IT DICTIONARY
BY
Mohammad Sajid
Farooq
Instructor,
PETROMAN
TRAINING INSTITUTE
SUKKUR CAMPUS
Email
Address: [email protected]
Please click on one of the areas above to see its content.
-
- A-Drive :
-
Used by some people to refer to a computer's floppy disk
drive
- absolute URL
- The full Internet address of
a page or other World Wide Web resource. The absolute URL
includes a protocol, such as "http," network
location, and optional path and file name. For example,
http://example.microsoft.com/ is an absolute URL. See
also URL.
- accessibility
- The quality of a system
incorporating hardware or software that makes it usable
by people with one or more physical disabilities, such as
restricted mobility, blindness, or deafness.
- Active Data Objects
- (ADO) Components that enable
client applications to access and manipulate data in a
file- or server-based database through a provider.
- active hyperlink
- A hyperlink that is currently
selected in a Web browser. Some Web browsers indicate the
active hyperlink by changing its color.
- active page, active web
- See current page, current
web.
- Active Server Page
- (ASP) A document that
contains embedded server-side scripting. ASP-compatible
Web servers can execute these scripts. On the client
side, an ASP is a standard HTML document that can be
viewed on any platform using any Web browser.
- ActiveX
- A set of technologies that
enables software components to interact with one another
in a networked environment, regardless of the language in
which the components were created. ActiveX is used
primarily to develop interactive content for the World
Wide Web, although it can be used in desktop applications
and other programs. See also ActiveX controls.
- ActiveX controls
- Reusable software components
that incorporate ActiveX technology. ActiveX controls can
be embedded in Web pages to produce animation and other
multimedia effects, interactive objects, and
sophisticated applications. They can be written in a
variety of programming languages, including C, C++, and
Visual Basic.
- ALU (Arithmetic Logic
Unit)
- The element(s) in a
processing system that perform(s) the mathematical
functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division, inversion, AND, OR, NAND, and NOR.
- anchor
- See bookmark.
- animated GIF
- A file containing a series of
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) graphics that are
displayed in rapid sequence in a Web browser, giving the
appearance of a moving picture. See also GIF.
- anonymous FTP
- The ability to access a
remote computer system on which one does not have an
account, via the Internet's File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Users have restricted access rights with anonymous FTP
and usually can only list, view, or copy files to or from
a public directory on the remote system. Many FTP sites
do not permit anonymous FTP access in order to maintain
security. See also FTP.
- ANSI (American
National Standards Institute)
- The principal
standards-development organization in the U.S.
- API (Application
Programming Interface)
- A set of routines or function
calls that allow an application to control, or be
controlled by, other applications
- applet
- See Java applet.
- Application
- Any computer program designed
to accomplish a specific task or related set of tasks.
- Application Layer
- The top-most layer in the OSI
Reference Model providing such communication services
protocols as electronic mail and file transfer.
- article
- A message or posting in a
discussion group or an Internet newsgroup. An article can
be a response to a previous article.
- ASCII
- - (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) A coding scheme using 7 or 8
bits that assigns numeric values to up to 256 characters,
including letters, numerals, punctuation marks, control
characters, and other symbols. ASCII was developed in
1968 to standardize data transmission among disparate
hardware and software systems and is built into all
personal computer. Basic format for text characters
without special features (such as font style or size). An
ASCII text file, being the "simplest"
type of file, can be read on most computers.
- ASP
- (Active Server Page) A
document that contains embedded server-side scripting.
ASP-compatible Web servers can execute these scripts. On
the client side, an ASP is a standard HTML document that
can be viewed on any platform using any Web browser.
- Attachment
- Usually refers to a file
"attached" or added to an e-mail message. Such
a file is usually displayed as an icon which the
recipient can then click on in order to display its
contents.
- authentication
- In a multi-user or network
environment, the process by which the system validates a
user's logon information. A user's name and password are
compared against an authorized list, and, if the system
detects a match, access is granted to the extent
specified in the permission list for that user.
- authentication database
- A database on a server that
matches user names to passwords.
- background sound
- A sound clip associated with
a Web page. When the page is displayed in a Web browser,
the sound is played either continuously or the number of
times that the page specifies.
- Backup
- A copy of important files
made for safekeeping in case something should happen to
the original files.
- bandwidth
- The transmission capacity of
the lines that carry the Internet's electronic traffic.
Historically, it's imposed severe limitations on the
ability of the Internet to deliver all that we are
demanding it deliver
- Banner
- A separator page that is
printed between each print job for identification
purposes.
- base location, base URL
- A URL that you can assign to
a page to convert all relative URLs on that page to
absolute URLs. A base URL should end with a document name
part, such as http://example.microsoft.com/sample.htm or
a trailing slash, such as
http://example.microsoft.com/subdir/.
- Binary File
- All non-plain text files are
binaries, including programs, word processor documents,
images, sound clips, and compressed files.
- Bit
- A binary digit. The smallest
unit of data.
- BIOS
- A program that controls a
computer's startup or boot process. BIOS stands
for Basic Input/Output System.
- BMP
- (bitmap) The standard
graphics file format on Windows-compatible computers.
Bitmap graphics support 24-bit color and can be saved for
Windows or OS/2 systems. FrontPage can import BMP files.
- bookmark
- A named location on a Web
page that can be the target of a hyperlink. A bookmark
can be applied to a string of characters or exist on a
page separately from any text. Bookmarks allow authors to
link to a specific section of a target page. In a URL, a
bookmark is preceded by a the pound sign (#). Also called
anchor.
- Bounce
- an email is
"bounced" when it is returned to its sender
without being delivered
- Broadcast
- A packet delivery system
where a copy of a given packet is given to all hosts
attached to the network
- browser
- See Web browser.
- Buffer
- As different items of
hardware in a system may not be able to handle data at
the same speed, an intermediate 'storage area' is
required. This is known as a buffer.
- Byte
- A string of eight bits
- C-Drive
- usually used to refer to a
computer's hard drive, or main disk, as this is
conventionally designated "C:".
- C
- A very popular programming
language invented in the late 1960's by Dennis Ritchie at
AT&T Bell Laboratories.
- C++
- A very popular
object-oriented programming language invented in the
early 1980's by Bjarne Stroustrup at AT&T Bell
Laboratories
- CD-ROM
- "Compact disc read-only
memory". A compact disc as used with computers can
hold anything up to 550 MB, thus giving them a storage
capacity well above floppy disks. They are also nearly
impossible to damage. Nowadays most computer programs, or
games, are sold stored on CD. Because the information can
only be accessed, not changed or overwritten, they are
referred to as CD-ROMs.
- Cache
- Web browsers store accessed
information in a folder on your hard drive called a
cache. Some also store information in memory for faster
access. This saves time when a user goes to another page
on a site with the same graphics. The Iowa Newspaper
Association site uses many of the same graphics
throughout to take advantage of this feature to speed
browsing.
