Printer Friendly Version

9- GLOSSARY

ColdFusion^TM: A product created by Allaire Corporation of Cambridge, Massachusetts. that includes a server and a development toolset designed to integrate databases and Web pages. With ColdFusion, a user can enter a zip code on a Web page, and the server will query a database for information on the nearest movie theaters and present the results in HTML form. ColdFusion Web pages include tags written in Cold Fusion Markup Language (CFML) that simplify integration with databases and avoid the use of more complex languages like C++ to create translating programs.

Content Management (CM) Solutions: A solution or tool (i.e., usually browser-based software running on a server) permitting business users throughout an organization to contribute Web content while a Web site administrator keeps control of the format and style of the web site and the approval process. In most cases, a dynamically generated Web site is needed in order to take advantage of a CM solution.

Extranet: Usually associated with a Web site, or group of Web sites, allowing suppliers, customers, and/or business partners to access a corporate Web site.

Intranet: Usually an internal Web site used by an organization or business, not typically accessed by non-employees.

GIF (Graphics Interface Format): A format for encoding images into computer readable bits.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language): An authoring language used to create pages for the World Wide Web.

HTML Tag (HyperText Markup Language Tag): Symbols used in HTML to point out type, format, structure, and other page elements.

Java: Sun Microsystems software that lets software run on any machine to “write once and run anywhere.” In other words, programs could be anywhere on the Web and run anywhere. Traditionally, programs have resided on one computer and are intended for use on just that computer.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): A compression and decompression standard used for transmitting and receiving still color images. JPEG converts a color image into rows of pixels or picture elements, which consist of “dots of color image each with numerical value.”  The image is further reduced by the subtraction of every other pixel. On the receiving end, the process is reversed.

PDF (Portable Document Format): A standardized file format developed for Internet documents.

Portal:             An Internet gateway or content aggregator that gives visitors access to a variety of information from a single well-planned Web site. Visitors have access to data in data warehouses, on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Retention Management) systems. They may also have access to weather, stock, news, and other information from third-party online sources.

SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language): A text-based language that was developed in 1986 to describe the content and structure of digital documents for use on otherwise incompatible platforms. SGML describes information and structure separately. (See HTML, which is a descendent of SGML)

XHTML: Extensible Hypertext Markup Language is a hybrid between HTML and XML specifically designed for Net device displays.

XHTML is a markup language written in XML; therefore, it is an XML application.

XHTML uses three XML namespaces (used to qualify element and attributes names by associating them with namespaces identified by URI references. Namespaces prevent identically custom-named tags that may be used in different XML documents from being read the same way), which correspond to three HTML 4.0 DTDs: Strict, Transitional, and Frameset.

XHTML markup must conform to the markup standards defined in a HTML DTD.

When applied to Net devices, XHTML must go through a modularization process. This enables XHTML pages to be read by many different platforms.  A device designer, using standard building blocks, will specify which elements are supported. Content creators will then target these building blocks--or modules. Because these modules conform to certain standards, XHTML's extensibility ensures that layout and presentation stay true-to-form over any platform.

XML: (extensible Markup Language): A new specification developed for the Web and based on SGML. It allows Web designers to use special tags to obtain new functionality. When Web designers use XML, Web servers can communicate with each other, permitting smoother information exchanges between vendors and customers and vendors and partners.

Web Application Server: A program run on a mid-sized machine that handles all application operations between browser-based computers and a company’s back-end business applications or databases. Because many databases cannot interpret commands written in HTML, the application server works as a translator, allowing, for example, a customer with a browser to search an online retailer’s database for pricing information.

WYSIWYG: An acronym for “What You See Is What You Get”: What is on the monitor is what will be on the page.

Sources: Newton’s Telecom Dictionary, 16^th and 15^th editions; Webopedia.com).

Copyright 2001, All Rights Reserved, Ektron, Inc.
No material herein may be copied or duplicated without the permission of the copyright holder.

Table of Contents

Index
1—Introduction
2—Implementing a Content Management Solution
3—Benefits of using a Content Management Solution
4—Market Overview
5—Keeping User Needs in Mind
6—Cost Considerations
7—Recommendations and Conclusions
8—Reference
9—Glossary
10—Sources

Printer Friendly Version

Copyright 2001, All Rights Reserved, Ektron, Inc.
No material herein may be copied or duplicated without the permission of the copyright holder.