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What is a sitemap ?
A site map is a visual or
textually organized model of a Web site's content that allows the users
to navigate through the site to find the information they are looking
for, just as a traditional geographical map helps people find places
they are looking for in the real world. A site map is a kind of
interactive table of contents, in which each listed item links directly
to its counterpart sections of the Web site. Site maps perform the
same service that the layout maps in large shopping malls perform:
without them, it is possible to explore a complex site by trial and
error, but if you want to be sure to find what you're looking for, the
most efficient way to do that is to consult a model of the resources
available. If a Web site is small and uncomplicated, a site map may be
unnecessary, just as a layout map may not be required for shoppers to
find their way through small shopping malls.
Typically, site maps are organized
hierarchically, breaking down the Web site's information into
increasingly specific subject areas. There are a number of different
types of site maps:
organizational chart site maps are quite
similar in appearance to a traditional table of contents; others, based
on a perspective view of the site, are like a three dimensional model
with individual pages upright, like index cards, arranged in sections
and linked by lines. Structured Graph Format (SGF) site maps use an XML
format language to describe Web site content, and a Java SGF viewer to
interact with the data. There are a number of companies making site
mapping products; generally, these don't require Web design skills -
such as HTML or XML ability - on the part of the user. Popular site
mapping products include TheBrain's SiteBrain, Inxight Software's Tree
Studio, IBM's Java-based Mappuccino, and Dynamic Diagram's eponymous
product. Site maps can also be created using more general Web site
management tools, such as Visual Web, or Microsoft's Site Analyst.
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