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Web and Application Design and Development

Glossary of Terms

ALL

Although we maintain the currency of our glossary, some of the terms and definitions presented below are subject to expiration or change due to the evolving nature of the industry.

.NET Framework

Microsoft environment for building, deploying and running XML Web services and other applications.

Access

Microsoft Office's database program.

ActiveX

Microsoft's technology for the delivery of multimedia, especially over the Web. Active X can operate on the client-side (Browser) or server-side (Web Server). Like Java applets, they can provide Site navigation and powerful database access for use on Web Site.

ADO

ActiveX Data Objects. Enables applications to access and manipulate databases.

ADO.NET

The suite of data access technologies included in the .NET Framework class libraries.

Anti-Virus software

Antivirus software is a program that searches your computer for any known or potential viruses. This kind of software is becoming increasingly popular and has expanded because of Internet growth and the increasing use of the Internet by businesses concerned about protecting their computer assets.

Apache

An open source Web server primarily used on Linux and Unix servers.

Applet

This is a small program that can be embedded into an HTML page. Unlike Java, they are not allowed to access certain resources on the local computer like serial devices (i.e. modems, printers, etc) and files; they are also prohibited from communicating with most other computers across a network. In general the current rule is that an applet can only make an Internet connection to the computer from which the applet was sent.

ASP

Active Server Pages. A Microsoft Web Server scripting environment. These allow scripts on a Web page to be run on the Server before the file is transmitted to the client. ASP provides a great way of integrating databases, business logic and display code into fast, dynamic and configurable Web pages that connect to back-end databases.

ASP.NET

A set of .NET classes used to create Web-based, client-side (Web Form) and server-side (Web Service) applications. ASP.net is different from ASP in two major ways: it supports code written in compiled languages like C++, Visual Basic, and Perl, and, it features server controls that can separate the code from the content, allowing WYSIWYG editing of pages.

Audio Streaming

Audio streaming provides your visitors with sound (such as music or speeches,) played through your Web browser. Streaming audio begins playing before the entire sound file is downloaded to the Web browser. It allows the sound playback to begin almost immediately instead of waiting for the sound file to download to your PC.

Auto Responder

An email address that automatically sends a predetermined email message back to the sender that requested it.

B2B (business-to-business)

B2B (business-to-business) is the exchange of products, services, or information between businesses rather than between businesses and consumers. Although early interest centered on the growth of retailing on the Internet (sometimes called e-tailing), forecasts show that B2B revenue may exceed business-to-consumers (B2C) revenue in the near future.

B2C (business-to-consumer)

The exchange of products, services, or information between businesses and consumers, or the retailing part of e-commerce on the Internet. It is often contrasted to B2B or business-to-business.

Backbone

The network of connections and high-speed lines that forms the infrastructure of the Internet. An important consideration in choosing a Web site host is the host's proximity to the backbone. The less distance between your provider and the backbone, the faster and more reliable a Web site will be.

Bandwidth

The amount of data that can be sent through a network connection, measured in bits per second (bps).

BizTalk

A scheme for using XML for Business-to-Business transactions, spearheaded by Microsoft.

Bookmark

A feature that allows the browser to remember a Web address you visited making it easy to return to the bookmarked Web page in the future.

Browser

Software you use to view and navigate Web pages. The current popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape.

Bulletin Board

A computerized version of the bulletin boards found in stores and other public places, where people can leave messages and advertise things they wish to buy, sell or trade.

C#

A modern, object-oriented language that enables programmers to quickly build a wide range of applications for the new Microsoft .NET platform.

CFM (Cold Fusion Markup Language)

ColdFusion is a complete Web application development platform.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface)

A programming standard to receive and translate data sent from a Web Page to a Web Server. First developed for Unix Web Servers. CGI programs (often written in the Perl language) use and process the data entered on a form, for example, before sending a response back to the browser.

CGI Scripts

Programs that run on a Web server, in response to input from a browser. CGI scripts link the server and a program running on the system. For example, CGI scripts are used with interactive forms.

Chat Room

A real-time electronic forum. This is a virtual room where visitors can type messages to multiple people and share ideas on a particular subject - all in real-time.

COM

Component Object Model, Microsoft's framework for object-oriented programming, and the basis for ActiveX.

Commerce Server

The server that manages and maintains all transactional and backend data for a commerce Web site.

Content Management System (CMS)

A content management system is a system used to manage the content of a Web site. It typically consists of two elements: the content management application (CMA) and the content delivery application (CDA).

CSS

Cascading Style Sheets, a technology that uses embedded information to define font, color and phrase elements on a HTML page.

Database

A computer program that allows you to store large amounts of information in a logical, ordered fashion for efficient retrieval.

DHTML

Dynamic HTML, a combination of HTML, scripts and DOM providing interactive content. It uses new HTML tags, scripting and object programming techniques to achieve a high degree of control over most of the elements on a Web page.

DOM

Document Object Model, the W3C specification for how the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS will interact to form DHTML. It defines the methods and objects available for Web Developers to use.

Domain Name

The registered name that identifies an Internet site. The three-letter suffix identifies the type of organization. For instance, a domain name ending with .com is a commercial Web site. Other suffixes include .net (Internet), .org (non-profit organization), .edu (educational), .gov (government), .mil (military) and .int (international).

