Vocabulary
Html
Short for HyperText Markup Language, the authoring language used to create documents on the World Wide Web. HTML is similar to SGML, although it is not a strict subset.
HTML defines the structure and layout of a Web document by using a variety of tags and attributes. The correct structure for an HTML document starts with (enter here what document is about) and ends with . All the information you'd like to include in your Web page fits in between the and tags.
There are hundreds of other tags used to format and layout the information in a Web page. For instance,
is used to make paragraphs and … is used to italicize fonts. Tags are also used to specify hypertext links. These allow Web developers to direct users to other Web pages with only a click of the mouse on either an image or word(s). For a more complete list of tags, check out some of the URLs below.
Tag
(n) A command inserted in a document that specifies how the document, or a portion of the document, should be formatted. Tags are used by all format specifications that store documents as text files. This includes SGML and HTML.
(v) To mark a section of a document with a formatting command.
Attribute
(1) A characteristic. In a word processing application, an underlined word would be said to have the underline attribute. In database systems, a field can have various attributes. For example, if it contains numeric data, it has the numeric attribute.
(2) In database management systems, the term attribute is sometimes used as a synonym for field.
(3) In DOS systems, every file has a file attribute that indicate several properties of the file. For example, they indicate whether the file is read-only, whether it needs to be backed up, and whether it is visible or hidden
Property
Characteristic of an object. In many programming languages, the term property is used to describe attributes associated with a data structure.
Browser
Short for Web browser, a software application used to locate and display Web pages. The two most popular browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Both of these are graphical browsers, which means that they can display graphics as well as text. In addition, most modern browsers can present multimedia information, including sound and video, though they require plug-ins for some formats.
Link
verb(1) To bind together.
(2) In programming, the term link refers to execution of a linker.
(3) To paste a copy of an object into a document in such a way that it retains its connection with the original object. Updates to the original object can be reflected in the duplicate by updating the link.
(4) In spreadsheet programs, linking refers to the ability of a worksheet to take its data for particular cells from another worksheet. Two or more files are thus linked by common cells.
noun(1) In communications, a link is a line or channel over which data is transmitted.
(2) In data management systems, a link is a pointer to another record. You can connect one or more records by inserting links into them.
(3) In some operating systems (UNIX, for example), a link is a pointer to a file. Links make it possible to reference a file by several different names and to access a file without specifying a full path.
(4) In hypertext systems, such as the World Wide Web, a link is a reference to another document. Such links are sometimes called hot links because they take you to other document when you click on them.
File Path
(1) In DOS and Windows systems, a path is a list of directories where the operating system looks for executable files if it is unable to find the file in the working directory. You can specify the list of directories with the PATH command.
Deprecated
Said of a program or feature that is considered obsolescent and in the process of being phased out, usually in favor of a specified replacement. Deprecated features can, unfortunately, linger on for many years. This term appears with distressing frequency in standards documents when the committees writing the documents realize that large amounts of extant (and presumably happily working) code depend on the feature(s) that have passed out of favor.
Upload
To transmit data from a computer to a bulletin board service, mainframe, or network. For example, if you use a personal computer to log on to a network and you want to send files across the network, you must upload the files from your PC to the network.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol, the protocol used on the Internet for sending files.
URL
Abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator, the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web.
The first part of the address indicates what protocol to use, and the second part specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource is located.
For example, the two URLs below point to two different files at the domain pcwebopedia.com. The first specifies an executable file that should be fetched using the FTP protocol; the second specifies a Web page that should be fetched using the HTTP protocol:
Domain Name
A name that identifies one or more IP addresses. For example, the domain name microsoft.com represents about a dozen IP addresses. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular Web pages. For example, in the URL http://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html, the domain name is pcwebopedia.com.
DNS
1) Short for Domain Name System (or Service), an Internet service that translates domain names into IP addresses. Because domain names are alphabetic, they're easier to remember. The Internet however, is really based on IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, therefore, a DNS service must translate the name into the corresponding IP address. For example, the domain name www.example.com might translate to 198.105.232.4.
The DNS system is, in fact, its own network. If one DNS server doesn't know how to translate a particular domain name, it asks another one, and so on, until the correct IP address is returned.
TLDS
IP Address
(1) A location of data, usually in main memory or on a disk. You can think of computer memory as an array of storage boxes, each of which is one byte in length. Each box has an address (a unique number) assigned to it. By specifying a memory address, programmers can access a particular byte of data. Disks are divided into tracks and sectors, each of which has a unique address. Usually, you do not need to worry about addresses unless you are a programmer.
(2) A name or token that identifies a network component. In local area networks (LANs), for example, every node has a unique address. On the Internet, every file has a unique address called a URL.
