Glossary

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Anchor

In short an anchor is a hyperlink – the html which allows users to navigate from page to page.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

A special type of DSL line where the upload speed is different from the download speed.

Animation

A set of pictures simulating movement when played in series.

Apache

An open source web server. Mostly for Unix, Linux and Solaris platforms.

API (Application Programming Interface)

An interface for letting a program communicate with another program. In web terms: An interface for letting web browsers or web servers communicate with other programs, or more commonly with other websites.

Authentication

The method used to verify the identity of a user, program or computer on the web.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

A set of 128 alphanumeric and special control characters used for computer storing and printing of text. Used by HTML when transmitting data over the web.

AVI (Audio Video Interleave)

File format for video files. Video compression technology developed by Microsoft.

Banner Ad

A (most often graphic) advertisement placed on a web page, which acts as a hyperlink to an advertiser’s web site.

Bandwidth

A measure for the speed (amount of data) you can send through an Internet connection. The more bandwidth, the faster the connection. This
can also relate to limits such as the amount of data you can download from a web server or over your internet connection. So for example you may have a limit of 2GB per month.

Binary Data

Data in machine readable form.

Bit (Binary Digit)

The smallest unit of data stored in a computer. A bit can have the value of 0 or 1. A computer uses 8 bits to store one text character.

BMP (Bitmap)

A format for storing images.

Bookmark

A link to a particular web site, stored (bookmarked) by a web user for future use and easy access.

Browse

Term to describe a user’s movement across the web, moving from page to page via hyperlinks, using a web browser. (See Web Browser).

Byte (Binary Term)

A computer storage unit containing 8 bits. Each byte can store one text character.

Case Sensitive

A term used to describe if it is of importance to use upper or lower case letters.

Cache

A web browser or web server feature which stores copies of web pages on a computer’s hard disk.

Chat

An on-line text-based communication between Internet users.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface)

A set of rules that describes how a CGI program communicates with a web server.

CGI Bin

The folder (or directory) on a web server that stores CGI programs.

CGI Program

A small program that handles input and output from a web server. Often CGI programs are used for handling forms input or database queries.

Client/Server

The communication and separation of workload between a web client and a web server.

Click

A mouse click on a hyperlink element (such as text or picture) on a web page which creates an event such as taking a visitor to another web page or another part of the same page.

Clickthrough Rate

The number of times visitors click on a hyperlink (or advertisement) on a page, as a percentage of the number of times the page has been displayed.

Codec (Compressor / Decompressor)

Common term for the technology used for compressing and decompressing data.

Communication Protocol

A standard (language and a set of rules) to allow computers to interact in a standard way. Examples are IP, FTP, and HTTP.

Compression

A method of reducing the size (compress) of web documents or graphics for faster delivery via the web.

Content Management System (CMS)

A web based application which enables content on your website to be added, updated and managed. The scope of systems ranges from updating elements of your site like for example news, to building the entire site structure and even launching new websites.

Cookie

Information from a web server, stored on your computer by your web browser. The purpose of a cookie is to provide information about your visit to the website for use by the server during a later visit.

ColdFusion

Web development software for most platforms (Linux, Unix, Solaris and Windows).

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

A W3C recommended language for defining style (such as font, size, color, spacing, etc.) for web documents.

Database

Data stored in a computer in such a way that a computer program can easily retrieve and manipulate the data.

Database System

A computer program (like Oracle or MySQL) for manipulating data in a database.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

An Internet standard protocol that assigns new IP addresses to users as need.

DHTML (Dynamic HTML)

A term commonly to describe HTML content that can change dynamically.

Dial-up Connection

A connection to Internet via telephone and modem.

DNS (Domain Name Service)

A computer program running on a web server, translating domain names into IP addresses.

DNS Server

A web server running DNS.

DOM (Document Object Model)

A programming model for web page objects. (See HTML DOM and XML DOM)

Domain Name

The name that identifies a web site. For example hutchhouse.com.

Download

To transfer a file from a remote computer to a local computer. In web terms: to transfer a file from a web server to a web client. (see also Upload).

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

An Internet connection over regular telephone lines, but much faster. Speed may vary from 128 kilobit per second, up to 9 megabit per second.

Dynamic IP

An IP address that changes each time you connect to the Internet. (See DHCP and Static IP).

E-mail

Messages sent from one person to another via the Internet.

E-mail Address

The address used for sending e-mails to a person or an organization. For example user@hutchhouse.com.

E-mail Server

A web server dedicated to the task of serving e-mail.