E-Commerce

This refers to the handling of transactions and funds transfers over computer networks and, in the current context, over the Internet. Transactions can cover "hard" products, services and, in particular, "digital" products that lend themselves to distribution over networks.

e-GIF

e-Government Interoperability Framework.

Flash

A Macromedia software product that allows the delivery of highly compressed interactive animations and audio on Web pages.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

Provides a means for transferring files across the Internet or any TCP/IP network.

GIF - Graphic Interchange Format

An image file format used in Web pages. This format compresses large image files into smaller sizes that are more manageable and load more quickly on the Web.

Hyperlinks / Links

Words or blocks of text or images on Web pages that take you to another page when you click on them. Internal links take you somewhere else on the same Web site. External links take you to a different Web site.

HTML

Hypertext Markup Language, the language used to create documents on the World Wide Web.

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the protocol used for transporting HTML documents over the Internet.

IIS

Internet Information Server, Microsoft's Web server.

Information Architect

Information Architects are involved in Phase 1 to provide oversight into the methodologies used in developing sustainable and useable information architectures for user experiences. The Information Architect works with team members in Phase 1 to define the user flow, site content, and navigational structures for user experiences, developing content diagrams, narrative structures, clickstream analysis, schematic layouts, navigational prototypes, etc.

Internet

The network of computers that is inter-connected around the world.

Internic

The primary registration service for the American part of the Internet.

IP Number - Internet Protocol Number

Every computer on the Internet has a unique IP number. The number consists of four parts separated by dots (i.e. 205.123.456.789).

ISP - Internet Service Provider

A company that provides Internet access by dialup, DSL, cable, broadband tower, or satellite communication between your computer modem and the backbone of the Internet.

Java

A computer programming language invented by Sun Microsystems.

JavaScript

Scripting language developed by Netscape that allows interaction within HTML pages.

Linux

An open source version of UNIX that has gained popularity because of its stability as an operating system for hosting Web services.

MTS

Microsoft Transaction Server.

MySQL

The World's Most Popular Open Source Database.

ODBC

Open Database Connectivity, a Microsoft standard for accessing different database systems from Windows, i.e. Oracle or SQL Server.

Oracle

Oracle is a relational database management system (RDBMS).

Perl

Practical Extraction and Report Language: the programming language most frequently used for writing CGI scripts.

PHP

Hypertext Preprocessor, a widely used general purpose open-source scripting language, often used in conjunction with MySQL. PHP is a script language and interpreter that is used primarily on Linux Web servers. The acronym PHP, previously derived from "Personal Home Page Tools", now stands for "Hypertext Preprocessor".

RDBMS

Relational database management system.

RUP

Rational Unified Process. A widely accepted software development process. Combining the ideas of the foremost thinkers in software process development, RUP leverages six best practices in modern software development - Manage Requirements, Model Visually, Develop Iteratively, Continuously Verify Quality, Use Component Architectures and Manage Change. It promotes a Use-Case driven, architecture-centric, iterative and incremental approach to developing software.

Search Engines

Databases of Web sites that use spiders or robots to search the Web and catalog Web pages and make it convenient for you to search. Popular search engines include Google, Infoseek, Lycos, Altavista, Excite, and Hotbot.

Secure Web Site

A Web site that uses encryption to scramble sensitive information submitted online and prevents unauthorized people from reading it if they intercept the transmission.

Server

A computer that contains your Web pages and makes them available (serves them) on the Internet. The term can also refer to software such as Microsoft Internet Information Server, which is called a Web server.

SMS

Short Message Service, text service for mobile phones.

SOAP

Simple Object Access Protocol, the standard for Web services messages.

SSL / Secure Socket Layer

Secure Socket Layer is a program that uses strong encryption to send sensitive information across the Internet. Only a properly configured server and browser can conduct SSL transactions. This is the technology that protects your credit card or other private information when you purchase a product online.

SQL

Structured Query Language, A standard programming language for communicating with a database.

SQL Server

Microsoft's enterprise level relational database product.

SSML

Speech Synthesis Markup Language, provides additional accessibility on a Web site using a combination of pre-recorded speech, synthetic speech and music.

SVG

Scalable Vector Graphics, a vector graphics language written in XML.

T-SQL

Transact SQL, a sophisticated dialect of SQL used by Microsoft in SQL Server.

UML

Unified Modeling Language. A graphic language developed to help in the development of software. Many companies support UML and several CASE tools use it. Rational has a particular CASE tool called Rational Rose that enables the incorporation of state-of-the-art object-oriented Technology and methods.

Unix

A multi-user, multi-tasking operating system.

URL - Uniform Resource Locator

An Internet address which tells a browser where to find an Internet resource.

VB Script

Visual Basic script, Microsoft's Scripting Language.

Visual Basic

A graphical programming language and development environment created by Microsoft in 1990.

W3C

World Wide Web Consortium, an academic and industrial consortium devoted to the development of Web standards and technologies.

WAI

Web Accessibility Initiative.

Windows

A family of operating systems created by Microsoft, that run on Intel based IBM compatible machines.

XHTML

eXtensible Hypertext Markup Language, a reformulation of HTML designed to make documents comply to XML rules for well-formedness.

XML

eXtensible Markup Language.

XSL

eXtensible Stylesheet Language, for transforming XML documents into other document formats like HTML.

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