Glossary of Terms
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R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y
A
Accessibility
In the context of a Web site, accessibility refers to the degree
that a Web site can be accessed by people with disabilities.
Apache
The most popular Web server software in use today. An April 2005
survey(http://news.netcraft.com/archives/web_server_survey.html) found
that over 69% of Web sites use Apache(http://httpd.apache.org/).
B
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is a measure of how fast data that can be transferred
between two computers. Popular units include Kilobits per second (Kbps)
or MegaBits per second (Mbps).
Bobby
Bobby(http://bobby.watchfire.com/) is an online tool for assessing
the accessibility of a Web page. Automated tools can check many accessibility
issues but not all so some human intervention is required to ensure
a Web site is accessible.
C
Cache
Copies of previously accessed Web pages and associated files are
stored (in a cache) on a user's computer or on computers operated
by an ISP. On subsequent visits to these Web pages the files are retrieved
from the cache rather than downloaded from the Web server again. This
reduces the time taken to deliver the Web page to the user.
Cascading StyleSheets (CSS)
A technology used to control the presentation (and often the layout)
of a Web page. CSS controls colours, font faces, text sizes, etc.
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 plugin installed.
Code-editor
A type of authoring tool that allows you to directly edit the HTML
source of a Web page.
Colocation
Colocation means a company buys a Web server but it is physically
located in the premises of a third-party company that provides the
networking. The company owning the server must provide technical support
for the server but this is a cost effective route if you need to run
a Web site on your own computer (due to security reasons, for example).
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.
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.
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.
D
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.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)
All UK businesses are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act
which makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against
a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides
to other members of the community (full text of the DDA(http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm)).
Therefore UK businesses (and most countries have similar legislation)
must provide Web sites that can be used by a disabled person including
any services (online shopping, etc,) made available through that Web
site.
Document Type Declaration (DTD)
In the case of a Web page, the DTD is refered to in the first line
of the Web page and specifies the language (HTML, XHTML, etc.) used
in the Web page.
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(http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/) is
a Web page authoring tool developed by Macromedia(http://www.macromedia.com).
Dreamweaver allows WYSIWYG and code editing of Web pages.
E
e-commerce
e-commerce (electronic commerce) is the process of buying, selling
and transferring money through the internet.
F
File size
The amount of space that a file takes up when stored on disk. File
size is usally 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.
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(http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/) is a vector-based,
multimedia technology developed by Macromedia(http://www.macromedia.com)
that can be embedded in HTML pages. Flash files can take the form
of animations, games and even whole 'Web' sites.
FrontPage
Microsoft FrontPage(http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/product.aspx?view=22&pcid=57bccce5-f934-422d-a11a-2afd0c0014db&type=ovr)
is a Web page authoring tool developed by Microsoft(http://www.microsoft.com).
G
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
The GIMP(http://www.gimp.org/) is an open source graphics creation
and manipulation application similar to Adobe Photoshop.
Graphic Interchange Format (Gif)
A popular image file format. The Gif file format is most appropriate
for diagrams, illustrations and cartoons.
H
HTML-Kit
HTML-Kit(ttp://www.chami.com/html-kit/) is an advanced code-editor
for authoring Web pages. Published by Chami.com(http://www.chami.com)
it is free for use by individuals(http://www.chami.com/html-kit/license/).
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.
I
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 Information Services (IIS)
IIS(http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/iis/default.mspx)
is a Web server produced by Microsoft(http://www.microsoft.com). IIS
will only run on computers using a Windows operating system. Microsoft
Web servers are used by approximately 20% of all Web sites.
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.
Interoperability
In the context of a Web site, an interoperable Web site is implemented
in such a way that information within that site can be retrieved by
a user irrespective of the type of user agent being used. Interoperability
can be achieved by adhering the the specifications and guidelines
established by the W3C.
J
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.
L
Linux
An open source operating system that works in a similar fashion
to Unix but, unlike Unix, does not require expensive hardware.
M
Macintosh (Mac)
An Apple Macintosh computer.
Mark up
The process by which documents are converted into Web pages by the
insertion of HTML tags.
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.
O
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.
P
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop(http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html)
is the industry standard graphics creation and manipulation package.
PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP)
PHP(http://www.php.net/) 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.
Plugin
A program that allows a Web browser to display a wider range of
content than originally intended. For example: the Flash plugin allows
Web browsers to display Flash content.
Practical Extraction and Reporting Language (Perl)
Perl(http://www.perl.com/) is a server-side, interpreted programming
language commonly used with CGI.
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)
A database management system that allows data arranged in a tabular
form to be related to data in other tables via common fields. For
example, an RDBMS for company personnel might include a table of salaries
and another of telehpone numbers, the two tables could be related
to each other by sharing an ID field that contained an ID number for
each employee of the company. Example RDBMS include PostgreSQL(http://www.postgresql.org/),
MySQL(http://www.mysql.com/) and Oracle(http://www.oracle.com/database/index.html).
S
Screen reader
Software that reads the content of the screen aloud to a user. Screen
readers are commonly used by the visually impaired. In order to ensure
that Web pages can be used by individuals using screen readers designers/developers
should adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed
by the W3C.
Secure Shell (SSH)
SSH is a secure way of transferring information (including files)
between computers on a network. SFTP is a secure way of transferring
files which, despite the name, has little in common with FTP.
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 plugin.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA)
SENDA(http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010010.htm) establishes
legal rights for disabled students in pre- and post-16 education.
Regarding Web sites an organisation must have shown to have made 'reasonable
adjustment' to its Web site to facilitate disabled access. In reality
this is assumed to be a minimum of satisfying all the Priority 1 checkpoints
in the WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Text-to-speech reader
See Screen Reader.
U
Universal Resource Locator and Uniform Resource Identifier (URL
and URI)
A string of characters used to identify a resource on the Internet.
URI is the more modern/correct pracitice. 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.
W
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
A W3C initiative aimed at improving the accessibility of the Web.
The WAI(http://www.w3.org/WAI/) produce guidelines and tools in addition
to outreach and R&D activities.
Web Accessibility Versatile Evaluator (WAVE)
WAVE(http://wave.webaim.org/index.jsp) is an online tool for assessing
the accessibility of a Web page. Automated tools can check many accessibility
issues but not all so some human intervention is required to ensure
a Web site is accessible.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
A set of guidelines and checklists describing how to make a Web
site accessible. The WCAG(http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/) has three
levels: A conformance (satisfying the Priority 1 checkpoints), AA
conformance (satisfying the Priority 1 and 2 checkpoints) and AAA
conformance (satisfying the Priority 1, 2 and 3 checkpoints).
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
or The GIMP). 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.
For a variety of reasons (covered in the text) Web statistics should
be treated with caution as they are not reliable.
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(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/default.mspx) is a commercial
operating system developed by the Microsoft corporation(http://www.microsoft.com)
for use on personal computers.
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
An international standard establishing how mobile devices (for example,
mobile phones) can access information on the Internet.
World Wide Web (WWW, W3 or 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.
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
The W3C(http://www.w3.org) develop specifications, guidelines, software
and tools that further the potential of the Web.
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.
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