PDF vs. HTML Catalog—Choosing which one to use, and understanding the differences
- Why are there two Idaho State University catalogs on-line?
- Why don't they always match?
- Why aren't they both the same as the printed catalog?
- Which one should I use?
The Idaho State University Undergraduate Catalog is posted on-line to provide wide access to information about Idaho State University. There are two on-line versions available, both of which are searchable:
- the PDF version (for which you must have Acrobat Reader, a free download)
- and the HTML version
The catalog for the coming academic year is printed in late spring, incorporating changes approved locally throughout the academic year (State Board of Education approval will be retroactive). The PDF copy of the printed catalog is posted on-line at about the same time that the printed catalog arrives on campus (currently around June 15). It can be expected to match the printed catalog, except for corrections discovered to be absolutely necessary, and possibly large changes that were approved by the State Board shortly after the paper copy went to print. This is why we state, online and on the catalog cover, that "ISU's Official Catalog is online." The PDF catalog remains static throughout the year as a corrected copy of the printed catalog.
Meanwhile, the HTML catalog online is continuously updated throughout the year as changes are approved. Departments or advisors wishing to show students the descriptions of new courses and programs will be able to find them here shortly after they are approved by the ISU Curriculum Council and accepted by the ISU Faculty Senate, or in the case of new programs, after word of State Board of Education approval has reached the editor.
The PDF version
The PDF version is provided because it matches the catalog page-for-page (except where it includes corrections deemed necessary after the paper catalog was sent to be printed).
Advantages of PDF version
- Whole-catalog searches are faster and much easier than searches of the HTML version because the sections of the catalog are joined;
- You can print individual whole pages, and thus provide catalog material to advisors and students when printed catalogs are not available;
- The page numbers visible on the screen match the page numbers in the printed catalog until changes are incorporated.
Disadvantages of PDF version
- It takes (at least in the past it took) an inordinate amount of time to post a PDF file, tying up two people's computers for several hours, so large updates or corrections are not made rapidly;
- Pages are too large for the whole page to be seen on a screen;
- Material may not be able to be copied from the screen to use in another document (new reader programs do allow this, however);
- It requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free download, but it takes some doing!).
For copies of sections that you cannot copy from your screen, please ask the Catalog Editor.
The HTML version
The HTML version is provided because some users do not have Acrobat Reader on their computers and because many users need to copy selected material from their screens into electronic mail or other word processing or web page applications.
Advantages of HTML version
- Selected material of any length may be copied from the screen (you don't have to print a whole page to get what you want).
- It can be (and is!) updated or corrected on a moment's notice.
- It is continually updated.
Disadvantage of HTML version
- You have no way to know on which page in the printed catalog the material on your screen appears.
- You cannot print a portion without first isolating it onto a separate page of your own.
If you have questions or comments about this explanation, please contact the Catalog Editor.