Terminology

Access (Microsoft Access)
A database system developed by Microsoft. Part of Microsoft Office Professional. Mostly used on low traffic web sites running on the Windows platform.

 

ActiveX
A programming interface (API) that allows web browsers to download and execute Windows programs. (See also Plug-In)

 

ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
An organization that creates standards for the computer industry. Responsible for the ANSI C standard.

 

Anti-Virus Program
A computer program made to discover and destroy all types of computer viruses.

 

API (Application Programming Interface)
An interface for letting a program communicate with another program.  An interface for letting web browsers or web servers communicate with other programs. (See also Active-X and Plug-In)

 

ARPAnet
The experimental network tested in the 1970's which started the development of the Internet.

 

Authentication
 the method used to verify the identity of a user, program or computer on the web.

 

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
A set of 128 alphanumeric and special control characters used for computer storing and printing of text. Used by HTML when transmitting data over the web.
See the full list of ASCII codes in our HTML Reference

 

Bandwidth
A measure for the speed (amount of data) you can send through an Internet connection. The more bandwidth, the faster the connection.

 

Baud
The number of symbols per second sent over a channel.

 

BBS (Bulletin Board System)
A web based public system for sharing discussions, files, and announcements.

 

Binary Data
Data in machine readable form.

 

Bit (Binary Digit)
The smallest unit of data stored in a computer. A bit can have the value of 0 or 1. A computer uses 8 bits to store one text character.

 

BMP (Bitmap)
A format for storing images.

 

Bookmark
 A link to a particular web site, stored (bookmarked) by a web user for future use and easy access.

 

Browse
Term to describe a user's movement across the web, moving from page to page via hyperlinks, using a web browser. (See Web Browser).

 

BPS (Bits Per Second)
Term to describe the transmission speed for data over the web.

 

Byte (Binary Term)
A computer storage unit containing 8 bits. Each byte can store one text character.

Case Sensitive
A term used to describe if it is of importance to use upper or lower case letters.

 

Cache
 A web browser or web server feature which stores copies of web pages on a computer's hard disk.

 

CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
A set of rules that describes how a CGI program communicates with a web server.

 

Client/Server
The communication and separation of workload between a web client and a web server.

 

Communication Protocol
A standard (language and a set of rules) to allow computers to interact in a standard way. Examples are IP, FTP, and HTTP.

Compression
A method of reducing the size (compress) of web documents or graphics for faster delivery via the web.

 

Computer Virus
A computer program that can harm a computer by displaying messages, deleting files, or even destroying the computer's operating system.

 

Cookie
Information from a web server, stored on your computer by your web browser. The purpose of a cookie is to provide information about your visit to the website for use by the server during a later visit.

 

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
A W3C recommended language for defining style (such as font, size, color, spacing, etc.) for web documents.

Database
Data stored in a computer in such a way that a computer program can easily retrieve and manipulate the data.

Database System
A computer program (like MS Access, Oracle, and MySQL) for manipulating data in a database.

 

DHTML (Dynamic HTML)
A term commonly to describe HTML content that can change dynamically.

Dial-up Connection
 A connection to Internet via telephone and modem.

 

DNS (Domain Name Service)
A computer program running on a web server, translating domain names into IP addresses

 

DNS Server
A web server running DNS.

 

DOM (Document Object Model)
A programming model for web page objects. (See HTML DOM and XML DOM)

 

Domain Name
The name that identifies a web site. (like: W3Schools.com)

DOS (Disk Operating System)
A general disk based computer operating system (see OS). Originally developed by Microsoft for IBM personal computers. Often used as a shorthand for MS-DOS.

 

Download
To transfer a file from a remote computer to a local computer.  to transfer a file from a web server to a web client. (see also Upload).

 

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
An Internet connection over regular telephone lines, but much faster. Speed may vary from 128 kilobit per second, up to 9 megabit per second.

 

E-mail (Electronic Mail)
Messages sent from one person to another via the Internet.

 

E-mail Address
The address used for sending e-mails to a person or an organization. Typical format is username@hostname.

 

E-mail Server
A web server dedicated to the task of serving e-mail.

 

Encryption
To convert data from its original form to a form that can only be read by someone that can reverse the encryption. The purpose of encryption is to prevent unauthorized reading of the data.

 

Ethernet
A type of local area network (see LAN).

 

Firewall
Software that acts as a security filter that can restrict types of network communication. Most often used between an individual computer (or a LAN) and the Internet.

 

Frame
A part of the browser screen displaying a particular content. Frames are often used to display content from different web pages.

