|
Glossary Of
Useful Terms
|
|
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
|
Return
to Top
|
|
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
RULE 14
|
"Make electronic forms accessible via assistive
technology." When electronic forms are designed to be
completed online, the form shall allow people using assistive
technology to access the information, field elements, and
functionality required for completion and submission of the form,
including all directions and cues.
|
|
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
|
The
page currently being edited.
|
|
ACTIVE-X
|
A set of Microsoft technologies that provide tools for
linking desktop applications to the WWW. Includes Java, Visual
Basic and C++
|
|
ACTIVE-X
CONTROL
|
A
component that can be inserted in a page to provide functionality
not directly available in HTML, such as animation sequences,
credit-card transactions, or spreadsheet calculations. ActiveX
controls can be implemented in a variety of programming languages
from Microsoft and third parties.
|
|
AD
HOC ANALYSIS
|
Study of a selected group of similar or related forms for a
specific purpose (e.g., a study of all envelopes in current use
with the intention of eliminating redundancy)
|
|
ADDRESS
|
Specific location consisting of username, followed by an
ampersand (@ symbol), followed by the name of the host computer
where account is located. (See DOMAIN)
|
|
ADSL
|
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
|
|
|
A method for moving data over regular phone lines which is
much faster than a regular phone connection. Allows receipt of
data at speeds up to 1,544 megabits (not megabytes) per second.
|
|
ANIMATED
GIF
|
A file containing a series of GIF (Graphics Interchange
Format) images that are displayed in rapid sequence by some
Web browsers, giving an animated effect. (See also GIF)
|
|
ANSI
|
American National Standards Institute
|
|
ANONYMOUS FTP
|
A special account name by which anyone on the Internet can
access public archives and download files from them.
(See FTP)
|
|
APPLET
|
A small Java program that can be embedded in an HTML page.
Applets differ from full-fledged java applications in that
they are not allowed to access certain resources on the local
computer such as files and serial devices (modems, printers, etc.)
and are prohibited from communicating with most other computers
across a network. The current rule is that an applet can make an
Internet connection only to the computer from which the applet was
sent. (See HTML; JAVA)
|
|
APPLICATION
SERVER
|
A server program that houses the business
logic for an application; executes the operations necessary to
complete transactions and other interactions between end users and
a business’s backend databases and applications; and provides
functionality such as load balancing, database access classes,
transaction processing, and messaging
|
|
ARTICLE
|
A single entry in a discussion group or newsgroup. An
article can be a response to a previous article.
|
|
ARTWORK
|
(a.k.a. “Camera-Ready Artwork”)
|
|
|
The design layout (whether prepared manually and mounted on
an artboard, furnished as a plate-ready negative, or prepared and
transmitted electronically which is used to prepare the printing
plate for press production.
|
|
ASCENDER
|
The
part of a lowercase letter that rises above the main body of the
letter.
|
|
ASCII
|
American Standard Code for Information Interchange
|
|
|
The de facto world-wide standard for the code numbers used
by computers to represent all the upper and lower case Latin
letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.
|
|
ASP
|
Active Server Page
|
|
|
A server-side scripting language used to create Web pages
filled in with information from a database (and specific to each
user) before the page is sent.
|
|
ASPECT
RATIO
|
The
ratio of an image's width to its height.
|
|
AUTHENTICATION
DATABASE
|
A
database on a server that matches user names to passwords.
|
|
B
|
Return
to Top
|
|
BACKBONE
|
A high-speed line or series of connections that form a
major pathway within a network.
|
|
BACKGROUND SOUND
|
A
sound file that is associated with a page. When the page is
displayed in a web browser, the sound file plays or repeats the
number of times that specified.
|
|
BANDWIDTH
|
The amount of "stuff" one can send through a
connection, usually measured in bits-per-second. A full page of
English text is about 16,000 bits. A fast modem can move about
15,000 bits in one second. Full- motion screen video would require
roughly 10,900,000 bits-per-second, depending upon compression.
|
|
BANNER
|
An
image, usually displayed at the top of each page in a web site,
containing text and design elements.
|
|
BASE
URL
|
A URL that you can assign to a page to convert relative
URLs on that page into absolute URLs. A base URL should end with a
document name part, such ashttp://example.microsoft.com/sample.htm,
or a trailing slash, such as http://example.microsoft.com/subdir/.