- Cascading Style Sheet
- (CSS) An HTML specification
developed by the World Wide Web Consortium that allows
authors of Web pages to attach style sheets to HTML
documents. Style sheets can include typographical
information on how the page should appear, such as the
font of the text in the page. CSS also directs the way in
which the style sheets of the HTML document and the
user's style will blend.
- cell padding
- The space between the
contents and inside edges of a table cell.
- cell spacing
- The amount of space between
cells in a table. Cell spacing is the thickness, in
pixels, of the walls surrounding each cell.
- CGI
- (Common Gateway Interface) A
standard method of extending Web server functionality by
executing programs or scripts on a Web server in response
to Web browser requests. A common use of CGI is in form
processing, where the Web browser sends form data to a
CGI script on the server, the script integrates the data
with a database, and sends back the results as a Web
page. Use of CGI can make a Web page much more dynamic
and add interactivity for the user.
- check box
- A form field that can be
selected by clicking a box. When a box is selected, it is
usually displayed with a check mark or X. Check boxes are
usually grouped to represent a set of non-exclusive
choices. See also radio button.
- client
- On a local area network or
the Internet, a computer that accesses shared network
resources provided by another computer. See also server.
- client-side image map
- An image map that encodes the
destination URL of each hotspot directly on a Web page.
Client-side image maps do not require processing from a
server to allow a site visitor to follow the hyperlinks
on the image map. However, not all Web browsers support
client-side image maps. See also image map.
- client-side program
- On the Internet, a program
that is run on a client computer rather than on a server
computer.
- Coaxial Cable
- Cable in which a solid piece
of copper is surrounded by insulation and a tubular piece
of copper braid. Comes in many varieties, depending on
the degree of EMI shielding afforded and voltages and
frequencies accommodated. Has high bandwidth but is
cumbersome to install, making it most suitable for more
permanent installations. Typically support RF frequencies
from 50 to about 500 MHz. Commonly used in Ethernet
10Base2 and 10Base5 LANs. Also called "coax".
- Cookie
- A file of encoded
information, stored on a user's computer, that identifies
the user's computer during the current and subsequent
visits to a Web site.
- Compiler
- A software utility that
converts a source program in a high-level programming
language (i.e. Basic, C, Pascal) into an object or
compiled program in machine language. Compiled programs
run 10 to 1,000 times faster than interpreted programs.
Compare Interpreter.
- Connectivity
- The components and technology
that enable devices to exchange data across electronic
links.
- CPU
- Central Processing Unit. The
main processor chip of a PC.
- current page
- In FrontPage, the page that
is currently being edited in Page view.
- current web
- In FrontPage, the web that is
currently open.
- Cursor
- Usually a flashing block,
used on a monitor to indicate the position of the next
character.
- database
- A file containing records of
information that are organized and presented to serve a
specific purpose, such as the facilitation of searching,
sorting, and recombination of data. Databases can be
published on the World Wide Web to let site visitors look
up information in records or add new information to the
database.
- Data Link Layer
- The OSI layer that is
responsible for data transfer across a single physical
connection, or series of bridged connections, between two
network entities.
- data validation
- A set of rules you can apply
to form fields to restrict the type of information site
visitors enter into forms. For example, you can set rules
so that only letters, and not numbers, can be entered
into a "name" field on a form.
- default hyperlink
- In an image map, the
hyperlink that site visitors follow when they click in an
area of the picture where there are no hotspots. See also
hotspot.
- design-time control
- An ActiveX control that is
used while designing or editing a page. Design-time
controls that are installed on the client computer are
listed in Page view in FrontPage. See also ActiveX.
- DHCP (Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol)
- A protocol designed to assign
IP addresses dynamically upon system startup.
- dial-in
- An Internet account that can
connect any stand-alone computer directly to the
Internet. The account is used by having a computer-based
software application dial-in to an Internet service
provider (ISP). The software connects with the ISP and
establishes a TCP/IP link to the Internet that enables
your software to access Internet information. The
computer that accesses a dial-in connection needs either
a modem to connect via a regular phone line or a terminal
adapter (TA) to connect via an ISDN phone line.
- Directory
- A step in the hierarchical
system of organizing files. A named or specific area
where files can be stored.
- Distributed Password
Authentication
- (DPA) An advanced,
distributed method of user authentication from Microsoft,
allowing for single user log-on. DPA support is provided
by the Microsoft Membership System and is optimized for
the needs of Internet service providers and online
services.
- DLL (Dynamic Link
Library)
- A software module in
Microsoft Windows containing executable code and data
that can be called or used by Windows applications or
other DLLs. Functions and data in a DLL are loaded and
linked at run time when they are referenced by a Windows
application or other DLLs.
- DNS (Domain Name
System)
- The system that locates the
numerical IP address corresponding to a host name.
- domain name
- The address of a network
location in the format that identifies the owner of that
address in the format: server.organization.type. For
example, www.whitehouse.gov identifies the Web server at
the White House in the United States, which is part of
the U.S. government. See also network location.
- Download
- The transfer of information
from a network, or more specifically from the Internet,
onto your PC.
- drop-down menu field
- A form field element that
presents a list of selections in drop-down menu style. A
drop-down menu form field element can be configured to
permit the selection of many fields or a single field.
- Dynamic HTML
- (DHTML) An extension of the
HTML language that enables the creation of presentation
effects for text and objects.
- EBCDIC (Extended
Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code)
- An 8-Bit character code used
primarily in IBM equipment; the code provides for 256
different bit patterns. Compare with ASCII.
- editor
- A program that creates files
or makes changes to existing files. In FrontPage, Page
view is a Web page editor, and the HTML
tab in Page view is an HTML editor. You can associate
files in FrontPage-based webs with external editors, so
that double-clicking these files opens them in their
associated editing programs. For example, you can
associate picture files to be opened in your favorite
image editing program, such as Microsoft Image Composer.
- e-mail
- (electronic mail) The
exchange of electronic text messages and computer file
attachments between computers over a communications
network, such as a local area network or the Internet.
- E-mail form handler
- See Save Results form
handler.
- embedded style sheet
- A cascading style sheet that
is embedded on a page. Styles in an embedded style sheet
can be applied only to the page containing the style
sheet, and will either extend or override styles defined
in any external style sheet that is linked to the page.
- EPS
- (Encapsulated PostScript) An
extension of the PostScript graphics file format
developed by Adobe Systems. EPS enables PostScript
graphics files to be incorporated into other documents.
FrontPage can import EPS files.
- Ethernet
- A form of LAN. An ethernet
card is required to connect to this kind of network,
such as the study bedroom system at UKC.
- Expanded Memory
- A technique for getting past
the 640K limit.
- Extended Memory
- Memory beyond the first 640K.
Available only on 80286 or better computers.
