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AskMorris Useful definitions for Taiwan & China users | Find your answer below........... If you can't find an answer to your question, feel free to ask a question by clicking 'Ask A Question' |
Category: Main :: -> Web Terms - CSS, PHP, .NET, WYSIWYG
| Answer | · What is Javascript used for?
Javascript is an easy-to-use programming language that can be embedded in the header of your web pages. It can enhance the dynamics and interactive features of your page by allowing you to perform calculations, check forms, write interactive games, add special effects, customize graphics selections, create security passwords and more.
CLARIFICATION: Usually when you see a navigation bar with a drop down menu or a 'news ticker', scrolling text, you are looking at something that was probably created with Javascript. However nowadays, some of these effects can also be done with CSS. Javascript can cause problems for SEO
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| · CSS - (Cascading Style Sheets)
CSS # Cascading Style Sheets are a big breakthrough in Web design because they allow developers to control the style and layout of multiple Web pages all at once. With CSS, when you want to make a change, you simply change the style, and that element is updated automatically wherever it appears within the site.
CLARIFICATION: In the old days every page on a web site had its own formatting and style so if you had 100 pages and decided that the text should be changed from blue to black, you had to change it in 100 pages! Nowadays, thanks to CSS you can 'tag' sections of the all web site text and define in a file (usually called a CSS file), what style each section should have. So if we use the previous example; instead of changing the color of the text in 100 pages we just change it in one file and that change will now affect all 100 pages. CSS can also be used in some extremely interesting ways for manipulation graphics and creating special effects. CSS is also very SEO friendly.
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| · So what is RSS?
RDF Site Summary, or Rich Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication – A method, (a lightweight XML format), for distributing news headlines and other content on the Web.
CLARIFICATION If your web site has many articles and other news content you can design your web site so that it creates a text file that contains your web site's latest news. Other web sites can now 'grab' your file and on their web site, their users can see the titles of YOUR latest news. When users click on those links they are taken to the corresponding article on your web site. It is a convenient way to syndicate your site content. It can be used to summarizes specific site content such as news, blog posts or comments and forum threads. An example of RSS/XML syndication can be found here (see the 'Tech News')
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| · Content Management System [ CMS ]
In the context of a Web site a CMS is a collection of tools designed to allow the creation, modification organisation and removal of information from a Web site. It is common for a CMS to require users to have no knowledge of HTML in order to create new Web pages.
CLARIFICATION: Basically you can update your web site by yourself. A CMS typically uses a browser based interface which allows the owner to update the content of their web site whenever they want from wherever they want, as long as they have a browser and are connected to the internet. AskMorris Inc. specializes in creating these kind of systems.
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| · ASP, Active Server Pages
A Microsoft programming language that enables Web pages to be dynamically created using HTML, scripts, and reusable ActiveX server components. This enables "on the fly" updating and easier content management, but it can also present security problems because it opens "holes" in security to enable information to be accessed and viewed in real time. ...
CLARIFICATION: It is Microsofts programming language that they use to create among other things; 'interactive' websites, CMS systems etc. Around 2004 Microsoft came out with a more powerful ASP solution known as .NET . ASP is Microsofts version of the popular programming language PHP. PHP is free!!! However, ASP is not.
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| · PHP
The PHP Hypertext Preprocessor is a programming language that allows web developers to create dynamic content that interacts with databases. In Web programming, PHP is a script language and interpreter that is freely available and used primarily on Linux Web servers. PHP (the initials come from the earliest version of the program, which was called "Personal Home Page Tools") is an alternative to Microsoft's Active Server Page (ASP) technology.
CLARIFICATION: PHP is basically used for developing web based software applications like 'interactive' web sites, CMS systems etc. PHP is one of the most popular server-side scripting languages on the web. PHP is open-source, and noted for its efficiency and suitability for developing web applications.
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| · So what exactly is MySql?
