by Curtis Carmichael

[ 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

absolute URL The entire Internet address of a Web page or other file. This URL must include a protocol (such as "http") to be considered absolute. For example, http://www.pcmachines.com/ is an absolute URL.

active hyperlink The selected hyperlink in a Web browser. The color red is default for active hyperlinks in many browsers.

animated GIF A GIF file (Graphic Interchange Format) saved as multiple image slides that display quickly in sequential order.

applet See Java applet.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) Primarily used for encoding 7-bit characters.

aspect ratio Refers to an image’s ratio (width to height)

B

background The supportive area behind your Web page material. The color white is default for backgrounds in many browsers.

background sound A sound file that generally initializes automatically as a Web page loads.

banner An image usually containing text and design elements. Banners are traditionally displayed at the beginning of a Web page document.

baud rate The modem connection speed. Baud rates cannot exceed a modem’s maximum speed. They may be reduced with such factors as the wire composition, network traffic, available memory, etc.

broken hyperlink A dysfunctional hyperlink indicating an incorrect URL, missing page, or other file.

browser See Web browser.

C

cell A rectangular or square table component usually containing text elements.

cell padding The area between cell data and the cell inside images.

cell spacing The area between cells.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) A script or program written to expand the capabilities of HTML. CGI is widely used for online form processing.

chat room An area on the World Wide Web where users meet to discuss various issues generally through the rapid exchange of brief messages.

check box A square form field that displays an "X" or check mark when selected. Check boxes are commonly found grouped together to offer multiple selection criteria.

click and dragging The method where a user clicks on a file or folder and relocates it to another location. This process can also be applied when creating shortcuts from program files.

clip art A collection of computer art intended as a simple, cost efficient alternative for implementing professional quality images into various publications. Use of clip art should be kept to the minimum whenever possible. This allows you to maintain a fresh, customized appearance most appropriate for your specific business or personality.

comment Text and other page elements intentionally hidden from Web browsers. They are typically used to name various layout sections but are also popular for listing the document creation date and page author.

D

DHTML (Dynamic HyperText Markup Language) Provides additional functionality not available through standard HTML. DHTML typically adds interactivity to a Web page.

discussion group An area on the World Wide Web where users can submit new topics or respond to previously submitted issues.

domain name Any address on the World Wide Web usually found in the format "www.anyname.com." Other popular variations of domain name endings include ".net", ".org", ".edu", and ".gov."

downloading The file transfer process, commences between one computer and another; both connected to a network.

drop-down menu field A rectangular form field that displays a list of selections when clicked upon.

E

editor A computer program that creates and modifies files, such as HTML editors which are used to create and modify Web pages and their content.

E-mail (Electronic mail) An electronic message usually sent from one computer to a remote server where it is retrieved by the recipient.

external hyperlink A hyperlink linking outside the current directory, usually to another server.

F

file A collection of data stored on a computer. For example, an HTML document is a computer file.

file type The format of a file. Referring to a file’s filename extension will usually reveal its file type. For example, in the image file "computer.gif," ".gif" is the file type.

folder A storage area on your computer storing files and other folders. Digital folders encourage proper organization of files.

form An area on a Web page consisting of data-entry fields.

form field An area on a form where a user inputs data.

frame A section of a frames page.

frames page A page dividing a single window into multiple parts for easier navigation and organization of Web site content.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Used to transfer files from one computer to another.

G

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) A graphical file format popularly used on the World Wide Web. GIFs have the capability to display quickly, due to their relatively high compression ratio.

H

hardware The physical parts of a computer system (i.e. keyboard, modem, monitor, mouse).

heading A paragraph style with six common sizes. Header size 1 (H1) is the largest while header size 6 (H6) is the smallest.

home page The introductory page to a Web site. A home page is usually saved as index.html or default.htm and is displayed by default when a user visits a Web site.

horizontal line Commonly used to separate sections on a Web page.

hotspot A defined area on an image map that contains a hyperlink.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) The primary computer programming language used to compose Web pages.

HTML attribute Refers to the properties of an HTML tag. For example, in <body background="back.gif">, the element background="back.gif" is an HTML attribute.

HTML tag An HTML component used to direct the method Web pages appear and function. For example, "body" is an HTML tag.

HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) The Internet protocol used to retrieve information from servers. It can be found within most absolute URLs.

hyperlink Used to navigate between Web pages and Web sites. The color blue is default for hyperlinks in many browsers.

hypertext A hyperlink attached to text.

I

image A picture or graphics file. The two most common image file formats used on the World Wide Web are GIF (.gif) and JPEG (.jpg).

image alignment Refers to how images and text are aligned with each other.

image map An image with hotspots linking to Web pages or other resources. The GIF and JPEG file formats support image maps.

instant messaging Offered through chat clients such as AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo! Pager. Users meet to discuss various issues generally through the rapid exchange of brief messages. Instant messaging is typically faster than most online chat rooms.

interlaced GIF A GIF image containing properties instructing the image to display gradually.

internal hyperlink A hyperlink leading to a file located on the current directory.

Internet The global computer network composed of millions of interconnected computers. The World Wide Web is the most popular Internet service.