- external hyperlink
- A hyperlink pointing to a
page or file that is outside of the current web.
- external style sheet
- A cascading style sheet in a
file with a .css file name extension. The .css file is
comprised solely of style rules in valid .css syntax,
without any surrounding HTML tags. By defining styles in
one or more external style sheets and linking them to
pages in your web, you ensure a consistent appearance
throughout those pages. If you change a style in the
external style sheet, the change will be reflected in all
of the pages linked to that style sheet.
- FAQ
- (Frequently Asked Questions)
A document listing common questions and answers on a
particular subject. FAQs are often posted on Internet
newsgroups where new participants ask the same questions
that regular readers have already answered many times.
- FAT (File Allocation
Table)
- A record keeping structure
used by MS-DOS through version 6.22 to keep track of the
location of every file on a disk. It limits filenames to
8 characters with 3 characters for the file extension.
- Fiber Optic Cable
- A type of network cable
consisting of fiber optic strands that transmits data
using light rather than electricity. Often used as a
backbone and/or where long distance runs are involved.
- FIFO (First-In
First-Out)
- A type of memory buffer. The
first data stored is the first data sent to the acceptor.
- file
- A named collection of
information that is stored on a computer. Also, an
Internet protocol that refers to files on a disk or local
area network. In FrontPage, you can create hyperlinks to
files (file://) in Page view.
- file compression
- Many computer files can be
reduced in size for downloading. Files with .ZIP
extension have been "zipped" using PKZip
software. Files with .SIT extension have been
"stuffed" using Stuffit software. Files with
.PDF have also been compressed using Adobe Acrobat. The
Acrobat files have the added feature of viewing, printing
and placing, using Adobe's Reader program. For example,
the Bulletin starts as a 3.5 megabyte file and is
compressed to less than 150 kilobytes. That's a
compression ratio of almost 24:1!!!
- file server
- A computer running on a
network that stores files and provides access to them.
Also called server. See also Web server.
- file type
- The format of a file,
commonly indicated by its file name extension. Computer
applications usually work on a limited set of file types.
- Filtering
- In LAN technology, discarding
packets that do not meet the criteria for forwarding.
- firewall
- A method of protecting the
files and programs on one network from users on another
network. A firewall blocks unwanted access to a protected
network, while giving the protected network access to
networks outside of the firewall. A company will
typically install a firewall to give users access to the
Internet while protecting their internal information.
FrontPage allows users to author webs on the Internet
even from within a protected network.
- Flame
- An instance of personal abuse
directed against the poster of a newsgroup article or
email message. At UKC, breaches of conduct of this type
should be reported to postmaster.
- Flash
- A (rather resource-heavy) web
technology that enables interactive animations or
'movies' to be displayed in a suitably enabled browser.
- Floating-Point
- A format for processing or
storing numbers in scientific exponential notation
(digits multiplied by a power of 10).
- folder
- A named storage area on a
computer containing files and other folders.
- followed hyperlink
- A hyperlink on a page that
has been activated. Visited hyperlinks are usually
displayed by the Web browser in a specified color.
- form
- A set of data-entry fields on
a page that are processed on a Web server. The data is
sent to the server when a site visitor submits the form
by clicking on a button or, in some cases, by clicking a
graphic.
- form field
- A data-entry field on a page.
A site visitor supplies information in a field either by
typing text or by selecting a field.
- FORTRAN (Formula
Translation)
- A programming language.
- Fragments
- Portions of incomplete TCP
packets, formed when a message does not divide evenly
into packets.
- Fragmentation
- The process in which an IP
datagram is broken into smaller pieces to fit the
requirements of a given physical network.
- frame
- An area of a Web browser
window defined by a frames page. A frame appears in a Web
browser as one of a number of different areas in which
pages can be displayed. A frame may be scrollable and
resizable, and may have a border. You display a page in a
frame by creating a hyperlink to the page and specifying
the frame as part of the hyperlink. See also frames
page.
- frames page
- A page that divides a Web
browser's window into different areas called frames that
can independently display several Web pages. See also frame.
- frameset
- See frames page.
- Freeware
- Software distributed with no
charge or licence fee, usually via the Internet.. Cf.
Shareware.
- FTP
- (File Transfer Protocol) The
Internet service that transfers files from one computer
to another over standard phone lines. You can create FTP
hyperlinks (ftp://) in Page view in FrontPage.
- Full Duplex Ethernet
- Standard 10-Mbps Ethernet
operates at half-duplex, meaning that a workstation can
either transmit data or receive data, but cannot do both
at the same time. Recently, hardware manufacturers have
started producing full-duplex Ethernet equipment that can
simultaneously transmit and receive data. This
effectively doubles the maximum potential network
throughput rate up to 20-Mbps.
- Function
- A set of software
instructions executed by a single line of code that may
have input and/or output parameters and returns a value
when executed.
- gateway
- A host computer that connects
networks that communicate in different languages. For
example, a gateway connects a company's local area
network to the Internet.
- GIF
- (Graphics Interchange Format)
A graphics file format commonly used to display
indexed-color graphics on the World Wide Web. GIF is a
compressed format, designed to minimize file transfer
time over standard phone lines. FrontPage can import and
export GIF files. See also interlaced GIF.
- Gigabyte
- 1,000 megabytes.
- graphics file formats
- FrontPage can import the
following graphics file formats: BMP, EPS, GIF, JPEG,
PCD, PCX, PNG, RAS, TGA, TIFF, and WMF. When you save
your web, FrontPage converts these graphics (if
necessary) to GIF, JPEG, or PNG file formats, based on
their original color depth.
- GUI
- Graphical
User Interface. A system whereby the user interacts with
a computer via a picture-based, or graphic medium.
Windows is a GUI (pronounced "gooey".)
- Hacker
- A computer enthusiast who
derives joy from discovering ways to circumvent
limitations. A criminal hacker is called a cracker
- Hard Copy
- If someone asks for a hard
copy of an electronic document, they mean a printed (i.e.
paper) copy.
- Hard Drive/Hard Disk
- Both terms are used for the
computer's main information storage disk. This is
conventionally designated drive C: on many computers.
- Hardware
- The collection of electronic
components that makes up a computer system.
- HDX (Half Duplex)
- Transmission in either
direction, but not both simultaneously. Compare with Full
Duplex
- heading
- A paragraph style that is
displayed in a typeface larger than normal text. The size
of a heading is related to its level: Heading 1 is the
largest, Heading 2, the next largest, and so on. Use
headings to provide names or titles for text paragraphs
or entire pages.
- hidden field
- A form field that is
invisible to a site visitor but supplies data to a form
handler. Each hidden field is implemented as a name-value
pair. When a form is submitted by a site visitor, its
hidden fields are passed to the form handler along with
name-value pairs for each visible form field. See also name-value
pair.
