A quick overview of the incorporation.
August 20, 2008
> What is a Web application?
A Web application is a software application that runs on the Internet or on an intranet. It is much more than just a web site. Some examples of Web applications
are the MSN.com web site, any online banking web site, or any internet e-mail service like Shaw mail or Yahoo!. Web applications are very popular because all a user needs
is a computer with internet access and a browser to gain access to the application.
> What does 'open source' mean?
Open Source is a term used for software (and the source code for that software) that is freely available to use. For an accurate 'Open Source' definition, see the Open Source Initiative Web Site
by clicking here.
> What are the differences between Web sites and Web applications?
Pages in a Web site are self contained. All the resources needed to display Web site pages are contained within a small group of static (or unchanging) files. Web sites can easily be hosted on
a variety of servers. Most Web site pages have '.html' file extensions.
Pages in a Web application cannot run by themselves (they are not self contained). They reference special programs to help them display their information to the user. These types of pages also have different file extensions.
For example '.jsp' or '.asp' are file extensions of Web application pages. In Web applications, the data shown on the pages can change (the pages are 'dynamic').
This means that you may not see the same information on a particular page all the time. It can be more difficult to move a Web application from one host server to another. Referenced programs need to be in place on the host server
for the Web application pages to work.
> What is a Domain Name?
Computers use IP addresses to identify and communicate with other computers over the internet. IP address are long lines of numbers (like 145.342.234.23) that
would be difficult for people to remember. Domain names (like www.NetFocusConsulting.com) 'mask' IP addresses and are more meaningful to internet users. A Domain name must be registered
and then configured to point to a particular IP address. Lengths of domain registrations can vary from one to ten years.
> HTML
> (HyperText Transfer Protocol) The language that web pages use to display information through web browsers.
>Java
> Java is a software coding language like Cobol or C++. Originally developed in the early 1990's for household electronic devices like microwaves, Java was found to
be very useful in coding software and supporting web application pages.
>JSP
> (Java Server Page) A type of web page that supports java code.
>ASP
> (Active Server Page) A type of web page that supports visual basic or .NET code.
>Web browser
> A type of software program that enables the user to 'surf' or view pages on the internet. Internet Explorer and Netscape are the
most popular web browsers currently available.
>Web server
> A computer that makes Web sites/applications available on the internet. Servers can be configured to run a specific technology. Servers can run Microsoft Web sites/applications (html,asp files),
or Java enabled sites/applications (html,jsp files). Some servers can support all types.
>XML
> (Extensible Markup Language) This language is becoming very popular for temporarily storing and transferring between applications.
>SQL
> (Structured Query Language) This language helps software applications manipulate data and communicate with databases.
>Platform
> Synonymous with operating system. Common platforms in use today are Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Unix.