is no need to think so deeply about the hosting services. But if you have larger business type, you have to think twice on choosing hosting service for you. There are many types of hosting available in the market - colocation rack space based hosting is one of such. In plain words this particular type of hosting is a freedom to the user – physical rack space, software and maintenance is yours. But you house to a reliable second party and take the broadband connection from them with guaranteed undisrupted power supply. However in colocation rack space use, there are some disadvantages that deviates the users or the customers to select this type of hosting services!

I have found that people get little confused to select the type of web hosting after they have selected or completed the process to hire website designer and the developers. To make the things little clear to you let us have a look on some pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) of colocation rack space hosting:

• There are some cases when it is necessary that you want total control of your hosting to keep complete confidentiality of things in your hand. Then it is always better that you go for colocation rack space. Even you get the exact hardware and software as per your requirements.
• It is always necessary that your hosting service is always available with guarantee. There should not be any excuse of power cut, failure of broadband connectivity or limitation of bandwidth. If you choose colocation rack space hosting, your hosting partner will assure you these things with power backups, 3 tier broadband connection and unlimited bandwidth. You feel relaxed.
• Colocation rack space hosting not highly scalable; it is because it is not possible to improve the hardware or the software as and when required. Due to remote location and fewer number of service providers the maintenance becomes a headache. You always should keep your server with excessive resources. Besides that the service providers may not take the responsibility to even reboot the server in need.
• Colocation rack space hosting is not for the inexperienced, newcomers. It can be that you are plunging in the online business with no knowledge in the hosting matters or may know the things but not well experienced. If the either of the case matches with you, this type of hosting is not for your business as you may not completely use and maintain it.
• One of the setbacks that have pushed the colocation rack space hosting on the back seat is high expenses. First of all you need a dedicated team to manage it. Even your team may need to travel to the location of the physical server. Otherwise you have to pay extra to the service provider to maintain your server.

Anyways, you may have understood what are the primary advantages and disadvantages of colocation rack space hosting service. You may see that on average the points are against the use of this service! But does it mean people are not using this service! Certainly not! Today sometimes even working as a freelance graphic designer I face situations when my customers want advice about most reliable hosting. They feel sad that they are not capable of going for collocation racks pace due to shortfall of budget, but I tell them about the new service “managed colocation rack space”. With this new service you can simply use all the top benefits of this hosting service within your afford. Whatever cost effective the other hosting seem to us, unlimited bandwidths at low cost and constant availability of all resources are hardly 100% present in those services.