- home page
- On the World Wide Web, an
entry page for a set of Web pages and other files in a
Web site. The home page is displayed by default when a
visitor surfs to the site using a Web browser. The name
of a home page depends on the type of Web server used to
host the Web site. Some Web servers reserve Index.htm as
the name for the home page, while others name the home
page Default.htm.
- host
- A large computer, stroring
information or running programs, with which you interact
when working on the system. As the name suggests it acts
as "host" for you while you are working. Most
people will become familiar with the UKC mail host,
"pelican", which stores your mail for you.
- host name
- See network location.
- hotspot
- A graphically defined area in
a graphic or picture containing a hyperlink. A graphic
with hotspots is called an image map. Hotspots are
invisible in Web browsers. Site visitors can tell that a
hotspot is present because the mouse pointer changes
appearance when the mouse is moved over the graphic. See
also image map.
- Hover Button component
- An animated button in the
navigation bar on a Web page that is activated when the
mouse pointer is moved over the button or when the button
is clicked. See also navigation bar.
- HTML
- (Hypertext Markup Language)
The standard markup language used for documents on the
World Wide Web. HTML development is carried out by the
World Wide Web Consortium. The HTML language uses tags to
indicate how Web browsers should display page elements
such as text and graphics, and how Web browsers should
respond to user actions such as hyperlink activation by
means of a key press or mouse click. Most Web browsers,
notably Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape
Navigator, recognize HTML tags beyond those included in
the present standard. FrontPage reads and writes HTML
files and no knowledge of the HTML language is required.
See also World Wide Web Consortium.
- HTML attribute
- A value used within an HTML
tag to assign additional properties to the object being
defined. FrontPage assigns some attributes automatically
when you create an object such as a paragraph or image
map. You can assign other attributes by editing the
object's Properties dialog box.
- HTML character encoding
- A standard table which
associates a numeric index with each character in a
character set. The table is used when you create a Web
page for use in a specific language. Also called code
page.
- HTML tag
- A text string used in HTML to
identify a page element's type, format, and appearance.
FrontPage automatically creates HTML tags to represent
each element on a page.
- HTTP
- (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
The Internet protocol that enables Web browsers to
retrieve information from World Wide Web servers.
- Hub
- A device that provides a
central point of connection. The core of a star-topology
network or cabling system.
- hyperlink
- A pointer from text, from a
picture or a graphic, or from an image map to a page or
file on the World Wide Web. On the World Wide Web,
hyperlinks are the primary way to navigate between pages
and among Web sites. Also called link.
- hypertext
- Originally, any textual
information on a computer containing jumps to other
information. The hypertext jumps are called hyperlinks.
On the World Wide Web, hypertext is the primary way to
navigate between pages and among Web sites. Hypertext on
Web pages has been expanded to include hyperlinks from
text, from a picture or a graphic, and from image maps.
- I/O (Input/Output)
- The transfer of data to/from
a computer system involving communications channels,
operator interface devices, and/or data acquisition and
control interfaces.
- Icon
- A pictorial representation of
a file, or program, that can be clicked on in order to
open the file or start the program - an extremely simple
method. The Windows operating system is partly based on
the use of icons.
- ID selector
- In a cascading style sheet
style definition (or style rule), a selector that is used
to define a style for an individual page element, usually
as an inline style.
- IIS
- See Internet Information
Services.
- image map
- A graphic containing one or
more invisible regions, called hotspots, which are
associated hyperlinks. Typically, an image map gives site
visitors visual cues about the information made available
by clicking each part of a picture or graphic. For
example, a geographical map could be made into an image
map by assigning hotspots to each region of interest on
the map.
- Inbox
- The area where your incoming
mail messages are stored before they are read.
- Indexing
- Creation of a data index to
speed up search and retrieval.
- inline style
- A method of applying
cascading style sheet properties and values to an element
on a page, such as a table, graphic, or ActiveX control.
You can use this method even if the page is not linked to
an external style sheet or does not contain an embedded
style sheet.
- Internet
- The name for the vast global
communications network formed by connecting many networks
and individual computers across the world. Important
elements of Internet communications are email, the World
Wide Web, news, and FTP.
- interlaced GIF
- A picture in GIF format that
is gradually displayed in a Web browser, showing
increasingly detailed versions of the picture until the
entire file has finished downloading. See also GIF.
- internal web
- A Web site created within an
organization and accessible only to members of that
organization on an intranet. See also intranet.
- Internet
- The worldwide collection of
computers, networks and gateways that use TCP/IP
protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart
of the Internet are high-speed data communication lines
between major host computers, consisting of thousands of
commercial, government, educational, and other computer
systems that route data and messages. Currently, the
Internet offers a range of services to users, such as
e-mail, the World Wide Web, FTP, Usenet newsgroups,
Gopher, IRC, telnet, and others.
- Internet address
- See network location.
- Internet Information
Services
- (IIS) Microsoft's brand of
Web server software, utilizing Hypertext Transfer
Protocol to deliver World Wide Web documents. IIS
incorporates various functions for security, allows for
CGI programs, and also provides for FTP servers.
- Internet service provider
- A business that supplies
Internet connectivity services to individuals,
businesses, and other organizations. Some ISPs are large
national or multinational corporations that offer access
in many locations, while others are limited to a specific
city or region.
- Interpreter
- A software utility
that executes source code from a high-level
language (i.e. Basic, C, Pascal) by reading one
line at a time and executing the specified
operation.
- Interrupt
- A computer
signal indicating that the CPU should
suspend its current task to service a
designated activity.
- intranet
- A network designed for
information processing within a company or organization.
Its uses include such services as document and software
distribution, access to databases, and training. An
intranet is so called because it usually employs
applications associated with the Internet, such as Web
pages, Web browsers, FTP sites, e-mail, newsgroups, and
mailing lists, accessible only to those within the
organization. See also firewall.
- IP
- (Internet Protocol) Internet
software that divides data into packets for transmission
over the Internet. Computers must run IP to communicate
across the Internet. See also TCP.
- IP address
- (Internet Protocol address)
The standard way of identifying a computer that is
connected to the Internet, much the way a telephone
number identifies a telephone on a telephone network. An
IP address is four numbers separated by periods, and each
number is less than 256, for example, 192.200.44.69. Your
Web server administrator or Internet service provider
will assign your computer an IP address.
- IP address mask
- (Internet Protocol address
mask) A range of IP addresses defined so that only
computers with IP addresses within the range are allowed
access to an Internet service. To mask a portion of the
IP address, replace it with the asterisk wild card
character (*). For example, 163.121.*.* represents every
computer on the Internet with an IP address beginning
with 163.121.
- ISAPI
- (Internet Server Application
Programming Interface) A Web server
application-development interface, developed by Process
Software and Microsoft, that can be used in place of CGI.
- ISDN
- A digital communications
system offered by BT and other telecom companies, which
can handle more information than standard phone lines.
