Glossary of Terms

Active Server Pages (ASP)

Created by Microsoft, ASP allows web pages to include dynamic content, often pulled from a database. ASP can be used to create e-commerce sites, and database-driven sites in which the user can search through a database that resides on the server.

ASP.NET

ASP.NET is Microsoft's new programming technology which is now gaining acceptance and momentum. Soon, it will completely replace standard ASP. Glaserweb.com is already up to speed with .NET technology, and is fully ready for this switch. While .NET development is not as rapid (leading to higher production costs), it is significantly more stable, and runs much faster than older programming technologies, opening up new possibilities for web development.

Back End

This refers to any programming that runs on the server itself, rather than on the user's computer. Back end programming is necessary to drive any type of e-commerce, or database-driven site (see Front End).

CGI

Common Gateway Interface -- this is a method through which information can be passed between the user and the server. This allows web pages to run programs on the server, usually in the programming language PERL. A PERL program running on the server can interface with a data source, such as a text file or database, which in turn allows for web applications such as message boards, and searches. PERL is an older technology, and is no longer used for web applications.

Database

A database is a collection of extremely organized data which can be easily searched and sorted. Popular commercial databases include Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Filemaker Pro, and DBase. A database can be connected to a web page to allow users to view the information in a database over the web. This can include the actual text and graphics of a site, to allow for content that can be quickly and easily updated without needing to redesign the pages of the site.

Front End

The opposite of Back End, the front end of a site is everything that the user sees and experiences on a web page.

Flash

Created by Macromedia (now owned by Adobe), Flash animation is one of the hottest technologies on the web. Because Flash is vector-based (a way of storing computer graphics), the file sizes are extremely small. This means fast streaming animation, with special effects, sound, and even interactivity.

HTML

Hypertext Markup Language, is the basic programming language of the World Wide Web, used to create basic web pages. HTML controls the layout and design of the page (see Front End). For a brochure type site, HTML is all you need. For more advanced web applications, such as product catalogs, changing content, calendars, and e commerce, additional programming technologies become necessary.

Hosting

While web pages are designed and developed on a single computer, they must be transferred to a server, or host, so that they are available to the rest of the world over the Internet. A host is simply a computer that has a constant, high speed connection to the Internet. Hosting companies rent space on these machines. Depending on your needs, a hosting plan can cost anywhere between $10 and $200 per month.

JavaScript

This is a programming language which is embedded into regular HTML based web pages. While regular HTML is static, and only represents the layout of a page, JavaScript allows for dynamic web pages. Effects such as rollover buttons, and popup menus are created with JavaScript.

PERL

Short for Practical Extraction and Reporting Language, PERL is a programming language once used to create programs that run on the server, adding functionality to a web site. PERL has been replaced as a web programming language by PHP, ASP, and Java.

PHP

PHP is a robust programming language, similar to Microsoft's Active Server Page technology, except that it runs on UNIX servers, rather than Windows based servers. It is used for connecting to a database to create all kinds of web applications, such as product catalogs, changing content, calendars, and e commerce.

Search Engine

A search engine is a huge searchable online database of web sites where most users go to find whatever they are looking for. It is free to register a site with a search engine. A common misconception is that search engines actually search the Internet for pages -- this is impossible. They are only aware of pages that have been specifically registered with them.

Server

A server, or web server, is a computer that handles your web site over the Internet. It is nothing more than a computer with a constant high speed Internet connection, that is running web server software. You can run your own server, but for most companies it is more cost effective to hire the services of a web hosting company (see Host, above). The specific web server software running on a server is determined by the operating system of the computer. Some servers run the Microsoft Windows operating system, while others run the UNIX operating system. The operating system is only relevant if you plan to build a web application, rather than a simple brochure type site. In this case, the operating system determines what kind of database and programming language can be used. Glaserweb.com can create web applications to be used on either operating system. The operating system used by your web server has nothing to do with the operating system you use for the rest of your business.

World Wide Web

The most popular use of the Internet is the World Wide Web, which consists of a network of web pages. Users may view web pages by using a web browser program such as Internet Explorer or Netscape. It is a common misconception that the web and the Internet are the same thing. This is not the case. The web is only one of several Internet environments, including email, Internet Relay Chat, FTP (File transfer Protocol), and Usenet news groups.