Encryption

To convert data from its original form to a form that can only be read by someone that can reverse the encryption. The purpose of encryption is to prevent unauthorized reading of the data.

Ethernet

A type of local area network (see LAN).

Firewall

Software that acts as a security filter that can restrict types of network communication. Most often used between an individual computer (or a LAN) and the Internet.

Flash

A vector-based multimedia format developed by Macromedia for use on the web. Flash delivers rich content such as animation, video and audio.

FLV (Flash Video)

A video format which can be played using a flash player embedded in a website. This is currently the best compression/quality web video format.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

One of the most common methods for sending files between two computers.

FTP Server

A web server you can log onto, and download files from (or upload files to). Anonymous FTP is a method for downloading files from an FTP server without using a logon account.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

A compressed format for storing images developed by CompuServe. One of the most common image formats on the Internet.

GB

Same as Gigabyte. 10GB is ten gigabytes.

Gigabyte

1024 megabytes. Commonly rounded down to one billion bytes.

Graphics

In web terms graphics describe pictures (opposite to text).

Helper application

In web terms: A program helping the browser to display, view, or work with files that the browser cannot handle itself. (See Plug-In).

Hits

The number of times a web object (page or picture) has been viewed or downloaded. (See also Page Hits).

Home Page

The top-level (main) page of a web site. The default page displayed when you visit a web site.

Host

See Web Host.

Hosting

See Web Hosting.

Hotlink

See Hyperlink.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

HTML is the language of the web. HTML is a set of tags that are used to define the content, layout and the formatting of the web document. Web browsers use the HTML tags to define how to display the text.

HTML Document

A document written in HTML.

HTML DOM (HTML Document Object Model)

A programming interface for HTML documents.

HTML Editor

A software program for editing HTML pages. With an HTML editor you can add elements like lists, tables, layout, font size, and colors to a HTML document like using a word processor. An HTML editor will display the page being edited exactly the same way it will be displayed on the web (See WYSIWYG).

HTML Form

A form that passes user input back to the server.

HTML Page

The same as an HTML Document.

HTML Tags

Code to identify the different parts of a document so that a web browser will know how to display it.

HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)

The standard set of rules for sending text files across the Internet. It requires an HTTP client program at one end, and an HTTP server program at the other end.

HTTP Client

A computer program that requests a service from a web server.

HTTP Server

A computer program providing services from a web server.

HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure)

Same as HTTP but provides secure Internet communication using SSL. (see also SSL)

Hyperlink

A pointer to another document. Most often a pointer to another web page. A hyperlink is a synonym for a hotlink or a link, and sometimes called a hypertext connection to another document or web page.

Hypertext

Hypertext is text that is cross-linked to other documents in such a way that the reader can read related documents by clicking on a highlighted word or symbol. (see also hyperlink)

IE (Internet Explorer)

See Internet Explorer.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

A standard communication protocol for retrieving e-mails from an e-mail server. IMAP is much like POP but more advanced.

Internet

A world wide network connecting millions of computers. (See also WWW)

Internet Explorer

A web browser by Microsoft. The most commonly used browser today.

Internet Server

See Web Server.

Intranet

A private (closed) Internet, running inside a LAN (Local Area Network).

IP (Internet Protocol)

See TCP/IP.

IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)

A unique number identifying every computer on the Internet (like 197.123.22.240)

IP Number (Internet Protocol Number)

Same as an IP address.

IP Packet

See TCP/IP Packet.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)

A telecommunication standard that uses digital transmission to support data communications over regular telephone lines.

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

Someone that provides access to the Internet and web hosting.

Java

A programming language developed by SUN. Mostly for programming web servers and web applets.

Java Applet

See Web Applet.

JavaScript

The most popular scripting language on the internet, developed by Netscape.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group)

The organization that promotes the JPG and JPEG graphic formats for storing compressed images.

JPEG and JPG

Graphic formats for storing compressed images.

JSP (Java Server Pages)

A Java based technology allowing the insertion of server executable scripts in web pages. Mostly used on Linux, Unix and Solaris platforms.

K

Same as kilobyte 10K is ten kilobytes..

KB

Same as kilobyte 10KB is ten kilobytes..

Keyword

A word used by a search engine to search for relevant web information. In database terms: A word (or index) used to identify a database record.

Kilobyte

1024 bytes. Often called 1K, and rounded down to 1000 bytes.

LAN (Local Area Network)

A network between computers in a local area (like inside a building), usually connected via local cables. See also WAN.

Link

The same as a hyperlink.