Increasingly, many businesses are choosing to have an
ISDN connection. ISDN stands for Integrated Services
Digital Network.
- ISO (Integrated
Standards Organization)
- The international
"master organization" responsible for
developing and maintaining worldwide standards for
computers, data communications, and many other fields
(OSI).
- ISO 9000
- An umbrella group of
international standards (including ISO-9001, -9002,
-9004, etc.) for quality assurance in business practices,
ratified by the ISO beginning in 1987. Certification of
ISO 9000 compliance is rapidly becoming a prerequisite
for selling many types of goods and services (including
data-communications equipment and services), especially
to government bodies
- ISO 9660
- An international standard
defining the file and directory structures for CD-ROM. An
ISO 9660 formatted CD-ROM will function on any computer
platform containing the appropriate driver software. Most
common with PC compatible systems.
- ISP
- Internet Service
Provider(ISP) This is a company which provides Internet
access. Technically, America On-Line is now an ISP,
because it now allows a user to choose whatever browser
they want to view the Internet.
- Java
- A general-purpose programming
language created by Sun Microsystems. Currently, the most
widespread use of Java is in programming small
applications, or applets, for the World Wide Web. See
also Java applet.
- Java applet
- A Java class that is loaded
and run by an already-running Java application such as a
Web browser. Java applets can be downloaded and executed
by a Web browser capable of interpreting Java, such as
Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Java
applets are frequently used to add multimedia effects and
interactivity to Web pages, such as video displays,
animations, calculators, real-time clocks, and
interactive games. Applets can be activated automatically
when the page containing them is displayed in a Web
browser, or they may require some action on the part of
the site visitor, such as clicking an element on the
page.
- JavaScript
- A scripting language
developed by Netscape Communications and Sun
Microsystems, Inc. Compared to Java, JavaScript is
limited in performance because it is not compiled before
execution. Basic online applications and functions can be
added to Web pages with JavaScript, but the number and
complexity of available application programming interface
functions are fewer than those available with Java.
JavaScript code, which is included in a Web page along
with the HTML code, is generally considered easier to
write than Java, especially for novice programmers. A
JavaScript-compliant Web browser, such as Microsoft
Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, is required to
interpret JavaScript code.
- JPEG
- (Joint Photographic Experts
Group) A graphics file format used to display
high-resolution color graphics on the World Wide Web.
JPEG graphics apply a user-specified compression scheme
that can significantly reduce the large file sizes
usually associated with photo-realistic color graphics. A
higher level of compression results in lower quality,
whereas a lower level of compression results in higher
quality. FrontPage can import and export JPEG files. See
also progressive JPEG.
-
- Key
- An entry in the NT Registry
Editor that contains a unit of configuration information.
- Keyboard
- Item of hardware, rather like
a typewriter, that enables you to type
text/numbers/commands. Different countries have different
keyboard configurations for language reasons, as do
English and American keyboards
- LAN
- (local area network) A
computer network technology designed to connect computers
separated by a short distance. A LAN can be connected to
the Internet and can also be configured as an intranet.
- leased line
- A leased phone line that
provides a full-time, dedicated, direct connection to the
Internet.
- LIFO (Last-In
First-Out)
- A type of memory buffer. The
last data stored is the first data sent to the acceptor.
- link
- See hyperlink.
- live web
- A web that has been published
to a Web server and can currently be browsed by site
visitors. Editing a live web with FrontPage lets site
visitors immediately see all page updates and changes
every time the page is saved. See also staging web.
- Login/Logging in
- To log in is to give a
user name (at UKC based on your initials and a number)
and password to identify yourself to the host computer
and thereby gain entry to the system. Your login name
is the user name that you must provide.
- Mail Agent
- A program that facilitates
the reading and sending of electronic mail
- mailto
- The Internet protocol used to
send electronic mail. You can create e-mail hyperlinks in
FrontPage.
- Marquee component
- A region on a page that
displays a horizontally scrolling text message.
- Memory
- The electronic storage where
your computer stores data that's being manipulated and
programs that are running
- META tag
- An HTML tag that must appear
in the HEAD portion of the page. META tags supply
information about a page but do not affect its
appearance. A standard META tag, "generator,"
is used to indicate the type of editor that created the
HTML page.
- Microsoft Image Composer
- A powerful image-editing
application included with FrontPage that lets you create
original artwork or modify existing graphics for use in
your webs.
- Microsoft Internet
Explorer
- Microsoft's Web browser,
available in Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX versions. When
Internet Explorer is installed with FrontPage, additional
functionality is provided, including dynamic page and
themes preview in Page view.
- Microsoft Management
Console
- (MMC) A graphical interface
for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) that
contains "snap-in" administrative tools, such
as the FrontPage MMC snap-in. See also Internet
Information Services.
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- A high-level,
visual-programming version of Basic. Visual Basic was
developed by Microsoft for building Windows-based
applications.
- Microsoft Visual Basic for
Applications
- (VBA) A macro-language
version of Microsoft Visual Basic that is used to program
Windows applications and is included with several
Microsoft applications. See also Microsoft Visual
Basic.
- Microsoft Visual Basic
Scripting Edition
- (VBScript) A subset of the
Visual Basic for Applications programming language,
optimized for Web-related programming. As with
JavaScript, code for Visual Basic, Scripting Edition is
embedded in HTML documents. This version is included with
Microsoft Internet Explorer. See also Microsoft
Visual Basic.
- Microsoft Visual
SourceSafe
- A professional document
source-control system developed by Microsoft. FrontPage
can be integrated with Visual SourceSafe when both
applications are installed on the same computer.
- MIME type
- (Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions type) A method used by Web browsers to
associate files of a certain type with applications that
display files of that type.
- Modem
- An item of hardware which
connects a computer to a conventional telephone line and
thus enables it to communicate with other computers.It
came from MOdulator/DEModulator.
A device that allows a computer to communicate with
another over a standard telephone line, by converting the
digital data into analog signals and vice versa.
- Monitor
- Another item of hardware, in
this case the screen on which the computer displays
information.
- Monochrome
- Monitors that display only
one color, usually green or amber against a dark
background.
- Mouse
- A small but very useful piece
of hardware that can point and move the cursor on the
computer screen, and can be used to select or "click
on" icons, text, etc. Mastering the use of the mouse
is one of the first steps in learning to use a PC.
- multi-hosting
- The ability of a Web server
to support more than one Internet address and more than
one home page. Also called multi-homing.
- Multimedia
- The incorporation of many
types of media such as graphics, text, audio, and video,
into one resource.
- Multitasking
- A property of an operating
system in which several processes can be run
simultaneously.
- Multithreaded
- A programming technique that
allows for more than one part of a program to be
executing simultaneously on an SMP machine. Even on
single CPU computers, multithreaded programs can show the
advantage of better responsiveness to user commands while
a lengthy background process is running.
- Name Resolution
- The process of mapping a name
into the corresponding address.