MySQL is a relational database management system, which means it stores data in separate tables rather than putting all the data in one big area. This adds flexibility, as well as speed. The SQL part of MySQL stands for "Structured Query Language," which is the most common language used to access databases. The MySQL database server is the most popular open source database in the world. It is extremely fast and easy to customize, due to its architecture. ... CLARIFICATION: MySql is a database. It is free and very good. It is usually used together with the PHP programming language which is also free!! MySql is mostly used for developing web based software applications like 'interactive' web sites, CMS systems etc.
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| · MsSql is what?
Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system produced by Microsoft. It supports a superset of Structured Query Language SQL, the most common database language. It is commonly used by businesses for small to medium sized databases, and in the past 5 years large enterprise databases.
CLARIFICATION: MySql is a database. It is NOT free and it is sold by Microsoft. It is usually used together with the ASP programming language which is also NOT free!! Some people find it slow and insecure.
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| · .NET (pronounced 'DOT NET')
Microsoft's set of software technologies for connecting information, people, systems and devices. It is based on web services which are small applications that can connect to each other as well as to other larger applications over the Internet. The OSS project Mono is an implementation of the .NET development framework.Microsoft's .NET offers an alternative to Java and J2EE..NET enables developers to create XML web services and integrate mobile devices and servers
CLARIFICATION: .NET is yet another programming language from Microsoft that is more powerful than ASP. It is NOT free!! .NET is much faster than ASP
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| · What the @$##$ is a database?
A database is a collection of information stored in a computer in a systematic way, such that a computer program can consult it to answer questions. The software used to manage and query a database is known as a database management system (DBMS).
CLARIFICATION: Basically it is a 'container' where you save your information so you can later retrieve it. Typically when you want your web site to collect information about your users you need a web site that uses a database.
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| · What do people mean when they say 'dynamic' or 'interactive' web site?
If your web site is dynamic, also known as interactive, it means your web site has a database and that it is built with a programming language like PHP , ASP, JSP or similar. And because it is built this way it is easy for you to change the information / web pages on your web site by yourself. It is also easy for you to collect information about your users and provide them with online tools that can give them better service. e.g. the tracking tools that FedEx and UPS have on their web sites. AskMorris Inc. is an expert at creating these kinds of web sites and web solutions.
CLARIFICATION: A dynamic web site is more like a system that YOU control. You can easily change the content (text and images) by just using your IE browser. You don't need a web designer SAVING you money and time. You can also now provide more service to your clients by providing 'interactive functions' on your web site. E.g. allowing your clients to order your products on-line, make requests or search your database for information by themselves.
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| · What is HTML?
HyperText Markup Language, the coding language used to create hypertext documents for the World Wide Web. In HTML, a block of text can be surrounded with tags that indicate how it should appear (for example, in bold face or italics). Also, in HTML a word, a block of text, or an image can be linked to another file on the Web. HTML files are viewed with a World Wide Web browser
CLARIFICATION: It is the underlying code that makes the web pages you look at.. When you click 'view / Source' in your browser, you'll see the HTML code that makes the web page you are looking at. '< strong >' is an example of HTML code. It means 'make the text after this tag BOLD'.
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| · Flash - what is it?
A bandwidth friendly and browser independent vector-graphic animation technology. Flash is an animation format developed by the company Macromedia. One reason for the popularity of Flash is the file sizes are small. Animated, interactive content can be quickly downloaded. However, to be able to view a Flash file the user requires the Flash plug-in.
CLARIFICATION: When you see very cool animations, almost cartoon like on a web page, you are most probably looking at something made with flash.
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| · What is an animated gif? (Gif89)
Animated version of Graphic Interchange Format. A common file format for web graphics (and banners) that includes frames set to a specific frequency that provides for changing content within the graphic. Not always the best choice for photo-realistic images.
CLARIFICATION: Many times when you see a smaller image on a web page that is animated but not to the point where it is like an animated cartoon, you are most likely looking at an animated gif image.When it is more like a long cartoon, it's usually Flash. Most banners are made by animated gifs.
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| · So what is a static web site?
If your web site is static, it means your web site is made of lost of 'static' pages kind of like MS word documents. All information is in these documents and not in a database.And because it is built this way it is harder for you to change the information/web pages on your web site by yourself. You will most likely have to hire a web designer or a friend help you update your web site and it is not really possible for you to collect information about your users or provide them with online tools that can give them better service. e.g. what UPS and FedEx does with the tracking tools they have on their web sites.