Linux

Open source computer operating system based on Unix. Mostly used on servers and web servers.

Mail

The same as e-mail.

MB

Same as Megabyte. 10MB is ten megabytes.

Megabyte

1024 kilobytes. Commonly rounded down to one million bytes.

Meta Data

Data that describes other data. (See also Meta Tags).

Meta Search

The method of searching for meta data in documents.

Meta Tags

Tags inserted into documents to describe the document.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

A standard protocol for communication between computers and musical instruments.

MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)

An Internet standard for defining document types. MIME type examples: text/plain, text/html, image/gif, image/jpg.

MIME Types

Document types defined by MIME.

Modem

Hardware equipment to connect a computer to a telephone network Typically used to connect to the Internet via a telephone line.

Mosaic

The first commonly available web browser. Mosaic was released in 1993 and started the popularity of the web.

MOV

A codec for computer video developed by Apple. Common file extension for QuickTime multimedia files.

MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3)

An audio compression format specially designed for easy download over the Internet.

MP3 File

A file containing audio compressed with MP3. Most often a music track.

MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group)

An ISO standard codec for computer audio and video.

MPG

Common file extension for MPEG files.

Multimedia

A presentation combining text with pictures, video, or sound.

MySQL

Free open source database software often used on the web.

Navigate

The same as Browse.

Netscape

The browser from the company Netscape. The most popular browser for many years. Today IE has the lead closely followed by Firefox.

Newsgroup

An on-line discussion group (a section on a news server) dedicated to a particular subject of interest.

News Reader

A computer program that enables you to read (and post messages) from an Internet newsgroup.

News Server

An Internet server dedicated to the task of serving Internet newsgroups.

Node

A computer connected to the Internet, most often used to describe a web server.

Opera

The browser from the company Opera.

OS (Operating System)

The software that manages the basic operating of a computer.

Packet

See TCP/IP Packet.

Page Hits

The number of times a web page has been visited by a user.

Page Impressions

The same as Page Hits.

Page Views

The same as Page Hits.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

A document file format developed by Adobe. Most often used for text documents.

Perl (Practical Extraction and Reporting Language)

A scripting language for web servers. Most often used on Unix servers.

PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor)

A technology allowing the insertion of server executable scripts in web pages. Mostly for Unix, Linux and Solaris platforms.

Ping

A method used to check the communication between two computers. A “ping” is sent to a remote computer to see if it responds.

Platform

The computer’s operating system like Windows, Linux, or OS X.

Plug-In

A program built in (or added) to a web browser or website/web application to handle a special type of data like e-mail, sound, or movie files.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

A format for encoding a picture pixel by pixel and sending it over the web. A W3C recommendation for replacing GIF.

POP (Post Office Protocol)

A standard communication protocol for retrieving e-mails from an e-mail server. (See also IMAP).

Port

A number that identifies a computer IO (input/output) channel. In web terms: A number that identifies the I/O channel used by an Internet application (A web server normally uses port 80).

Proxy Server

An Internet server dedicated to improve Internet performance.

QuickTime

A multimedia file format created by Apple.

Redirect

The action when a web page automatically forwards (redirects) the user to another web page.

RGB (Red Green Blue)

The combination of the three primary colors that can represent a full color spectrum.

Robot

See Web Robot.

Router

A hardware (or software) system that directs (routes) data transfer to different computers in a network.

Schema

See XML Schema.

Script

A collection of statements written in a Scripting Language.

Scripting Language

A simple programming language that can be executed by a web browser or a web server. See JavaScript.

Scripting

Writing a script.

Search Engine

Computer program used to search and catalog (index) the millions of pages of available information on the web. The most popular by far is Google.

Semantic Web

A web of data with a meaning in the sense that computer programs can know enough about the data to process it.

Server

See Web Server.

Server side script

Like PHP for example, server side scripts run when a URL on the web server is accessed in order to perform complex functions and render dynamic content. For example server side script is commonly used to build content management systems and access an online database like MySQL.

Shockwave

A format (technology) developed by Macromedia for embedding multimedia content in web pages.

SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language)

An international standard for markup languages. The basis for HTML and XML.

SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)

A W3C recommended language for creating multimedia presentations.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

A standard communication protocol for sending e-mail messages between computers.

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)

A standard protocol for letting applications communicate with each other using XML.

SPAM

The action of sending multiple unwelcome messages to a newsgroup or mailing list.

Spider

See Web Spider.

Spoofing

Addressing a web page or an e-mail with a false referrer. Like sending an e-mail from a false address.