- name-value pair
- The name of a form field and
the value of the field at the time the form is submitted.
Each field in a form can have one or more name-value
pairs, and the form itself can have one or more
name-value pairs.
- nested frames page
- A frames page containing
another frames page inside one of its frames.
- Network
- Two or more connected
computers. They may be connected by cables, the telephone
system, satellite, or by other methods, and can share
information and "communicate" with each other.
- Network Layer
- One of the layers somewhere
near the middle of the OSI reference model. It addresses
the interconnection of networks.
- network location
- In a URL, a unique name that
identifies an Internet server. A network location has two
or more parts, separated by periods, as
inexample.microsoft.com. Also called host name and
Internet address. See also URL.
- News/Newsgroups
- A communication function of
the Internet. Newsgroups are essentially a series of
on-line message boards which are strictly governed by the
rules of Usenet, a cooperative organisation. Their
naming and structure are bound by set conventions and
they are often tightly regulated, unlike a bulletin
board. Newsgroups can be viewed using a news reader,
these often come as part of a browser like Netscape. You
should, however, find out as much as possible about
newsgroup rules, etiquette, and the like, before posting
to one.
- Node
- On a network, a terminal
point at which data is transmitted, received, or
repeated. Usually corresponds to an attached device such
as a computer, network modem, or router.
- NTFS (NT File System)
- This is the advanced file
system that NT provides as an option when formatting hard
drives. The advantages of this system are long filenames,
reduced file fragmentation, improved fault tolerance, and
better recovery performance after a crash.
- NTLM
- (NT LanMan) The Windows NT
Challenge/Response authentication protocol. This protocol
uses encryption for secure transmission of passwords.
- OLE
- (Object Linking and
Embedding) A technology for transferring and sharing
information among applications. OLE lets an author invoke
different editor components to create a compound
document.
- "On-line"/online
- Used as an adjective, this
means that something is accessible via the Internet -
whether a facility, a document, or even a person.
- one-line text box
- A labeled, single-line form
field into which site visitors can type text.
- Open Database Connectivity
- (ODBC) An application
programming interface (API) for authoring applications
that are independent of any particular database
management system.
- OSI (Open Systems
Interconnection)
- An international
standardization program to facilitate communications
among computers from different manufacturers.
- page
- A single document in a Web
site written in HTML. You can use FrontPage to create and
modify pages without having to know HTML.
- page banner
- A section of a Web page
containing a graphic element and text, such as the page
title. Page banners are usually displayed at the top of a
Web page.
- page title
- A descriptive text string
identifying a page.
- Parallel Port
- A port normally used to
connect printers to computers. It sends data over eight
"parallel" wires, one byte at a time.
- paragraph style
- It specifies whether to
use bullets and numbering and controls indentation and
line spacing.
- parent web
- In a hierarchical structure,
the web immediately above the current web.
- Partition
- A division of a single disk
drive into several smaller units that are treated by the
operating system as if they were separate drives
- password
- A security measure used to
restrict access to computer systems and sensitive files.
On the World Wide Web, passwords are strings of
characters that allow site visitors access to Internet
services, such as FTP, if the Internet service requires
authentication. See also authentication.
- path
- The portion of a URL that
identifies the folders containing a file. For example, in
the URL http://example.microsoft.com/hello/world/top.htm,
the path is /hello/world/.
- PCD
- (Photo CD) A graphics file
format developed by Eastman Kodak Company. FrontPage can
import PCD files.
- PCT
- (Personal Communications
Technology) An enhanced version of Secure Sockets Layer.
See also Secure Sockets Layer.
- PCX
- A graphics file format that
compresses the graphic's data with RLE-type compression,
used by early versions of Windows Paintbrush. FrontPage
can import PCX files.
- PDF (Portable
Document Format)
- A platform independent file
format used to deliver published documents online. It
supports hyperlinking to other PDF documents or to web
URLs. Originally developed by Adobe Corporation for use
with its Acrobat line of products.
- Peer to Peer Network
- A network in which all
machines have equal status. Any computer can be a server
if it wants to be.
- Peripheral
- A term for items added to
your computer system, such as a printer
- Physical Layer
- The OSI layer that provides
the means to activate and use physical connections for
bit transmission.
- picture
- A graphics file that can be
inserted on a Web page and displayed in a Web browser It
is also called image.
- Ping (Packet Internet
Groper)
- A program which sends an
echo-like trace to test if another host is available.
- Pixel
- The smallest indivisible part
of a video image.
- plug-in
- One of a set of software
modules that integrate into Web browsers to offer a range
of interactive and multimedia capabilities.
- PNG
- (Portable Network Graphics) A
file format for compressed bitmap graphics, similar to
the GIF format.
- Point-To-Point
- Describes communications
lines or circuits that connect just two locations.
Compare with Mulitpoint.
- POP
- (Post Office Protocol) An
Internet protocol that enables a single user to read
e-mail from a mail server.
- port
- One of the network
input/output channels of a computer running TCP/IP. On
the World Wide Web, port usually refers to the port
number a server is running on. A single computer can have
many Web servers running on it, but only one server can
be running on each port. The default port for Web servers
is 80.
- PPP
- (Point-to-Point Protocol) An
Internet standard for transmitting data over serial links
between computers.
- progressive JPEG
- An enhancement to the JPEG
graphics file format specification that gradually
displays a photo-realistic picture in a Web browser,
showing increasingly detailed versions of the picture
until the entire file has finished downloading. While
this is similar to interlaced GIFs, progressive JPEGs can
retain the high quality of 24-bit color, and they offer
the same efficient compression as standard JPEG. See also
JPEG.
- properties
- IThe characteristics of an
item in the current web, such as the title and URL of a
web, or the name and initial value of a form field. You
can also specify properties for page elements such as
tables, graphics, and active elements.
- protocol
- A method of accessing a
document or service over the Internet, such as File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP). Also called type.
- proxy server
- An Internet server that acts
as a firewall, mediating traffic between a protected
network and the Internet. See also firewall.
- publish
- The process of making a web
public on the World Wide Web or an intranet by copying
all of its pages and files to the Web server connected to
the Internet or the local area network.
- push button
- A form field that a site
visitor can click to submit a form or reset a form to its
initial state.
-
- Queue
- A list of items waiting to be
processed.
- Queue, Printer
- On a large network like that
at UKC, where many users may be printing simultaneously,
your file is not necessarily printed instantly when the
instruction is sent from your computer. Printing jobs are
queued by the servers that handle them and go through as
soon as the printer is free
- radio button
- A form field that presents a
site visitor with a selection that can be chosen by
clicking on a button. Radio buttons are presented in a
list, one of which is selected by default. Selecting a
new member of the list deselects the currently selected
item.
- RAM (Random Access
Memory)
- The physical semiconductor
based memory in a computer. One byte of RAM can hold one
character, one Kb of RAM can hold 1024 characters.