CLARIFICATION: A static web site is like an 'on-line brochure'. Mostly some text and some pretty pictures. Once you have built this kind of web site you can't change it by yourself unless you are a web designer.
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| · What is a SOHO?
Is short for small office/home office, aterm that refers to the small or home office environment and the business culture that surrounds it.It often refers to individuals working from home .
CLARIFICATION: It is usually used to mean a web designer / programmer or similar person who works from home and doesn't really have a company. SOHO's are usually cheaper but can many times be very unreliable, especially after the web site is done and you need support but can't find the person that originally helped you make your web site.
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| · Source file
When people say they want the source file they mean they want the original file, the file that can be edited E.g. if a designer creates an image for you he will most probably give you a jpeg or gif file that you can use on your web site. But those files can't always be easily edited so if in the future you need to make a change you need to go back to the same designer. However if you have the source file you can give that file to any designer. So why is this important? Mainly because if you control the source file;
- You can make changes easier and faster. You save time.
- You regain control of your own images, art work, logo etc.
- You don't have to worry if the original designer disappears
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| · What are web stats?
Web stats refer to statistics produced by the online statistical program offered with the web hosting plan. It allows the webmaster to have more accurate visitor information like unique visitors, pageviews, referrers, etc. instead of just information like hits.
CLARIFICATION: Having a web site is a great way to get invaluable information about your customers. By analysing the log files of your web site you can quickly find out what they like and what they are less interested in. This information about the visitors to your web site is known as web stats. Ask your hosting company to provide web stats for you. AskMorris naturally, also provides Web Stats services. Click here to know more.
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| · What is a server and why do I need it?
A host computer on a network that holds information (eg, Web sites) and reponds to requests for information from it (eg, links to another Web page). The term server is also used to refer to the software that makes the act of serving information possible. Commerce servers, for example, use software to run the main functions of an e-commerce Web site, such as product display, online ordering, and inventory management. You'll also hear this described as "shopping cart technology.
CLARIFICATION: A server is usually the machine where your web site is hosted or where your email is being received or where shared files are and or sent out. there are many kinds of servers but file servers, email servers and web servers are the most common.
You need a web server, otherwise nobody could ever see your web site.
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| · What is hosting?
Your web site or web page(s) are hosted, or stored, on a computer (an http server) that is permanently connected to the Internet so that it can be seen by anyone connected to the Internet at any time This is also known as Web site hosting, Web hosting, and Webhosting is. It is the business of housing, providing a server, and maintaining files for one or more Web sites.
CLARIFICATION:While web pages are designed and developed on a single computer, they must be transferred to a server, or host, so that they are available to the rest of the world over the Internet. A host is simply a computer that has a constant, high speed connection to the Internet. Hosting companies rent out space on these machines where you put your web site. Depending on your needs, a hosting plan can cost anywhere between $10 and $200 per month.
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| · What kinds of 'graphics work' are there?
This is a huge topic but here are some technologies; animated gifs, (gif89), Flash, shockwave (a more advanced form of flash), 3D animations
CLARIFICATION:When people talk about graphics work they mean a lot of things. What is important to understand is just to know how big the images are, will they slow down the web site? Are they really animated like a cartoon, (by using flash), or are they just ordinary animated gifs? Are images truly 3D using very special and expensive software or are they just ordinary gif images that may look a bit 3D? Is the art work original, (meaning theh designer create them for the first time), or has the designer just bought the images from an image bank and then changed them a bit?
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| · Image bank - what is that?
An image bank is a place where you can buy ready made images that that particular company has made or bought from somebody else.
CLARIFICATION:It ius usually a web site you surf to and have a subscription with. Maybe pay monthly or yearly. If you have a subscription you have unlimited downloads of images during that period and you can use those images freely. Sometimes you can also buy images on a case by case basis.
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| · What kind of maintenance do I need? - What is maintenance anyway?
You may need no maintenance what so ever OR you may need tons of maintenance/support due to your resources being stretched to the limit. It really depends on your busines and what kind of web site you have.