 

FrontPage
Web development software for the Windows platform. Developed by Microsoft.

 

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
One of the most common methods for sending files between two computers.

 

FTP Server
A web server you can logon to, and download files from (or upload files to). Anonymous FTP is a method for downloading files from an FTP server without using a logon account.

 

Gateway
A computer program for transferring (and reformatting) data between incompatible applications or networks.

 

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
A compressed format for storing images developed by CompuServe. One of the most common image formats on the Internet.

 

GB
Same as Gigabyte. 10GB is ten gigabytes.

 

Gigabyte
1024 megabytes. Commonly rounded down to one billion bytes.

 

Graphics
In web terms graphics describe pictures (opposite to text).

 

Graphic Monitor
A display monitor that can display graphics.

Hits
The number of times a web object (page or picture) has been viewed or downloaded. (See also Page Hits).

 

Home Page
The top-level (main) page of a web site. The default page displayed when you visit a web site.

 

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
HTML is the language of the web. HTML is a set of tags that are used to define the content, layout and the formatting of the web document. Web browsers use the HTML tags to define how to display the text.

HTML Document
A document written in HTML.

 

HTML DOM (HTML Document Object Model)
A programming interface for HTML documents.

HTML Editor
A software program for editing HTML pages. With an HTML editor you can add elements like lists, tables, layout, font size, and colors to a HTML document like using a word processor. An HTML editor will display the page being edited exactly the same way it will be displayed on the web (See WYSIWYG).

 

HTML Form
A form that passes user input back to the server.

HTML Page
The same as an HTML Document.

 

HTML Tags
Code to identify the different parts of a document so that a web browser will know how to display it.
Learn more about HTML tags our HTML tutorial

 

HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)
The standard set of rules for sending text files across the Internet. It requires an HTTP client program at one end, and an HTTP server program at the other end.

 

HTTP Client
A computer program that requests a service from a web server.

 

HTTP Server
A computer program providing services from a web server.

 

HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure)
Same as HTTP but provides secure Internet communication using SSL. (see also SSL)

 

Hyperlink
A pointer to another document. Most often a pointer to another web page. A hyperlink is a synonym for a hotlink or a link, and sometimes called a hypertext connection to another document or web page.

 

Hypertext
Hypertext is text that is cross-linked to other documents in such a way that the reader can read related documents by clicking on a highlighted word or symbol. (see also hyperlink)

 

IAB (Internet Architecture Board)
A council that makes decisions about Internet standards. (See also W3C).

 

IE (Internet Explorer)
See Internet Explorer.

 

IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)
A subgroup of IAB that focuses on solving technical problems on the Internet.

 

IIS (Internet Information Server)
A web server for Windows operating systems. Developed by Microsoft.

 

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
A standard communication protocol for retrieving e-mails from an e-mail server. IMAP is much like POP but more advanced.

Internet
A world wide network connecting millions of computers. (See also WWW)

 

Internet Explorer
A browser by Microsoft. The most commonly used browser today.

Intranet
A private (closed) Internet, running inside a LAN (Local Area Network).

 

IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)
A unique number identifying every computer on the Internet (like 197.123.22.240)

 

IP Number (Internet Protocol Number)
Same as an IP address.

 

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
A telecommunication standard that uses digital transmission to support data communications over regular telephone lines.

 

ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Someone that provides access to the Internet and web hosting.

 

Java
A programming language developed by SUN. Mostly for programming web servers and web applets. 

 

JavaScript
The most popular scripting language on the internet, developed by Netscape.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group)
The organization that promotes the JPG and JPEG graphic formats for storing compressed images. 

 

JPEG and JPG
Graphic formats for storing compressed images. 

 

JScript
Microsoft's version of JavaScript.

 

JSP (Java Server Pages)
A Java based technology allowing the insertion of server executable scripts in web pages. Mostly used on Linux, Unix and Solaris platforms. 

 

K
Same as kilobyte 10K is ten kilobytes..

 

KB
Same as kilobyte 10KB is ten kilobytes..

 

Keyword
 A word used by a search engine to search for relevant web information.
In database terms: A word (or index) used to identify a database record.

 

Kilobyte
1024 bytes. Often called 1K, and rounded down to 1000 bytes.

LAN (Local Area Network)
A network between computers in a local area (like inside a building), usually connected via local cables. See also WAN.

 

Link
The same as a hyperlink.

 

Linux
Open source computer operating system based on Unix. Mostly used on servers and web servers.

 

Mail
 the same as e-mail.

 

Mail Server
See e-mail server.

 

MB
Same as Megabyte. 10MB is ten megabytes.