- RAS
- The raster graphics file
format developed by Sun Microsystems.
- Read-Only
- Used as an adjective,
referring to a file or a disk on which files are stored.
A read-only file can be accessed but not altered and a
read-only disk cannot be saved or written to.
- record
- In a database, a group of
related fields of information that are treated as a unit.
Records are the logical equivalents of rows in a
table.
- Redirection
- A system by which clients
accessing a particular URL are sent to a different
location, either on the same server or on a different
server.
- registered user
- A visitor to a Web site whose
name and password has been recorded within the Web site.
- Registry
- The Windows NT system
database that holds configuration information for
hardware, software, and users.
- relational database
- A relational database
management system (RDBMS) organizes data into related
rows and columns as specified by the relational model.
Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle are examples of
relational database management systems. A Microsoft
Access database is an example of a relational database.
- relative URL
- The Internet address of a
page or other World Wide Web resource relative to the
Internet address of the current page. A relative URL
gives the path from the current page to the destination
page or resource. A relative URL can include a protocol.
For example, the relative URL Doc/Sample.htm refers to
the page Sample.htm in the folder Doc, below the current
folder. See also URL.
- Replication
- The process of synchronizing
data stored on two or more computers.
- resample
- The changing of the pixel
dimensions (and therefore physical file size) of a
picture or a graphic. Graphics can be resampled down (the
number of pixels is decreased) or resampled up (the
number of pixels is increased). When you resample a
graphic down, pixel information is deleted from the
graphic. When you resample a graphic up, new pixel
information is created based on matching color values of
the existing pixels. Resampling a graphic down and then
resampling it up to its original resolution will cause
the quality of the graphic to deteriorate considerably.
- ROM/Read-Only Memory
- Information stored once that
cannot be altered in any way, usually having been stored
by a manufacturer.
- root web
- The default, top-level web
provided by a Web server. To access the root web, you
supply the URL of the server without specifying a page
name or subweb.
- router
- A network device that enables
the network to reroute messages it receives that are
intended for other networks. The network with the router
receives the message and sends it on its way exactly as
received. In normal operations, they do not store any of
the messages that they pass through.
- RTF
- (Rich Text Format) A method
of encoding text formatting and document structure using
the ASCII character set. By convention, RTF files have an
.rtf file name extension. You can open RTF files in
FrontPage and convert them to HTML.
- script
- A type of computer code that
can be directly executed by a program that understands
the language in which the script is written. Scripts do
not need to be compiled to be run.
- scrolling text box
- A labeled, multiple-line form
field in which site visitors can type one or more lines
of text.
- Secure Sockets Layer
- (SSL) A proposed open
standard developed by Netscape Communications for
establishing a secure communications channel to prevent
the interception of critical information, such as credit
card numbers. The primary purpose of SSL is to enable
secure electronic financial transactions on the World
Wide Web, although it is designed to work with other
Internet services as well. This technology, which uses
public key encryption, is incorporated into many Web
browser and Web servers.
- Segment
- A single run cable, which may
connect more than two computers, with a terminator on
each end.
- selector
- In a cascading style sheet
style definition (or style rule), the HTML element linked
to a particular set of style properties and values.
- server
- A computer that offers
services on a network. On the World Wide Web, a server is
a computer that runs the Web server software that
responds to HTTP protocol requests. Also called host.
- server-side image map
- An image map that passes the
coordinates of the mouse pointer to a CGI handler routine
on the server. Server-side image maps require the Web
server to compute the target URL of the hyperlink based
on the mouse pointer coordinates. See also image map.
- server-side include
- A feature provided by some
Web servers that automatically inserts text onto pages
when they are fetched by a Web browser.
- Service
- An executable object
installed in the NT Registry database. It can be started
on demand or started automatically when the system starts
up. No more than one instance of a given service can be
running at a time.
- Session
- 1) A connection between two
stations that allows them to communicate.
2) The time period during which a user engages in a
dialogue with an interactive computer.
3) In the IBM SNA, the logical connection between two
network-addressable units.
- Session Layer
- The OSI layer that provides
means for dialogue control between end systems.
- shared borders
- Page regions reserved for
content that you want to appear consistently throughout
your pages. Shared borders usually contain navigation
bars hyperlinks to the other pages in the
current web. .
- SLIP
- (Serial Line Internet
Protocol) An Internet standard for transmitting data over
serial links between computers.
- slow pages
- Pages that take an inordinate
amount of time (20 seconds or more) for a site visitor to
download in a Web browser.
- Smiley
- a colloquial term for a small
symbol (supposed to represent a smiling face) inserted
into an email or news article to indicate that a message
or comment is humorous, ironic, or not meant to be taken
seriously - it is difficult to indicate the above
qualities through text alone, and people are easily
offended. These symbols take many forms, such as :-) :^)
or for more serious comments :-(
- SMTP
- (Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol) The basic programming language behind the
Internet's e-mail functions. SMTP is poised for a major
upgrade, because it doesn't provide such simple
information as unsend or e-mail status.
- staging web
- A local web that is
maintained on a file system or local Web server and that
currently cannot be browsed by site visitors. Staging
webs allow authors and workgroups to make significant
changes or updates to Web sites before they are published
to the World Wide Web or a company intranet.
- Streaming Audio/Video
- A method of delivering
multimedia data so that it can be read or played back in
near real time, or as soon as it is received.
- Structured Query Language
- (SQL) A database query and
programming language widely used for accessing, querying,
updating, and managing data in relational database
systems. Using SQL, you can retrieve data from a
database, create databases and database objects, add
data, modify existing data, and perform other, more
complex functions. With SQL, you can also change the
server configuration, modify database or session
settings, and control data and access statements.
- style
- Styles are used to control
the font, alignment, and spacing of text; appearance of
background pages; and other HTML attributes. A collection
of styles is called a style sheet. See also cascading
style sheet.
- subweb
- A named subdirectory of the
root web that is a complete FrontPage-based web. Each
subweb can have independent administration, authoring and
browsing permissions from the root web and other subwebs.
In addition, searches implemented through the
FrontPage-based search form are limited to the subweb,
and FrontPage only manages hyperlinks within the subweb.
Any number of subwebs can be created under the root web,
and subwebs can be created within subwebs.
- Syntax
- The set of rules to which
statements must conform in a particular programming
language.
- table
- One or more rows of cells on
a page used to organize the layout of a page or arrange
data systematically.You can place anything in a table
cell, including text, graphics, and forms.
- tag
- See HTML tag.
- target frame
- The name of a frame in which
the target page of a hyperlink is displayed. Typically, a
hyperlink from one frame of a frames page will supply as
its target frame another frame of the frames page. See
also frame, frames page.
- TCP
- (Transmission Control
Protocol) Internet networking software that controls the
transmission of packets of data over the Internet. Among
its tasks, TCP checks for lost packets, puts the data
from multiple packets into the correct order, and
requests that missing or damaged packets be sent again.
