Terms Associated with Web Development

Internet terms glossary...

Web development and the Internet is awash with many technologies, abbreviations and standards! Some are described briefly below. Most of these are off the top of my head, I dunno everyfink so I can't guarantee it will be error free! It does get a bit technical, but if it's all way over your head, don't worry as I sort out the technicalities!

Quick find by letter: B | D | F | H | J | L | N | P | R | T | V | X | web file types

Accessibility
Process of ensuring a website is made accessible to less able people. See WAI below and the web design page.

Access Keys
A way of accessing website navigation links using the keyboard in place of clicking the mouse. Used for accessibility provision.

Acronym titles
A way of providing a short explanation of words and phrases by running the mouse pointer over the word. Such words have dotted underlining by default in Firefox and Netscape browsers and can be modified by CSS.

Adobe Acrobat
System universally used for the viewing of PDF documents. Please see the file types below and the downloads page.

Aggregator
Computer software used to subscribe to news feeds and podcasts delivered via RSS.

Ajax - Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
Technology that combines JavaScript and XML to create interactive web applications that communicate with a server without needing to reload a web page. Used for expanding forms, to auto-populate data and suggest entries. Not very search engine friendly!

Alexa
Search engine with results based on visitor numbers.

Alt text - Alternate text
Image description displayed if images are disabled in a browser. Used by screen readers to read out web page text so addresses accessibility issues.

Apache
Server software usually used on a Unix flavour web server.

ASP - Active Server Pages
Microsoft server side embedded scripting language used for the generation of dynamic web pages and much else besides.

Atom (see also RSS)
Open source development of the RSS 2 standard that expands the format further.

AutoFill
Allows web enquiry forms to be filled with pre-entered information for common fields such as name, e-mail, address and phone.

bandwidth
The data transfer allowance allowed for a website by a web host.

Blog - Weblog
Series of updated posts in chronological order on a web page in the form of a diary or journal which can include comments and hyperlinks. Often linked to an RSS feed. A blogger is someone who posts a blog, the blogosphere is the blogging community.

Bobby
The Centre for Applied Special Technology tool for checking a site for accessibility issues.

cache
Local store. An ISP's or client's browser cache can result in old web pages being viewed. Pressing the F5 key usually forces a re-load.

CGI - Common Gateway Interface
A platform for running scripts to add expanded functionality to web pages over and above that provided by HTML.

CMS - Content Management System
System that allows updates to be made to web pages without technical knowledge.

Cookie
Small file sent by a website to a visitor's computer which is later retrieved on next visit. Numerous uses include remembering personal preferences and in stats systems to determine repeat visitors, time of last visit and more. Not considered a security risk, but has privacy issues.

Crawler
An automated robot system used by search engines to follow links between websites and web pages for the purpose of indexing the web. Also called a Spider.

CSS - Cascading Style Sheet
Highly versatile system used for styling and formatting web page elements. An external style sheet can control all the web pages on a site making any changes quick and easy. This site uses CSS to format the site navigation links and font styling, for instance.

DDA - Disability Discrimination Act
Specifies the steps to be taken by website operators to ensure that they don't discriminate against disabled persons. See also Accessibility.

deadlink
A hyperlink that doesn't lead anywhere.

Domain Name
The bit after the www which forms the website address. See hosting and domain info page.

DNS - Domain Name System
The system of associating domain names with IP addresses.

DOS attack
Simultaneous requests for web pages often launched at a pre-set time by a virus circulated months ago. A coordinated attack can be deadly and bring down a website.

Dynamic URL
A non-permanent web page address generated on-the-fly by a database driven website. Can cause search engine indexing problems.

e-commerce
Electronic business on the web, eg the buying by credit card of goods offered on a website.

field
Each text input area on a website form.

Formmail
Refers to the system of sending a completed enquiry form to a website.

Favicon icon
Small image that identifies a site when bookmarked in Internet Explorer. Displayed in the browser address bar and alongside a bookmarked site.