Internet Explorer A popular World Wide Web browser developed by Microsoft Corporation.

intranet An internal computer network based on a local level. Intranets are common in large corporations.

ISP (Internet Service Provider) A company that provides access to the Internet.

J

Java A computer programming language commonly used to create Java applets for the Web. Java was developed by Sun Microsystems.

Java applet A mini Java program attached to a Web page. Java applets are great for adding interactivity to your pages.

JavaScript A computer programming language usually found interlaced with HTML code.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) A graphical file format. The JPEG file format is ideal for displaying high-resolution images such as photographs and image scans. JPEG is a compressed format, meaning it takes less time to display.

L

line break A special character that creates a new line.

link See hyperlink.

M

map Used to create a simplified view of your Web site architecture, which in turn make it easier for you to create your pages.

meta tag An HTML tag that appears in the <head> portion of the page.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) A common audio format on the World Wide Web. MIDI formats (.mid) are commonly used for Web page backgrounds due to their availability and potentially quick download time.

modem Hardware used to connect to the Internet and other computer systems. Modem types include 14.4, 28.8, 33.6, and 56.6 Kbps models.

mouse-over The operation where a user moves the cursor over a button, making it display a short description of the button’s capabilities.

N

navigation bar A page element incorporating navigational features.

Netscape Communicator A popular World Wide Web browser developed by Netscape Communications.

Net An abbreviated and common term for the Internet.

network A group of interconnected computers usually established to exchange information over a great distance. The Internet is the world’s largest computer network.

normal text The default paragraph style.

O

one-line text box A single-line form field.

P

page template A pre-designed document, such as a Web page, with elements typical to a pre-defined task.

page title A common page identifier inserted between the title tags.

paragraph style Sets the font type, font size, and other paragraph specifications.

PERL (Practical Extraction and Report Language) The programming language of choice for most CGI scripts. PERL offers advanced Web site functionality.

plug-in A software module that extends the capabilities of a Web browser.

progressive JPEG A JPEG enhancement allowing the image to be gradually displayed.

properties Characteristics of a Web page or other elements. For example, aspect ratio is an image property.

protocol Allows access to various files. Common Internet protocols include FTP, HTTP, and HTTPS.

publish The process of publicizing a document or a set of documents, as in a Web site.

push button A usually rectangular form field allowing the submission of data. Push buttons can also be used to reset a form to its original state.

R

radio button A circular form field similar to check boxes.

relative URL A simplified Internet Address that considers only the path from the current page to the destination. For example, images/header.jpg is a relative URL where the file "header.jpg" is stored in the "images" folder.

S

script A computer code that instructs the behavior of a program.

scrolling text box A multiple-line form field allowing the user to input a virtually unlimited amount of data into a larger environment vs. a one-line text box.

search service A service that finds information on the World Wide web based on user input. Popular search services include AltaVista, AOL NetFind, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek, LookSmart, Lycos, Magellan, WebCrawler, and Yahoo!

server A service computer connected on a network.

shortcut A file created with the intention of saving time in opening a particular program or file.

software Computer programs (i.e. World Wide Web browsers and word processors).

status bar The area on a World Wide Web browser that displays information about a Web page component or of an operation in progress.

T

table A collection of two or more cells on a Web page arranged in an organized structure.

table cell See cell.

tag See HTML tag.

target frame A named frame displaying a specific Web page.

text A term applied to a group of words. The color black is default for text in many browsers.

theme Gives a Web page an attractive and consistent appearance (i.e. a space-age or modernistic theme). It consists of common graphical page elements.

thumbnail A reduced image intended for viewing before investing in download time of the larger, more detailed version. Thumbnails usually contain hyperlinks to the larger image version.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) A high-resolution image format. TIFF image formats are commonly used for images with high image quality.

U

uploading The process of transferring files to a World Wide Web directory on a server computer. See also publish.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) The address for a Web page or other resource.

V

video clip A short video sequence.

virtual server A type of server with multiple Web site hosting capabilities. Every site on a virtual server has their own unique domain name and IP address.

virtual subdomain A domain address usually lacking the traditional "www." An example would be books.pcmachines.com. This is useful for both faster navigation and marketing purposes.

visited hyperlink An activated hyperlink on a Web page. The color purple is default for visited hyperlinks in many browsers.

VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) A language describing three-dimensional (3-D) atmospheres and their interactions.

W

WAV (Windows Waveform) An audio format created by Microsoft and identified by a filename extension of ".wav". This has become a standard PC audio format.

Web An abbreviated and common term for the World Wide Web.

Webmaster Any person responsible for maintaining a Web site.

Web browser A computer program with World Wide Web navigating capabilities. The two most common Web browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator.

Web page A single page on the World Wide Web integrating text, images, sounds, and videos.

window The viewable area of a publication.

World Wide Web The Internet service with a graphical interface. Millions of Web pages are on the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web may be abbreviated as "WWW" and is commonly referred to as the Net, the Web, or the information superhighway.

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). A type of HTML editor that creates Web pages in a graphical interface and appears as it would in a World Wide Web browser. No HTML programming is required in a WYSIWYG type browser.