Server
A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. For example, a file server is a computer and storage device dedicated to storing files. Any user on the network can store files on the server. A print server is a computer that manages one or more printers, and a network server is a computer that manages network traffic. A database server is a computer system that processes database queries.
Servers are often dedicated, meaning that they perform no other tasks besides their server tasks. On multiprocessing operating systems, however, a single computer can execute several programs at once. A server in this case could refer to the program that is managing resources rather than the entire computer. Server Types
This list, courtesy of serverwatch.com, categorizes the many different types of servers used in the marketplace today. Click on the server category you'd like to know more about, and you will be taken directly to a serverwatch.com page that provides additional information and resources.
Server Platforms A term often used synonymously with operating system, a platform is the underlying hardware or software for a system and is thus the engine that drives the server.
Application Servers Sometimes referred to as a type of middleware, application servers occupy a large chunk of computing territory between database servers and the end user, and they often connect the two.
Audio/Video Servers Audio/Video servers bring multimedia capabilities to Web sites by enabling them to broadcast streaming multimedia content.
Chat Servers Chat servers enable a large number of users to exchange information in an environment similar to Internet newsgroups that offer real-time discussion capabilities.
Fax Servers A fax server is an ideal solution for organizations looking to reduce incoming and outgoing telephone resources but that need to fax actual documents.
FTP Servers One of the oldest of the Internet services, File Transfer Protocol makes it possible to move one or more files securely between computers while providing file security and organization as well as transfer control.
Groupware Servers A groupware server is software designed to enable users to collaborate, regardless of location, via the Internet or a corporate intranet and to work together in a virtual atmosphere.
IRC Servers An option for those seeking real-time discussion capabilities, Internet Relay Chat consists of various separate networks (or "nets") of servers that allow users to connect to each other via an IRC network.
List Servers List servers offer a way to better manage mailing lists, whether they be interactive discussions open to the public or one-way lists that deliver announcements, newsletters, or advertising.
Mail Servers Almost as ubiquitous and crucial as Web servers, mail servers move and store mail over corporate networks (via LANs and WANs) and across the Internet.
News Servers News servers act as a distribution and delivery source for the thousands of public news groups currently accessible over the USENET news network.
Proxy Servers Proxy servers sit between a client program (typically a Web browser) and an external server (typically another server on the Web) to filter requests, improve performance, and share connections.
Telnet Servers A Telnet server enables users to log on to a host computer and perform tasks as if they're working on the remote computer itself.
Web Servers At its core, a Web server serves static content to a Web browser by loading a file from a disk and serving it across the network to a user's Web browser. This entire exchange is mediated by the browser and server talking to each other using HTTP. Also read ServerWatch's Web Server Basics article.
Router
A device that forwards data packets along networks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP’s network. Routers are located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect.
Routers use headers and forwarding tables to determine the best path for forwarding the packets, and they use protocols such as ICMP to communicate with each other and configure the best route between any two hosts.
Very little filtering of data is done through routers.
ISP
Short for Internet Service Provider, a company that provides access to the Internet. For a monthly fee, the service provider gives you a software package, username, password and access phone number. Equipped with a modem, you can then log on to the Internet and browse the World Wide Web and USENET, and send and receive e-mail.
In addition to serving individuals, ISPs also serve large
Lan
Local-area network A computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves. A system of LANs connected in this way is called a wide-area network (WAN).
Absolute
A fixed address in memory. The term absolute distinguishes it from a relative address, which indicates a location by specifying a distance from another location. Absolute addresses are also called real addresses and machine addresses.
Relative
Hexidecimal/color
Refers to the base-16 number system, which consists of 16 unique symbols: the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F. For example, the decimal number 15 is represented as F in the hexadecimal numbering system. The hexadecimal system is useful because it can represent every byte (8 bits) as two consecutive hexadecimal digits. It is easier for humans to read hexadecimal numbers than binary numbers.
Web Safe
Dithering
Creating the illusion of new colors and shades by varying the pattern of dots. Newspaper photographs, for example, are dithered. If you look closely, you can see that different shades of gray are produced by varying the patterns of black and white dots. There are no gray dots at all. The more dither patterns that a device or program supports, the more shades of gray it can represent. In printing, dithering is usually called halftoning, and shades of gray are called halftones.
Note that dithering differs from gray scaling. In gray scaling, each individual dot can have a different shade of gray.
Useability
Accessibility
Plug in
Repetative Injury
A common form of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) produced by repeating the same small movements many times. As more and more people use computers, carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of RSI have become more prevalent. Typical symptoms are numbness or burning in the fingers or wrist. If not addressed early on, the injury can cause permanent damage.
There are a number of ways to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, including adjusting the height and angle of your chair and keyboard, and taking frequent breaks from typing. Modern office furniture, designed especially for computer use, can help considerably.