For
application-specific terms, refer to the help feature of that
application.
Refers to a typeface that does not have small lines (known as serifs) at the ends of the characters. The most commonly used sans serif typefaces on the web are Arial, Geneva, Verdana, and Helvetica. See Serif, Font.
A list of instructions to be executed. Scripts are interpreted by the software that executes them rather than being compiled, the way a language such as Java is. See PHP.
A simple programming language, such as JavaScript or Perl, used to automate the behavior of an application. See Perl, JavaScript.
Software that lets you search for content on the World Wide Web or within a website using keywords. See Keyword, Meta Tags.
Typefaces that have small lines added to the basic form of characters. Serif fonts are easier to read in print but are more difficult to read on a computer screen. The most common serif typefaces on the web are Times, Times New Roman, and Courier. See Sans Serif, Font.
A computer on a network that manages resources. A web server is a computer that stores web page files and sends them to browsers when requested. See Client-server System, Co-locating, Website.
Running programs on a web server rather than on the client computer. See Server-side Image Map, Client-side, PHP.
An image map that is processed on the server-side rather than the client-side. Most image maps are now client-side. See Client-side Image Map, Image Map.
Standard Generalized Markup Language. A language that formalizes markup and frees it of system and processing dependencies. HTML is based on SGML. See Markup, HTML, XML.
Software that is distributed free on a trial basis with the understanding that the user is expected to pay for it later if used regularly. See Freeware.
Site
Map
A visual model of a website's content that allows users to index through the site to find the information they are looking for, like an interactive table of contents.
A portion of an image cut to fit into an HTML table cell. Each slice can be optimitized independently, contain a link, and support animation and rollover effects. See Optimize, Table, Rollover.
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language. SMIL 1.0 is the W3C hardwaremendation for defining a markup language that describes web multimedia. See W3C, Markup.
Source
Code
The HTML code that makes up your web page. You can view the source code of any web page simply by selecting View and then Source (Page Source in Netscape Navigator).
An initial page used to capture the user's attention for a short time as a promotion or lead-in to the site's home page. See Home Page, Plug-in.
SSI
Server-Side Include. A variable value (for example, "Last modified date") that a server can include in an HTML file before it sends it to the requestor. See Home Page, Plug-in.
Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL works by using a public key to encrypt data that's transferred over the SSL connection. Both Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer support SSL, and many Web sites use the protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers. By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http. See PKI.
Websites whose content is fixed and does not change until new pages are uploaded to the web server. Static websites are not driven by a database.
Stickiness
Anything about a website that encourages a visitor to stay longer before clicking away and also to return to the website in the future. A website is sticky if a visitor tends to stay for a long time and returns to it.
A method of transferring multimedia content over the web so that it is processed by the client's system in a continuous stream and can begin to be displayed or played before the whole file has been transmitted. See ASF.
Structure
The information components within an HTML document. For example: headings, lists, and paragraphs.
Style
The format of an element. For example: color, font, size.
A document that defines rules for the layout of an HTML file. Used to define the style of elements within a table. See CSS.
Scalable Vector Graphics. An image format that is an application of XML. The SVG format enables the image to be viewed on a computer display of any size and resolution and allows for user interactivity. A plug-in is required to view it. See XML, Vector Graphic, Resolution.
SWF
The file extension for Flash animation files.