Computers must run TCP to communicate with Web servers.
- Telnet
- An Internet protocol that let
you connect your computer as a remote workstation to a
host computer anywhere in the world and to use that
computer as if you were logged on locally
- template
- A set of predesigned formats
for text and graphics on which new pages and webs can be
based. After a page or web is created using a template,
you can customize the page or web.
- TGA
- (Targa) A photorealistic
graphics file format designed for systems with a
Truevision display adapter. FrontPage can import TGA
files.
- theme
- A theme applies
professionally designed graphics to elements of the pages
in a FrontPage-based web. FrontPage offers a gallery of
over 50 themes that consist of similar design elements
and color schemes for bullets, fonts, graphics,
navigation bars, and other page elements. When applied, a
theme gives pages and navigation bars in a web an
attractive and consistent appearance.
- thread
- In e-mail and Internet
newsgroups conversations, a series of messages and
replies that are all related to a specific topic.
- thumbnail
- A small representation of a
picture on a Web page, usually containing a hyperlink to
a full-size version of the graphic. Thumbnails are used
to load pages rich in graphics or pictures more quickly
in a Web browser.
- TIFF
- (Tagged Image File Format) A
high-resolution, tag-based graphics format. TIFF is used
for the universal interchange of digital graphics.
- Timeout
- A specified time after which
a program should give up trying to finish an operation
with a remote machine that appears to be non-responsive.
- transition effect
- One of a set of page-display
effects, such as Dissolve and Fade To Black, that are
available in some Web browsers. Transition effects can be
configured to occur when a site visitor visits or leaves
a page.
- Token Ring
- A LAN-access mechanism and
topology, developed by IBM and standardized as IEEE
802.5, in which a supervisory frame or token is passed
from station to station in sequential order. Stations
wishing to gain access to the network must wait for the
token to arrive before transmitting data.
- Transport Layer
- The OSI layer that is
responsible for reliable end to end data transfer between
end systems.
- Trolling
- Deliberately provoking
arguments on newsgroups or bulletin boards. At UKC this
is considered a breach of our code of conduct.
- TWAIN
- ("Technology without an
interesting name") Developed by a consortium of
imaging hardware and software manufacturers, TWAIN is a
cross-platform interface for acquiring pictures captured
by TWAIN-compliant scanners, digital cameras, and
still-frame video capture boards. In FrontPage, you can
transfer pictures onto pages directly from
TWAIN-compliant devices.
- UNIX
- A multi-user, multitasking
operating system that exists in various forms and
implementations, typically used on proprietary computer
workstations. Many Web servers run on UNIX systems.
- URL
- (Uniform Resource Locator) A
string that supplies the Internet address of a Web site
or resource on the World Wide Web, along with the
protocol by which the site or resource is accessed. The
most common URL type is http://, which gives the Internet
address of a Web page. Some other URL types are
gopher://, which gives the Internet address of a gopher
directory, and ftp://, which gives the network location
of an FTP resource.
- VBA
- See Microsoft Visual
Basic for Applications.
- VBScript
- See Microsoft Visual
Basic Scripting Edition.
- VGA (Video Graphics
Array)
- A video standard for IBM PC
and compatible computers. Standard VGA has a resolution
of 640 x 480 and supports 16 colors.
- Visual Basic
- See Microsoft Visual
Basic.
- Virtual Memory
- A software technique, often
implemented in the operating system, which uses hard disk
space to increase memory capacity beyond the amount of
physical RAM present.
- virtual server
- One of multiple Web sites
running on the same server, each with a unique domain
name and IP address. A Web server that supports virtual
servers is called a multi-hosting Web server.
- Virus
- A set of instructions
designed to sabotage computer systems by causing annoying
or occasionally damaging effects, usually having been
written as a malicious prank. It gets its name from the
fact that it infects programs with a copy of itself,
thereby spreading to other computers. Virus-cleaning
tools are available on the system at UKC.
- visited hyperlink
- See followed hyperlink.
- WAIS
- (Wide Area Information
Service) Supports searching over the Internet.
- WAN
- (wide area network) A
computer network that spans a long distance and uses
specialized computers to connect smaller networks.
- watermark
- A graphic that appears on the
backgrounds of pages in a Web site to decorate and
identify the pages, but does not scroll as the page
scrolls. Not all Web browsers support watermarks.
- web
- A home page and its
associated pages, graphics, documents, multimedia, and
other files created and stored on a Web server or on a
computer's hard drive.
- Web browser
- Software that interprets the
markup of files in HTML, formats them into Web pages, and
displays them to the user. Some browsers can also permit
users to send and receive e-mail, read newsgroups, and
play sound or video files that are embedded in Web
documents.
- Webmaster
- The alias for a person or
persons who look after a particular web site. Should not
be confused with postmaster.
- wizard
- A program in FrontPage that
creates webs or Web pages, based on choices you make in
the wizard's input panels.
- WMF
- (Windows Metafile Format) A
vector graphics format for Windows-compatible computers
used mostly for word-processing clip art. FrontPage can
import WMF files.
- World Wide Web
- The total set of interlinked
hypertext documents residing on HTTP servers all over the
world. Documents on the World Wide Web are called pages
or Web pages, which are written in HTML (Hypertext Markup
Language). Web pages are identified by URLs (Uniform
Resource Locators) that specify the particular computer
and path name by which a file can be accessed, and
transmitted from node to node to the end user under HTTP
(Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Web pages may contain text
in a variety of fonts and styles, pictures, graphics,
movie clips, sounds, as well as small, embedded software
programs that are executed when a site visitor activates
them by clicking a hyperlink. Site visitors may also be
able to download files and send messages to other users
via e-mail by using links on a Web page. The World Wide
Web was developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 for the
European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN).
- World Wide Web Consortium
- (W3C) A consortium of
commercial and educational institutions that oversees
research and promotes standards in all areas related to
the World Wide Web.
- X11
- The network protocol used by
X-Windows. It is used for communication between
applications and the I/O devices that allow the
applications to reside on different machines.
- XML Extensible Markup
Language
- is a simplified subset of Standard Generalized Markup
Language (SGML) that provides a file format for
representing data, a method for describing data
structure, and a mechanism for extending and annotating
HTML with semantic information. Allowing an unlimited set
of tags, XML tags indicate what kind of data each tag
contains, rather than indicating how something should
look.
- X-Windows
- A popular network based
window system that allows many programs to share a single
graphical display. X-based programs display their output
in windows, which can be either on the same computer on
which the program is running or on any other computer on
the network.
- Yellow Book
- International standard which
defines the physical properties of a CD-ROM disc.
- Zip
- PC file compression format
which creates files with the extension.zip, using PKZip
or WinZip software. Commonly used to reduce file size for
transfer or storage on floppy disks.