(See also ABSOLUTE URL)
|
|
BASELINE
|
In text, the imaginary line drawn along the bottom of the
main body of the letters. Descenders extend below the baseline. In
a table, the cell property that aligns the baseline of text in a
cell with the baseline of the tallest text in the row.
|
|
BASIC
AUTHENTICATION
|
An authentication protocol supported by Microsoft Internet
Explorer. There is no encryption in this protocol.
|
|
BAUD
|
Number of bits of information that can be sent or received
per second. Technically, baud is the number of times per second
that the carrier signal shifts value. (Example: a 1200
bit-per-second modem actually runs at 300 baud, but moves four
bits-per-baud (4 X 300 = 1200 bits-per-second.)
|
|
BBS
|
Bulletin Board System
|
|
|
A computerized communication system that supports
discussion, uploading and downloading of files, and makes
announcements without the participants being connected to their
computers at the same time.
|
|
BEVEL
|
A
three-dimensional effect applied to the border of an image.
|
|
BINHEX
|
BINary HEXadecimal
|
|
|
A method for converting non-text files into ASCII. Required
because Internet e-mail can handle only ASCII files.
|
|
BIT
|
BInary digiT
|
|
|
A single digit number in base-2 (either 1 or 0). The
smallest unit of computerized data. Bandwidth is usually measured
in bits-per-second.
|
|
BMP
|
BitMaP files
|
|
|
The standard format used on Windows applications.
|
|
BOOKMARK
|
A named
location on a page that can be the target of a hyperlink. A
bookmark can be applied to a set of characters or it can 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 pound-sign character (#).
|
|
BPS
|
Bits-Per-Second
|
|
|
A measurement of the speed data moves. Example: a 28.8
modem can move 28,800 bits per second.
|
|
BROKEN
HYPERLINK
|
A
hyperlink that does not correctly point to a page or other
Internet file. A broken hyperlink either indicates an incorrect
URL or a missing page or file.
|
|
BROWSER
|
A client-side software program used to view various
Internet resources, often presented in hypertext code. (See HTML)
|
|
BULLETED
LIST
|
A
paragraph style that creates a single list element, usually
indicated by a bullet character. Also called an unordered list.
|
|
BULLETIN
BOARD
|
An
electronic forum that hosts posted messages and articles related
to a common subject.
|
|
BYTE
|
A set of bits that represent a single character. Usually
there are eight bits in a byte (sometimes more, depending on how
the measurement is being made).
|
|
C
|
Return
to Top
|
|
C++
|
A programming language used for building all sorts of
applications, from Microsoft Word to MP3 players.
|
|
CACHING
|
The
process of temporarily storing files in a repository for quick
access by enabling access without returning to the original
server, thus reducing server load and response time
|
|
CAI
|
Cooperative Applications Initiative
An Oracle business partner program.
|
|
CASCADING
STYLE SHEET
|
An
HTML syntax that gives authors precise control over the formatting
of text in Web pages. Formatting information is stored in a web
site in style sheets, and can be applied to whole pages or parts
of pages.
|
|
CELL
|
The smallest component of a table. In a table, a row or
column contains one or more cells.
|
|
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 of 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 browser sends the form data to a CGI script on the server, and
the script integrates the data with a database and sends back a
results page as HTML.
|
|
CGI-BIN
|
The most common name of a directory on a Web Server in
which CGI programs are stored. The "bin" part is a
shorthand version of "binary." These
text files, or scripts, are executed by binaries (programs)
located elsewhere on the same machine.
|
|
CHANNEL
|
A push technology that allows users to subscribe to a Web
site to browse offline, automatically display updated pages on
their screen savers, and download or receive notifications when
pages in the Web site are modified. Channels are available only in
browsers that support channel definitions, such as Microsoft
Internet Explorer version 4.0.
|
|
CHECK
BOX
|
A form field that can be chosen 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 choices.
Users can select more than one check box in a form. (See also
RADIO BUTTON)
|
|
CHILD
PAGE
|
A page that is part of the navigation structure of a web
and that is linked to a parent page. A child page is accessed from
its parent page by following a link from a navigation bar on the
parent page. Web content on a child page often provides more
detailed information related to the content on the parent page.
