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Glossary

Glossary of common terminology you will see and hear when developing a Web site or application.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

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B

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C

CGI
Common Gateway Interface, a programming language used to interface HTML with the server thus providing enhanced capabilities on the Internet. This type of language is syntax based, using only commands and parameters to get the desired results. FORM is an example of a command.

COOKIE
A cookie is a file that is sent to you when you browse a Web site. The file is stored on your hard drive and can record information about your computer, browser, operating, system and where you go while you surf. The cookie may then be sent back to the originating server, where the enterprising site administrator will use the information in various ways. The "shopping carts" used in some mall-type Web sites are cookies.

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D

DNS
Domain Name Service, the logical name (as opposed to the number) of the hardware being accessed. The DNS for the State Portal is www.Kansas.gov. A DNS table is based on IP addresses.

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E

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F

Fluid Layout
A Web page layout that allow the content position to be changed based on the desired size of the browser window. Also called "Liquid" layout. Common measuring methods use percentages (i.e., 90%).

Fixed Layout
A Web page layout where the content position can not be changed based on the desired size of the browser window. Common measuring methods use pixels (i.e., 600px).

FTP
File Transfer Protocol, the method of transferring files from one hardware platform to another.

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G

GIFs
Graphics Interchange Format - A graphic image that has been compressed using this format usually has the file extension of .gif. This format is a lossless one, meaning that when the image is compressed, no data is lost. Complex images, such as photographs, typically create much larger files when saved using the GIF format as opposed to the JPEG.

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H

HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the type of codes embedded in text that make up a Web page (document).

HTTP
HyperText Transfer Protocol is the method of file transfer specially used for HTML documents. It is the default on most, if not all, browsers and therefore does not need to be keyed when entering a URL address.

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I

IP ADDRESS
Internet Protocol address is the physical name (consisting of a set of unique numbers) of the hardware being accessed . A user may key in the IP address or the DNS address to access a Web site, however the IP address will usually provide faster access since there is no DNS look up procedure involved. The disadvantage is the obvious - numbers are often harder to remember than names.

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J

JAVA
A program developing language developed by Sun Systems. This language has the unique ability to run on any hardware platform, provided the browser is JAVA enhanced. Current versions of all browsers in today's world are JAVA enhanced, but not all customers have the most current version of their browser.

JPG (JPEGs)
Another format for graphics on the Web. When an image is saved as a JPEG, some data is lost. However, a JPEG can store more colors than a GIF, and the file size for complex images is often smaller. For photographs, a JPEG is often the preferred format.

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K

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L

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M

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N

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O

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P

PERL
A program language that is considered public domain and hence not technically supported by a vendor. This is very popular due to the fact that it is free. Many claim that it is easier to use than JAVA and JAVA's predecessor C++.

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Q

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R

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S

SEARCH ENGINES
Services such as Yahoo!, Google, WebCrawler, Excite, Alta Vista, or Lycos search the Web for sites containing specified keywords or phrases. accessKansas uses the Google search engine.

STATS SUMMARY
A statistical summary of all the agencies on the state shared web servers.

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T

TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - The protocol that allows the Internet to function. It guides packets of data from servers to clients, and reassembles them into documents.

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U

URL
Uniform Resource Locator. The "address" of a Web site.

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V

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W

W3 CONSORTIUM
The W3 consortium is an industry consortium headed by the Laboratory for Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The W3 consortium seeks to promote standards and encourage interoperability between WWW products. See http://www.w3c.org for more information.

WEB PUBLISHING
Static content pages, typically written in HTML, that are delivered using Internet technology and require no runtime packages other than Web server software.

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X

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Y

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Z

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