 

Megabyte
1024 kilobytes. Commonly rounded down to one million bytes.

 

Meta Data
Data that describes other data. (See also Meta Tags).

 

Meta Tags
Tags inserted into documents to describe the document.

Modem
Hardware equipment to connect a computer to a telephone network Typically used to connect to the Internet via a telephone line.

 

Mosaic
The first commonly available web browser. Mosaic was released in 1993 and started the popularity of the web.

 

MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3)
An audio compression format specially designed for easy download over the Internet.

 

MP3 File
An file containing audio compressed with MP3. Most often a music track.

 

MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group)
An ISO standard codec for computer audio and video.

 

MPG
Common file extension for MPEG files.

 

MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System)
A general disk based computer operating system (See OS). Originally developed by Microsoft for IBM computers, then developed by Microsoft as a basis for the first versions of Windows.

 

Multimedia
 A presentation combining text with pictures, video, or sound.

 

MySQL
Free open source database software often used on the web.

 

NetBIOS (Network Basic Input Output System)
An application programming interface (API) with functions for local-area networks (LAN). Used by DOS and Windows.

Navigate
 The same as Browse.

 

Netscape
The browser from the company Netscape. The most popular browser for many years. Today IE has the lead.
Learn more about browsers in our browser section

 

Newsgroup
An on-line discussion group (a section on a news server) dedicated to a particular subject of interest.

 

Node
A computer connected to the Internet, most often used to describe a web server.

 

OS (Operating System)
The software that manages the basic operating of a computer.

 

Page Hits
The number of times a web page has been visited by a user.

 

Page Impressions
The same as Page Hits.

 

Page Views
The same as Page Hits.

 

PDF (Portable Document Format)
A document file format developed by Adobe. Most often used for text documents.

 

Perl (Practical Extraction and Reporting Language)
A scripting language for web servers. Most often used on Unix servers.

 

PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor)
A technology allowing the insertion of server executable scripts in web pages. Mostly for Unix, Linux and Solaris platforms.

Ping
A method used to check the communication between two computers. A "ping" is sent to a remote computer to see if it responds.

 

Platform
The computer's operating system like Windows, Linux, or OS X.

 

Plug-In
An application built into another application.  A program built in (or added) to a web browser to handle a special type of data like e-mail, sound, or movie files. (See also ActiveX)

 

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
A format for encoding a picture pixel by pixel and sending it over the web. A W3C recommendation for replacing GIF.

 

POP (Post Office Protocol)
A standard communication protocol for retrieving e-mails from an e-mail server. (See also IMAP).

Port
A number that identifies a computer IO (input/output) channel.  A number that identifies the I/O channel used by an Internet application (A web server normally uses port 80).

 

PPP (Point to Point Protocol)
A communication protocol used for direct connection between two computers.

  

Proxy Server
An Internet server dedicated to improve Internet performance.

 

QuickTime
A multimedia file format created by Apple.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
A standard for connecting multiple disks to the same server for higher security, speed and performance. Often used on web servers.

 

RDF (Resource Description Framework)
A framework for constructing languages for describing web resources.
Learn more about RDF in our RDF tutorial

 

RGB (Red Green Blue)
The combination of the three primary colors that can represent a full color spectrum.
Learn more about RGB in our HTML tutorial

 

Router
A hardware (or software) system that directs (routes) data transfer to different computers in a network.

 

Script
A collection of statements written in a Scripting Language.

 

Scripting Language
 A simple programming language that can be executed by a web browser or a web server. See JavaScript and VBScript.

 

Scripting
Writing a script.

 

Search Engine
Computer program used to search and catalog (index) the millions of pages of available information on the web. Common search engines are Google and AltaVista.

 

Shareware
Software that you can try free of charge, and pay a fee to continue to use legally.

 

Shockwave
A format (technology) developed by Macromedia for embedding multimedia content in web pages.

 

SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language)
An international standard for markup languages. The basis for HTML and XML.

 

SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)
A W3C recommended language for creating multimedia presentations.

SPAM
The action of sending multiple unwelcome messages to a newsgroup or mailing list.

 

Spyware
Computer software hidden in a computer with the purpose of collecting information about the use of the computer.

 

SQL (Structured Query Language)
An ANSI standard computer language for accessing and manipulating databases.

SQL Server
A database system from Microsoft. Mostly used on high traffic web sites running on the Windows platform.

 

SSI (Server Side Include)

SSL (Secure Socket Layer)
Software to secure and protect web site communication using encrypted transmission of data.