Firefox (Mozilla Firefox)
Web browser rapidly gaining in popularity owing to it being more modern, standards compliant, secure and accessibility conscious than Internet Explorer. Can be extensively customised with many extensions. Very popular with web developers owing to its many web developer extensions. Free download from the Firefox website.

Firewall
A layer of protection between a computer and the Internet. Can control which applications on a PC are allowed web access and block attacks by hackers.

Flash
An animated format developed by Macromedia using Action Script.

Frames
A type of site construction that displays a number of pages on screen together, often used to keep a company logo and site navigation area on screen while the main content is scrolled. Not very search engine friendly and largely out of favour these days due to accessibility issues.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol
Standard used for moving files across the Internet. Others are Telnet and Gopher.

Google
Popular search engine currently at the forefront of web technology.

Google toolbar
An add-on to Internet Explorer used to perform searches and incorporating a host of features such as PageRank display, page information, pop-up blocker, word highlighter, form Autofill and form spell checker.

Hosting
The parking place for a website on the Internet. See the hosting and domain info page.

hotlinking
The direct linking to an image URL by a remote website. This is considered bandwidth stealing and can be prevented by various means.

.htaccess
Powerful system that can alter a server set-up. Many uses including password protection, delivery of a custom error page and handling redirects.

HTML - Hypertext Markup Language
The language of the web using tags, attributes, properties and values to compile web pages.

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
The set of rules used to deliver web pages from a web server to a visitor's computer.

Hyperlink
Clickable item on a webpage that opens up another page or website.

ICANN
Global domain registry responsible for administering global level domains such as .com, .net

Image optimisation
The preparation of site images for placement on web pages which can involve quality enhancement as well as resizing, file size reduction and file format changes to minimise loading time.

Image map
A special type of web image which contains hotspot hyperlinks within.

info.txt
Special file to provide contact information to some search engines. Used by Alexa and others.

IP address
A series of numbers separated by periods (dots) that are unique to a computer on the Internet.

iPod
Portable device used for the playback of multi-media files when out and about.

IPS TAG
The association of a country level domain with a web host.

ISP - Internet Service Provider
A provider of hosting space when talking about websites.

Java
Programming language developed by Sun Microsystems.

JavaScript
Client side scripting language that expands what HTML can do. For example, it can be used for form validation, displaying the date and providing text scrolling plus a whole lot more. Not to be confused with Java.

Keyword / Key phrase
Certain words and phrases that strongly relate to what a website's about.

Mashup
Website that integrates content from a number of sources.

Metatags
Text within a site's coding that can provide information to a search engine, among other things.

MIME - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
Protocol used for the sending of secure e-mail messages, eg using digital IDs.

MSSQL - Microsoft Structured Query Language
Database used on a Windows web server with ASP to generate dynamic web pages and in content management systems.

MySQL- Structured Query Language
A database system mainly used with PHP on a Unix server. Uses include generating dynamic web pages and in content management systems.

Nameservers
The association of a global domain with a web host.

Nominet
The UK domain registry responsible for administering UK country level domains such as .co.uk, .org.uk

Permalink
Permanent hyperlink to a blog or RSS archive item.

Perl
Server side scripting language used in conjunction with CGI. Other languages include Python and C++.

PHP - Hypertext Preprocessor
Powerful open source server side embedded scripting language used in the generation of dynamic web pages. Many other uses, popular for handling site enquiry forms. This site uses a PHP enquiry form on the contact page.

Plugin
A small program that extends a larger program's functionality, eg allows a web browser to play video within the browser.

Podcast
Multi-media files (audio and video) automatically downloaded via a syndication feed such as an RSS feed enclosure.

POP3 - Post Office Protocol 3
A system to enable the downloading of e-mail messages to a user's computer.

PPC - Pay Per Click
Type of search engine that charges a website an agreed amount (bid) every time the SE entry is clicked. The more paid, the higher the listing. The most prominent is Overture, now part of Yahoo.

Privacy Policy
A published statement detailing how information obtained from site visitors, eg via an enquiry form or site stats, is used. See this site's privacy policy.

propagate
The process of a DNS change taking effect and being updated by the world's web servers.

