Glossary

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

A technology used to control the presentation (and often the layout) of a Web page. CSS controls colours, font faces, text sizes, etc. We use this technology.

Client Side

A description of technologies (for example: JavaScript and Macromedia Flash) that are downloaded and run by the user's Web browser rather than on the Web server. Client side technologies often require a Web browser to have a plug-in installed.

Code-editor

A type of authoring tool that allows you to directly edit the HTML source of a Web page.

Common Gateway Interface (CGI)

A set of rules allowing a user's Web browser to communicate with a program on the Web server. For example, after submitting a Web form the data from that form is passed through the CGI to a program on the server. This program processes the data and then emails the data from the form to an appropriate recipient. We use this technology.

Content Management System (CMS)

In the context of a Web site a CMS is a collection of tools designed to allow the creation, modification organisation and removal of information from a Web site. It is common for a CMS to require users to have no knowledge of HTML in order to create new Web pages but not with this solution.

Cookies

A small text file downloaded to a user's computer that can be used to track user behaviour on a Web site or store user information and particular preferences allowing customisation of a user's subsequent visits to that Web site.

Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA)

The DPA gives individuals certain rights to find out what information an organisation holds about them and to ensure that the information is correct.

Dial-up

A method of connecting to an ISP (and hence the Internet) by using a modem and an ordinary telephone line. Now largely replaced by broadband.

Domain name

A unique name that identifies one or more IP addresses. Domain names are used as addresses for Web pages and for sending email e.g. bized.ac.uk

Download

The transfer of files from a remote machine (for example, a Web server operated by an ISP) to a user's machine.

Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver is a Web page authoring tool developed by Macromedia. Dreamweaver allows WYSIWYG and code editing of Web pages. Technical knowledge is required to understand and use Dreamweaver

e-commerce

e-commerce (electronic commerce) is the process of buying, selling and transferring money through the internet.

File size

The amount of space that a file takes up when stored on disk. File size is usually measured in bytes, kilobytes (K), megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

FTP is the most common way of transferring the files from one computer to another across a network (including the Internet). Despite its popularity FTP is insecure and usernames and passwords can be intercepted by third parties.

Firefox

An open source user agent or web browser used to access the internet

Firewall

Software and/or hardware that controls the information and requests flowing into and out of a computer network. Firewalls are a means of protecting networks from unauthorised access. In the context of a small business Web site the ISP will maintain the firewall on the network that the Web server resides.

Flash

Flash is a vector-based, multimedia technology developed by Macromedia that can be embedded in HTML pages. Flash files can take the form of animations, games and even whole 'Web' sites.

FrontPage

Microsoft FrontPage is a Web page authoring tool developed by Microsoft. Some Technical knowledge is required to understand and FrontPage.

Graphic Interchange Format (Gif)

A popular image file format. The Gif file format is most appropriate for diagrams, illustrations and cartoons.

HyperText Markup Language (HTML)

The language of the Web. Web pages are written in HTML. The language consists of simple tags used to define sections of a document (e.g. <p>This is a paragraph.</p>). HyperText also allows documents to be connected via links.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

The Internet is made up of computers communicating with each other through standard protocols. HyperText is one such protocol and is the one used to transfer Web pages.

Information Architecture

The design and structure of an information system (in this case a Web site). Good information architecture ensures that data is structured so that information can be easily found by the user.

Internet

The Internet is worldwide collection of computers all connected together to form a huge network. These computers communicate with each other through a set of common software standards known as protocols. These protocols allow the sending and receiving of emails; viewing of Web pages; the transfer of files between one computer and another; instant messaging, etc.

Internet Explorer

The most common user agent or web browser used to access the internet. Developed by Microsoft Corporation.

Internet Protocol Address (IP Address)

Each machine connected to the Internet has an address known as an Internet Protocol address (IP address). The IP address takes the form of four numbers separated by dots, for example: 123.45.67.890

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

An ISP is an organisation that provides users with connectivity to the Internet. Usually users pay a fee for the use of an ISP.

JavaScript

JavaScript is a client-side scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages. JavaScript should not be confused with Java, the full featured programming language.

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG or JPEG)

A popular image file format. The JPG file format is most appropriate for photographs or images with continuous tone.

