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What is a Web browser, web page, web site, web server, web host, domain name, registrar, plugin and web authoring software?Web Browser Terminology for Future Web Site Developers
Congratulations on your recent decision to build a web site for your personal or business needs. If you are going to design a web site (especially for a business), you should invest time in studying how the Internet works and the basic elements of web design before getting started. Exploring web browser terminology represents a great starting point. This article provides a brief introduction to the following computer terms—web browser, web page, HTML, web site, World Wide Web (WWW), server, web host, domain name, domain name system (DNS), Internet protocol, registrar, plug-in, and web authoring software. What is a Web Browser? A web browser is a software package that allows you to see the graphics and text of a web site. A highly popular browser is Internet Explorer, but you might also use a proprietary web browser provided by your Internet service, such as America Online or Juno. What is a Web Page? This term refers to a page of text containing coded messages (written in HTML) that tell a web browser what to do. For a business web site, you will design multiple web pages. What is HTML? This acronym refers to hypertext markup language. Essentially, this is a programming language consisting of codes. When these codes are combined according to the rules of the programming language, computers are programmed to display a web page a certain way. What is a Web Site? The term web site is often used in reference to the Internet. But what exactly is it? A web site is a collection of web pages (and other digital assets like videos and images) connected to one central home page, like a table of contents. Web sites around the world accessible by the public are collectively called the World Wide Web (WWW). What is a Web Server? A server is a very powerful computer owned by a company that specializes in storing massive amounts of web sites. This computer is always connected to the Internet. Consider that your web site is called “www.triperrific.com.” Every time a user types in www.triperrific(dot)com into a web browser, the server will return the contents of your web site to the user. What is a Web Host? A web host, or web hosting service, is a company that agrees to provide space on its server for your web site. You can shop around on the Internet for a web hosting service. Your options will vary from free hosting to a larger sum (like $50-100 per month). Generally, the more megabytes of memory contained in your web site, the more you will pay for monthly web hosting. What is a Domain Name? Your web site must have a unique name as a part of the Domain Name System (DNS). The DNS enables users to navigate the Internet. Every computer connected to the Internet has its own distinct Internet address—a string of numbers called the IP (Internet Protocol) address. For example, in the fictional web site above (www.triperrific.com), there would be a unique string of numbers for the Internet address of that web site. Because numbers in a long string are difficult to recall, the domain name enables users to easily find the correct Internet address (or home of the web site). What is a Registrar? When you are ready to build your own web site, you will pay a fee to an internationally accredited registrar to register your unique domain name in the central registry. This domain name consists of a unique string of letters and symbols. When this string is typed into the web browser, users can access your web site from anywhere in the world. What is a Plug-in? When you are working in a web browser such as Internet Explorer or America Online (AOL), you may prompted by a dialog box that pops up in your browser. This box typically contains a message in the form of question. For example, you might be asked: “Do you want to install a plug-in for Shockwave Flash?” When you see this type of message, decide if you want to allow the web site to download that plug-in to your computer. By clicking “yes,” you give permission to the web site to download a small program to your machine. If you are not sure, it is best to choose “no.” You can always go and search for a plug-in title (i.e. Shockwave Flash) in Google. After reading about the plug-in, you can determine if you need that program. What is a Web Authoring Software? A web authoring software is a software package that enables you to write your own web pages. As you tell a software program what type of text and graphics you want to display on your web page, the software writes the HTML code for your web page. One topic worth your further investigation is free software, or open source software. You can use a search engine like Google to find a free, downloadable version of web authoring software and save a bundle on software costs. Now that you’ve read about these common computer terms, you are ready to understand how to approach the process of building a web site. Basically, you will use a web authoring software to create a collection of web pages. Remember that the software will write the HTML code for you. In the software (such as Microsoft FrontPage or Dreamweaver), you will select from many options, including font size, font color, shapes, photographs, borders, tables, fill colors, and images to create unique web pages. Using a template, or standard form, for your web site inside your web authoring program is a great time saver when you are designing your web pages. For example, if you want every page to have blue text on a white background and a custom header across the top of the page, you can select a template in Microsoft FrontPage 2007 (or an earlier version) for your design. Many web authoring software programs provide dozens, or even hundreds, of templates for your consideration. There are many other aspects of web development that impact the planning of your business web site. Your goal is to design user-friendly pages that give your business a positive image. However, if you access the Help feature in a web authoring package, you can build all of your web pages easily and quickly. When you begin developing your web pages, remember to consider basic factors that will distinguish your web site as a unique environment. For example, consider what your web site’s purpose is, who your audience is, what kind of information and images you want to display, and what other features your web pages will contain. You can also map out on paper how many pages you will need and how they will link to the main page and to each other. Organizing a web site in layers is another topic for your future research. Undertaking web development for your business or personal needs is daunting for novices. Fortunately, computer software companies have created web authoring software packages that are user-friendly with extensive Help features and online customer support. If you prefer the basics, you also have the option to buy a printed book for a particular web authoring package (such as Microsoft FrontPage). Good luck with your web development plans! |
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