 

Streaming
A method of sending audio and video files over the Internet in such a way that the user can view the file while it is being transferred.

 

Streaming Format
The format used for files being streamed over the Internet. (See Windows Media, Real Video and QuickTime).

 

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol)
A collection of Internet communication protocols between two computers. The TCP protocol is responsible for an error free connection between two computers, while the IP protocol is responsible for the data packets sent over the network.

TCP/IP Packet
A "packet" of data sent over a TCP/IP network. (data sent over the Internet is broken down into small "packets" from 40 to 32000 bytes long).

 

Trojan Horse
Computer program hidden in another computer program with the purpose of  destroying software or collecting information about the use of the computer.

 

Unix
Computer operating system, developed by Bell Laboratories. Mostly used for servers and web servers.

 

UNZIP
To uncompress a ZIPPED file.

 

Upload
To transfer a file from a local computer to a remote computer.  to transfer a file from a web client to a web server. (see also Download).

 

URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)
Term used to identify resources on the internet. URL is one type of an URI.

 

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
A web address. The standard way to address web documents (pages) on the Internet (like: http://www.w3schools.com/)

 

USENET
A world wide news system accessible over the Internet. (See Newsgroups)

 

User Agent
The same as a Web Browser.

 

VBScript
A scripting language from Microsoft. VBScript is the default scripting language in ASP. Can also be used to program Internet Explorer.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A private network between two remote sites, over a secure encrypted virtual Internet connection (a tunnel).

 

VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language)
A programming language to allow 3D effects to be added to HTML documents.

 

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
The organization responsible for managing standards for the WWW.

WAN (Wide Area Network)
Computers connected together in a wide network, larger than a LAN, usually connected via phone lines. See also LAN.

 

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)
A leading standard for information services on wireless terminals like digital mobile phones.

Web Address
The same as an URL or URI. See URL.

 

Web Applet
A program that can be downloaded over the web and run on the user's computer. Most often written in Java.

 

Web Client
A software program used to access web pages. Sometimes the same as a Web Browser, but often used as a broader term.

 

Web Browser
A software program used to display web pages.

Web Document
A document formatted for distribution over the web. Most often a web document is formatted in a markup language like HTML or XML.

 

Web Host
A web server that "hosts" web services like providing web site space to companies or individuals.

 

Web Hosting
The action of providing web host services.

 

Web Page
A document (normally an HTML file) designed to be distributed over the Web.

 

Web Server
A server is a computer that delivers services or information to other computers.  A server that delivers web content to web browsers.

 

Web Server Error
A message from a web server indicating an error. The most common web server error is "404 File Not Found".

Web Services
Software components and applications running on web servers. The server provides these services to other computers, browsers or individuals, using standard communication protocols.

 

Web Site
A collection of related web pages belonging to a company or an individual.

 

Web Spider
A computer program that searches the Internet for web pages. Common web spiders are the one used by search engines like Google and AltaVista to index the web. Web spiders are also called web robots or wanderers.

 

WMA
Audio file format for the Internet, developed by Microsoft. (See also WMV).

WMV
Video file format for the Internet, developed by Microsoft. (See also WMA).

WML (Wireless Markup Language)
A standard for information services on wireless terminals like digital mobile phones, inherited from HTML, but based on XML, and much stricter than HTML.

WML Script
Scripting language (programming language) for WML.
Learn more about WMLScript  in our WMLScript tutorial

 

Worm
A computer virus that can make copies of itself and spread to other computers over the Internet.

 

WSDL (Web Services Description Language)
An XML-based language for describing Web services and how to access them.

WWW (World Wide Web)
A global network of computers using the internet to exchange web documents. (See also Internet)

 

WWW Server
The same as a Web Server.

 

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)
 To display a web page being edited exactly the same way it will be displayed on the web.

 

XForms
A future version of HTML Forms, based on XML and XHTML. Differs from HTML forms by separating data definition and data display. Providing richer and more device independent user input.

XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language)
HTML reformulated as XML. XHTML is the latest version of HTML. Developed by W3C.

XPath
XPath is a set of syntax rules (language) for defining parts of an XML document. XPath is a major part of the W3C XSL standard.

XML (Extensible Markup Language)
A simplified version of SGML especially designed for web documents, developed by the W3C.

XML Document
A document written in XML.

 

XML DOM (XML Document Object Model)
A programming interface for XML documents developed by W3C.

ZIP
A compressing format for computer files. Commonly used for compressing files before downloading over the Internet. ZIP files can be compressed (ZIPPED) and decompressed (UNZIPPED) using a computer program like WINZIP.