Keywords

Words (search terms or phrases) that may be used by viewers searching for information. To achieve a high search engine placement for a relevant search, a website must contain the appropriate positioning and density of keywords or phrases related to the search terms used. This is a critical part of the search engine optimisation for any website.

Linux

An open source operating system that works in a similar fashion to Unix but, unlike Unix, does not require expensive hardware.

Macintosh (Mac)

An Apple Macintosh computer.

Mark up

The process by which documents are converted into Web pages by the insertion of HTML tags.

Meta Tags

An element of HTML coding within the 'header' on a website that is used by search engines to index a website. They provide the search engines with valuable information such as keywords.

Modulator-demodulator (Modem)

A device that converts the digital signal from a computer to an analogue signal that can be transmitted along an ordinary phone line. This allows computers to connect to the Internet through a telephone line.

Open Source

An open source program has its source code distributed allowing programmers to alter and change the original software as much as they like.

Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard graphics creation and manipulation package.

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP)

PHP is a server-side, interpreted programming language designed specifically for Web programming. It is closely integrated with Web server technology so does not use the CGI.

Pixel

The smallest point of light that a monitor can produce. Groups of different coloured pixels are arranged in a mosaic-like pattern to form the image seen on the screen.

Plug-in

A program that allows a Web browser to display a wider range of content than originally intended. For example: the Flash plug-in allows Web browsers to display Flash content.

Server

A computer located on a network that provides information that other computers can use. For example, a server may allow access to Web pages, email, streaming video, etc.

Server Side

A description of programs that reside on the server and that a user can interact with through the CGI or more directly through the Web server itself. Nothing is downloaded to the Web browser so server side technologies do not require a plug-in.

Title Tag

The contents of the Title tag is generally displayed by the browser at the top of the browser window. The search engines use the Title tag to provide a link to the sites which match the query made by the user. Having keywords in the Title tag of a page can significantly increase the search engine ranking of the page for those keywords.

URL and URI (Universal Resource Locator and Uniform Resource Identifier)

A string of characters used to identify a resource on the Internet. URI is the more modern/correct practice. An example URI: http://www.bized.ac.uk/educators/16-19/business/marketing/lesson/website1.htm

Unix

An operating system developed by engineers at AT&T in the 1960s. UNIX provides excellent networking and is commonly used as the operating system that Web servers run on.

Upload

The process by which files are transferred from a local computer to a remote computer. For example, a person working an offline copy of a Web site would then upload files to a server operated by their ISP.

Usability

A measure of how easy it is for a user to complete a task. In the context of Web pages this concerns how easy it is for a user to find the information they require from a given Web site.

User-agent

The collect name for all devices that are able to request and display Web pages. User agents include Web browsers, Screen readers, mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants, etc.

Web designer

A person who designs Web pages. Usually a designer will produce a mockup of a page in a graphics application (for example, Adobe Photoshop). Once a design has been approved by a client the designer will produce an HTML template, CSS files and all of the images needed to produce the Web site. These files will then be passed to a Web developer or directly to the client.

Web developer

A person who undertakes programming tasks for a Web site. This can include producing e-commerce applications or implementing a site search tool, for example. Occasionally used interchangeably with 'Web designer'.

Web server

A term often used to describe a computer that hosts a Web site. In actual fact the term refers to software running on that computer allowing Web pages to be requested and then sent to a user's Web browser.

Web statistics

Statistics produced by analysing the access logs for a Web server. These allow you to manage your website more effectively. A comprehensive stats package is included.

What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG)

An acronym (pronounced Whizzy-Wig) used to describe applications that allow you to see how a finished document will appear while you are editing that document.

Windows

Windows is a commercial operating system developed by the Microsoft corporation for use on personal computers.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)

An international standard establishing how mobile devices (for example, mobile phones) can access information on the Internet.

WWW, W3 or Web (World Wide Web)

The Web is an information system that allows users to view documents (called Web pages) using a piece of software called a Web browser. These Web pages are located on computers all over the world (connected via the Internet), these computers all run software known as a Web server which waits for requests for Web pages (as outlined above), processes the request and sends the requested page back to the Web browser. These Web pages contain links to other related documents. It is these links between documents that give the Web its name.

eXtensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML)

The final version of HTML is 4.01, there will be no HTML 5. HTML has been superseded by XHTML.