PR - PageRank
Google technology used to determine a web page's importance using a number of parameters. PageRank can be displayed in the Google toolbar and by the search status extension in Firefox.

robots.txt
Special file in a web that controls the search engine robots (automated spiders sent out to find and index web pages).

RSS - Really Simple Syndication
Content syndication format that delivers eg, news feeds, headlines and event listings direct to the user rather than them having to seek it out. An RSS channel added to a user's 'watch list' will notify them as soon as it's updated. Can be syndicated for publishing content on other sites.

sandbox
Virtual area a new website can reside in before being indexed by the search engines.

SEO - Search Engine Optimisation
The process that makes web pages highly indexable by a search engine (SE). Involves the removal of SE barriers, building keyword density and building link popularity. See the search engine optimisation page.

single (one) pixel GIFs (also web bot, web beacons, action tags)
Very small transparent image the size of a dot placed in web pages and used by stats systems for visitor tracking purposes.

Site Map
A web page within a site with links and sometimes a description to every other site page. Useful for visitors and search engines alike. See this site's Site Map.

Site stats
Useful statistics on site usage, eg date/time of site accesses, which pages are viewed, where visitors came from plus lots more.

SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
e-mail protocol.

Social networking
Term used to describe the connecting of people, on the Internet blogs and sites such as YouTube are social networks.

spacer
Small  transparent image placed in web pages used to facilitate the layout and spacing of page objects.

Spam
Slang term for junk e-mail.

SSI -Server Side Includes
Allows the addition of dynamic features to web pages and the calling of external programs.

Sub Domains
A sub site within a domain name, eg www.subsite.maindomain.com

Tab index
The order in which page elements are accessed by using the tab key, eg form fields.

UNIX
A type of web server based on the Linux operating system. 80% of the web uses this system as does this site.

User Agent
Information detailing the operating system and web browser of a site visitor.

URI - Uniform Resource Identifier
Formatted code strings which identify a resource.

URL - Uniform Resource Locator
The code string that locates a web address.

WAI - Web Accessibility Initiative
Technical guidelines that when applied enable websites to be accessible to those less able.

WAP - Wireless Application Protocol
Set of rules to deliver web pages to a mobile phone.

W3C - World Wide Web Consortium
The international Internet body that sets current and future web standards.

Web 2.0
Term coined to describe 2nd generation interactive websites that improve the user experience, eg social networking sites and those that deliver rich content such as RSS, blogs, podcasts and wikis.

Web analytics
System to analyse in detail a website's visitor behaviour, eg what pages they visited, how long for, the path they took.

Webcast
The delivery of live video of an event via a website.

webmail
A way of accessing e-mail messages via a web page, useful for checking your e-mail account from an Internet Café, for instance.

Webmaster
Person responsible for managing or updating a website.

web rage
Anger felt when a site is slow loading or difficult to use, eg you can't easily find what you're looking for or links that lead nowhere. See effective websites.

Wiki
An online encyclopaedia compiled by the users themselves, the most well known is Wikipedia.

XHTML - Extensible Hypertext Markup Language
An extension of HTML conforming to the XML standard.

XML - Extensible Markup Language
Data transmission and storage standard.

File types in common use on the web...

GIF - Graphics Interchange Format (.gif)
Image file format usually used on web pages for logos, images with few colours and simple animations.

JPEG - Joint Picture Experts Group (.jpg)
Compressed image file format used for photographic web images.

MOV - Quicktime Movie - (.mov)
Apple propriety video file format.

MP3 - (.mp3)
Compressed audio file format popular for music downloads, podcasting and storage. Others formats include OGG, ACC, WMA.

MPEG - Motion Picture Expert Group (.mpg)
Compressed video file format, variants include MPEG 1, MPEG 2, MPEG 4.

PDF - Portable Documents Format (.pdf)
Standard file format for the distribution of documents via the web.

SWF - Shockwave Flash (.swf)
Powerful animation format that supports hyperlinks and rollover effects, even complete web pages can be built in Flash!

WAV (.wav)
High quality uncompressed audio format.

ZIP - WinZip (.zip)
Useful format for compressing text files and placing many files into one file. Others include .tar