Spyware

Computer software hidden in a computer with the purpose of collecting information about the use of the computer.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

An ANSI standard computer language for accessing and manipulating databases.

SQL Server

A database system from Microsoft. Mostly used on high traffic web sites running on the Windows platform.

SSI (Server Side Include)

A type of HTML comment inserted into a web page to instruct the web server to generate dynamic content. The most common use is to include standard header or footer for the page.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer)

Software to secure and protect web site communication using encrypted transmission of data.

Static IP (address)

An IP address that is the same each time connect to the Internet. (See also Dynamic IP).

Streaming

A method of sending audio and video files over the Internet in such a way that the user can view the file while it is being transferred.

Streaming Format

The format used for files being streamed over the Internet. (See Flash, Windows Media and QuickTime).

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)

A W3C recommended language for defining graphics in XML.

Tag

Notifications or commands written into a web document. (See HTML Tags)

Unix

Computer operating system, developed by Bell Laboratories. Mostly used for servers and web servers.

UNZIP

To uncompress a ZIPPED file. See ZIP.

Upload

To transfer a file from a web client to a web server. (see also Download).

URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)

Term used to identify resources on the internet. URL is one type of an URI.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

A web address. The standard way to address web documents (pages) on the Internet (like: http://www.hutchhouse.com/)

User Agent

The same as a Web Browser.

Visit

A visit to a web site. Commonly used to describe the activity for one visitor of a web site.

Visitor

A visitor of a web site. Commonly used to describe a person visiting (viewing) a web site.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A private network between two remote sites, over a secure encrypted virtual Internet connection (a tunnel).

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)

The organization responsible for managing standards for the WWW.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

Computers connected together in a wide network, larger than a LAN, usually connected via phone lines. See also LAN.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)

A leading standard for information services on wireless terminals like digital mobile phones.

Web Address

The same as an URL or URI. See URL.

Web Applet

A program that can be downloaded over the web and run on the user’s computer. Most often written in Java.

Web Client

A software program used to access web pages. Sometimes the same as a Web Browser, but often used as a broader term.

Web Browser

A software program used to display web pages.

Web Document

A document formatted for distribution over the web. Most often a web document is formatted in a markup language like HTML or XML.

Web Form

See HTML Form.

Web Host

A web server that “hosts” web services like providing web site space to companies or individuals.

Web Hosting

The action of providing web host services.

Web Page

A document (normally an HTML file) designed to be distributed over the Web.

Web Robot

See Web Spider.

Web Server

A server is a computer that delivers services or information to other computers. In web terms: A server that delivers web content to web browsers.

Web Services

Software components and applications running on web servers. The server provides these services to other computers, browsers or individuals, using standard communication protocols.

Web Site

A collection of related web pages belonging to a company or an individual.

Web Spider

A computer program that searches the Internet for web pages. Common web spiders are the one used by search engines like Google and AltaVista to index the web. Web spiders are also called web robots or wanderers.

Wildcard

A character used to substitute any character(s). Most often used as an asterix (*) in search tools.

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

Computer operating systems from Microsoft.

Windows Media

Audio and video formats for the Internet, developed by Microsoft. (See ASF, ASX, WMA and WMF).

WINZIP

A computer program for compressing and decompressing files. See ZIP.

WMA

Audio file format for the Internet, developed by Microsoft. (See also WMV).

WMV

Video file format for the Internet, developed by Microsoft. (See also WMA).

WWW (World Wide Web)

A global network of computers using the internet to exchange web documents. (See also Internet)

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)

To display a web page being edited exactly the same way it will be displayed on the web.

XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language)

HTML reformulated as XML. XHTML is the latest version of HTML. Developed by W3C.

XML (Extensible Markup Language)

A simplified version of SGML especially designed for web documents, developed by the W3C.

XML Document

A document written in XML.

XML Schema

A document that describes, in a formal way, the syntax elements and parameters of a web language. Designed by W3C to replace DTD.

XSD (XML Schema Definition)

The same as XML Schema.

XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language)

A suite of XML languages developed by W3C, including XSLT, XSL-FO and XPath.

XSL-FO (XSL Formatting Objects)

An XML language for formatting XML documents. A part of XSL developed by W3C.

XSLT (XSL Transformations)

An XML language for transforming XML documents. A part of XSL developed by W3C.

ZIP

A compressing format for computer files. Commonly used for compressing files before downloading over the Internet. ZIP files can be compressed (ZIPPED) and decompressed (UNZIPPED) using a computer program like WINZIP.