A novel attributebased dynamic content area layout for internet newspapers

• Published in: Internet research Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 135 - 153
• Main Authors: Haktanirlar Ulutas, Berna, Attila Islier, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Emerald Group Publishing Limited 06.04.2010
• Subjects: Data structures; Design; Electronic media; Internet
• ISSN: 1066-2243
• DOI: 10.1108/10662241011032218

Purpose A layout problem may deal with the assignment and arrangement of buildings in a green field, location andor relocation of machinesdepartments in manufacturing facilities, and so on. If multiperiods are considered, the problem is called a dynamic layout problem in manufacturing environments. Designing web pages, especially internet newspaper layouts, might also be considered dynamic layout problems. This study aims to introduce a layout procedure for the front page of internet newspapers. Designmethodologyapproach The news contents are ranked and selected based on their characteristic attributes. Then they are assigned to locations on dynamic content area of the front page. Layout optimization is made by use of Clonal Selection Algorithm CSA. Finally, an illustrative example is provided and concepts for real life applications are discussed. The proposed method is based on CSA, which is a natureinspired technique. The novel heuristic is applied to a simulated system to depict how the news content layouts can be optimized in dynamic environments. Findings The capacity for addition of new news contents and removal of the old turns the internet newspaper environment into a dynamic structure. A systematic layout method for internet newspapers is developed to fill the gap. Practical implications The results are encouraging for real life applications of internet newspapers. The study has also introduced a new site for the manufacturing area. In the classic dynamic layout model, the machine locations and the number of available machines are assumed to be fixed. But the concept of introducingremoving news contents can be adapted to the machines at the manufacturing facilities. Originalityvalue The paper's value lies in showing that the front page layout is not considered to optimize the locations of the articles. Also, the proposed algorithm is applied to solve these kinds of problems.