(See also NAVIGATION BAR, PEER PAGE)
|
|
CHILD
WEB
|
A named
subdirectory of the root web that is a whole web and is separate
from the root web. Any number of child webs can be under the root
web. Each child web can have many levels of subdirectories, making
up its content. Note that child webs go to only one level.
|
|
CIP
|
Commerce Interchange Pipeline
|
|
CLASS
SELECTOR
|
In a
cascading style sheet style-definition (or style rule), a subset
of a selector that controls whether the same selector can be used
for slightly different styles in different situations.
|
|
CLIENT
|
A software program that is used to contact and obtain data
from a Server software program on another computer, often across a
great distance. Each Client program is designed to work with one
or more specific kinds of Server programs and each Server requires
a specific kind of Client.
|
|
CLIENT-SIDE
IMAGE MAP
|
An
image map that encodes the destination URL of each hotspot
directly in a page. Client-side image maps do not require
processing from a server to follow the hyperlinks on the image
map, so they are more efficient. However, not all web browsers
support client-side image maps.
|
|
CLIENT-SIDE
PROGRAM
|
On the
Internet, a program that is run on a client computer rather than
on a server computer. Client-side programs do not communicate over
the Internet.
|
|
CLIP
ART
|
A collection of icons, buttons, and other useful image
files, along with sound and video files that can be inserted into
pages.
|
|
CLIPBOARD
|
A
temporary storage area on a computer for cut or copied items.
|
|
CODE
PAGE
|
See
HTML CHARACTER ENCODING.
|
|
COLUMN
|
In a
table, a vertical collection of cells.
|
|
COM
|
Component Object Model
|
|
|
A Microsoft standard which allows software modules to
communicate and interact; similar to OLE.
|
|
COMMENT
|
Text
that you can view in the Editor but that will not be displayed by
a web browser.
|
|
CONFIRMATION
FIELD
|
A
component that is replaced with the contents of a form field. It
is useful on a form confirmation page, where it can echo a users
name or any other data entered into a field.
|
|
CONFIRMATION
PAGE
|
A page that is displayed in a Web browser after a user has
submitted a form. The confirmation page usually displays the users
name and other data from the form. You specify a forms
confirmation page in the form handlers dialog box.
|
|
CONTENTS
PANE
|
The
portion of the screen which shows the files contained in the
folder selected.
|
|
CONVERTER
|
A
program that converts a text file, or a portion of a text file,
from one format to another. (See also FILTER)
|
|
COOKIE
|
A piece of information sent by a web server to a web
browser that the browser software is expected to save and to send
back to the server whenever the browser make additional requests
from the server. Cookies
might contain information such as login or registration
information, on-line "shopping cart" information, user
preferences, etc. When
a server receives a request from a browser that includes a cookie,
the server is able to use the information stored in the cookie.
Cookies are usually set to expire after a predetermined
amount of time and cannot read the PC's hard drive.
|
|
COPYRIGHT
|
|
|
CORBA
|
Common Object Request Broker
|
|
|
Competes with COM allowing software modules to communicate
and interact; similar to OLE.
|
|
CPFR
|
Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment
|
|
|
A supply chain term
|
|
CROP
|
To reduce the size of an image by eliminating all portions
outside of a resizable box that is dragged over the image.
|
|
CUI
|
Common User Interface
|
|
CUSTOM
DICTIONARY
|
A list
of words not in the standard dictionary but that an author wants
accepted by the spelling checker as correct.
|
|
CYBERSPACE
|
Term originated by author William Gibson in his novel, Neuromancer. The word is currently used to describe the whole range of
information resources available through computer networks.
|
|
D
|
Return
to Top
|
|
DATA
ZONE
|
The logical, efficient grouping of related data fields that
are associated to facilitate both the capture by the writer and
comprehension by the reader of information elements recorded on a
form
|
|
DCOM
|
Distributed Component Object Model
A Microsoft standard which allows software modules to
communicate and interact on a network; similar to OLE.
|
|
DDP
|
Digital Demand Printing
User-controlled, limited laser printer production of an
electronic form template which is resident in a library on a
personal computer network and has been made available to
authorized users for local production (multiple copies), but which
contains no intelligence mapping.
|
|
DEFAULT
IMAGE HYPERLINK
|
In an image map, the hyperlink to follow when a user clicks
in an area where there are no hotspots on the image.
|
|
DEFINITION
|
The HTML style of the second paragraph of a pair of
paragraphs composing a definition list entry. The first paragraph
in the pair is the term.
|
|
DEFINITION
LIST
|
A list of alternating term and definition paragraphs. See
also term and definition.
|
|
DES
|
Data Encryption Standard
|
|
|
A block encryption method originally developed by IBM and
certified by the U.S. government for transmission of any data not
classified top secret.
|
|
DESCENDER
|
The
part of a lowercase letter that descends below the main body of
the letter; the part of a lowercase letter below the baseline of
the letter.
|
|
DESIGN
ANALYSIS
|
DESIGN ANALYSIS:
|
|
|
in addition to resulting in the design layout, increases
productivity by creating a basic business tool which is
self-instructive, |