Glossary

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Applet - Small application designed to perform a very specific function; small Java application that can be sent to a user from a World Wide Web site and run within a Java-enabled Web browser.

ASP - Stands for "Active Server Page". Scripting environment that enables programmers to combine HTML and reuseable ActiveX components with scripts to create dynamic Web pages (designed for use on Microsoft Web servers).

Browser - Program used for viewing sites on the World Wide Web .

CGI - Stands for "Common Gateway Interface". Interface used to access information banks through http services on the Internet.

ColdFusion - Online database management system from Macromedia.

Cookie - File planted on a user's hard disk by an Internet site (contains personal information about the user and is used to develop target audiences for Internet advertising).

CSS - Stands for "Cascading Style Sheet". Documents that include several levels of styles that can be changed by a person creating a website (allows for flexible design options).

Database - File containing data on a certain subject .

DNS - Stands for "Domain Name System". Internet service which translates names of sites into their numeric addresses.

Domain Name - Series of words or abbreviations or phrases which identifies a specific computer conncected to the Internet and serves as its address, alphabetic form for Internet address .

Firewall - Security system for protecting against illegal entry to a local area network which is connected to the Internet .

FTP - Stands for "File Transfer Protocol". Method of transferring files on the Internet.

Gateway - Computer which connects two networks.

Go-live - The point at which a website or application becomes published on the Internet and is available to the public.

HTML - Stands for "Hyper-Text Markup Language". This is the language that Web pages are written in. Also known as hypertext documents, Web pages must conform to the rules of HTML in order to be displayed correctly in a Web browser. The HTML syntax is based on a list of tags that describe the page's format and what is displayed on the Web page.

HTTP - Stands for "HyperText Transfer Protocol". Language used to write pages and sites for the Internet.

Internet - Worldwide computer network that allows communication and data transfer between people connected to it.

IP - Standard which regulates computer connections on networks that make up the Internet.

IP Address - Internet address, numerical address which indicates a particular computer within a network.

ISP - Stands for "Internet Service Provider". Company that provides Internet connection services through its equipment and communications lines (for a monthly fee or by amount of use).

Java - Programming language for network-based applications running on World Wide Web pages on the Internet.

Javascript - Interpreted scripting language used to create applets for embedding within HTML documents.

Merchant Account - A bank account that allows for the receipt of credit card funds.

Multimedia - Incorporation of more than one medium in a presentation; integration of multiple elements in an application (text, graphics, video, and sound).

Navigation - The means by which a user can click from page to page on a website.

ODBC - Stands for "Open DataBase Connectivity". Standardised interface, or middleware, for accessing a database from a program.

Payment Gateway - Allows the secure transfer of credit card funds from users on your website to your merchant account.

Perl - Programming language intended for processing and handling text.

PHP - Cross-platform server-side scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages.

Router - Hardware device which directs messages across a network to their correct destination.

Search Engine - Search mechanism, mechanism on the Internet which allows searching for specific information. Google and Yahoo are search engines.

Search Engine Optimization - A set of practices that attempts to make a website more attractive to search engines, thereby encouraging higher rankings.

SGML - Stands for "Standard Generalized Markup Language". customary language used for writing Internet hypertext files (based on separation of the form of a document from its contents).

SQL - Stands for "Structured Query Language". Language used in databases for defining searches.

SSL - Stands for "Secure Socket Layer". Protocol designed by Netscape that enables secure transmission of information over the World Wide Web.

TCP/IP - Stands for "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol". Protocol for controlling Internet communications, package of protocols which regulate connections between computers and the Internet.

URL - Stands for "Uniform Resource Locator". String of characters which defines the location of a file or program on the Internet.

Usability - A set of properties that makes something easy to use.

WAP - Stands for "Wireless Application Protocol". Specification that allows users to access the Internet from wireless devices.

Web Hosting - A services that stores your information (or website) on a server, allowing it to be accessed by users on the Internet.

Web Page - HTML file with a unique URL that can be accessed and displayed via the World Wide Web.

Web Site - home page on the Internet, HTML document on the Internet.

WWW - Stands for "World Wide Web". Network of HTML documents which are linked together and located all over the world.

XML - Stands for "Extensible Markup Language". Simplest version of the SGML standard for creating and designing HTML documents.