CLARIFICATION: Maintenance can encompass; upgrades of your web site, graphics work, smaller fixes to the system, fine tuning of your web site, access to web stats or web log software, repairs to the database, ad banner work, making animated flash ads,
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| · What is C+
The C programming language is a standardized programming language developed in the early 1970s by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie for use on the UNIX operating system. It has since spread to many other operating systems, and is one of the most widely used programming languages. C is prized for its efficiency, and is the most popular programming language for writing system software, though it is also used for writing applications. ...
CLARIFICATION: C, C+, C++ and C# (pronounced C sharp), are all languages based on C, which is mainly used to write applications and drivers. Meaning software like Microsoft Word or Powerpoint, were most probably written and developed in C. Drivers that you install for your sound card or for your new video card on your computer were alsomost probably written and developed in C. The programming language C is NOT suitable for web development.
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| · What is a backend panel ? (AKA admin panel)
A backend panel, also known as an admin panel is the user interface, (ok, if you still don't know what we mean, think -- control panel). It is usually graphical and it is from here that you control or change something on a system. Sometimes it isn't graphical and it just uses text. AskMorris recommends that you make sure your admin panel is graphical. It makes it a lot more user friendly and it has the extra bonus of being much nicer to look at!!!
CLARIFICATION: They say a picture is worth a thousand words so below we include a screen shot of how a backend panel could look like
After clicking on one of the icons you'll probably enter an area where you add your content for your web site. E.g. clicking on 'Promotion Message'above would probably allow you to change the welcome message on your web site Top
| · WYSIWYG, what is that?
Pronounced WIZ-zee-wig. Short for what you see is what you get. A graphical interface to a process which shows how the end-result will look as it is being produced, eg a WYSIWYG HTML editor generates HTML markup but displays the document as if viewed with a Web browser.
CLARIFICATION: On the web, WYSIWYG editors are used to allow the user, as they input content in their web site, to highlight text and change colors by just using a similar toolbar as you can see in Microsoft Word. It's like a very user friendly editing interface . The FrontPage Editor is a WYSIWYG editor. WYSIWYG editors on the web are difficult to make stable due to that there are so many different types of web browsers and other technical difficulties but once you have a good WYSIWYG editor that works for your web site, it greatly improves the ease of maintaining your web site content.
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| · So what are Business Intelligence Tools ? (web solutions)
On-line Business Intelligence Tools are tools that users can use on your web site to quickly get the information they are looking for. A business tool can also be used to perform some kind of action like for example buying a ticket on- line. These kind of tools are many times also called 'web solutions'
CLARIFICATION: The best example of an interactive on-line business tool is the tracking tool that e.g. freight companies use to help you find where in the world your package is. You can see a demo here (the box on the left that says 'Shipment Tracking'); http://www.ocs.co.jp/en/index_en.html
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| · On AskMorris web site, you use phtml pages . What is phtml?
A PHTML (or its sometimes called a PHP) page is a Web page that includes a script written in PHP, a language comparable to JavaScript or Microsofts VBScript. Like Microsofts Active Server Page (ASP) page, a PHTML page contains programming that is executed at the Web server rather than at the Web client (which is usually your Web browser). You may sometimes see a Web site whose address or URL ends with a file with a suffix of ".phtml"" or ".php3". ...
CLARIFICATION: It is just another way of programming a dynamic web site. Instead of using ASP, we use phtml that is more secure.
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| · Ok, what is a system interface? (user interface)
System interfaces are the nice graphical user interfaces you see that allows a user to manage something like for example lots of files on a server (File management system) . Sometimes a system interface is also called a 'user interface'.
CLARIFICATION: Taiwan makes lots of hardware e.g. motherboards, digital cameras, video cards, notebooks etc. All that hardware is going to need some kind of software that can change the settings of the hardware. This is where the system interface comes in. It is vital to make a system interface that is USER FRIENDLY. Don't let an engineer design a system interace. It is far better to have professional designers and user-service experts do it. Contact AskMorris, we have years of experience with usability Here is a good article explaining this further: " What is a system interface? ( graphical user interface )"
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