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The Internet and the computer world in general is full of acronyms, confusing
lingo, and technical gobbledeegook. Here is a quick list of some of the
terms explained in plain English. If you know of any other terms that you would
like to see here, please feel free to contact us.
C
C is a fast and elegant programming language created by Dennis Ritchie in 1972.
Depending on your needs, Technomages may use this language to tell the
computer to do something interactive on your web site. C++ is the most recent
version of C.
In case you might be wondering, C evolved from a language called B
designed by Ken Thompson. You can thank us if this ever becomes an
"answer" on Jeopardy.
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CGI
Every time you submit a form or do a search on the Internet, CGI
(Common Gateway Interface) is used to safely transfer your information so
that a CGI program can do its job. A CGI program can be written in just
about any computer language such as C, Perl, or Cold Fusion.
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Cold Fusion
Cold Fusion, by Macromedia, is a powerful web development tool that is
ideal for creating and maintaining large web sites. This robust language is an excellent
candidate for integrating your database to the Internet.
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Database
A database is an efficient and flexible program that stores and retrieves information.
The following is an example of what a database can do.
If the information of a telephone book was stored in a database, you could search
for anyone named John Smith, list people with phone numbers ending with 1234
(if you were bored), or find everyone who lives on Elm Street (like Freddy). You could
also search for all Tom Jones who live on Maple Avenue in a matter of seconds.
Try doing that with just a phonebook!
On the Internet, the easier and faster it is for a customer to find what they want,
the more likely they will buy your products or services. A Technomages designed
database will allow your customers to find the right information fast.
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Domain Name
Each site on the Internet has a numberical address like 207.112.63.75. A
domain name (such as www.technomages.net) is associated to this number to make
finding web sites easier. It's like associating a name to a phone number and
dialing the name to call someone.
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FTP
FTP stands for File Transter Protocol. As its name suggests, FTP is used to
transfer files between computers over the Internet. You would normally use
an FTP program as opposed to a web browser to transfer files.
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HTML
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. This language is simply a set of instructions
that your web browser reads to display text, links, images, and animations.
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HTTP
HTTP (HyperText Transter Protocol) is a set of rules for sending and retrieving
information (such as web pages and images) over the Internet. This protocol is
indicated in the web address (URL) as in http://www.technomages.net.
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Internet
Originaly created by the US Department of Defence, the Internet
has evolved from what was once called ARPNet (Advanced Research
Projects Network) into a vast network of computers that spans all across the
globe. The world wide web, e-mail, and FTP are all parts of the Internet.
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Java
Java is a set of technologies created by Sun Microsystems. One of these technologies
is a programing language called Java. The strength behind Java is once a program is
written, it can run on any type of computer that has a Java Virtual Machine (another
Java technology).
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JavaScript
JavaScript a programing language developed by Netscape Communications and
Sun Microsystems. This language is designed specifically for the web and
enhances HTML web pages by adding interactive features. If you've ever seen a
button on a web page change color when you move your mouse over it, that's
JavaScript at work.
Even though JavaScript and Java have similar names, these languages have
little in common.
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Megabyte
A megabyte is one million bytes. On a computer, one byte is equivalent to one
character such as the letter T. If an average word is 5 characters, then you
would be able to store 200000 words in one megabyte of space.
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ODBC
ODBC is an acronym for Open DataBase Connectivity. ODBC is simply a standard
way of accessing information from databases (or other storage formats) made by
different manufactures.
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Perl
Perl (Practical Extraction and Reporting Language) is a scripting language
written by Larry Wall. Because Perl is simple (for programmers anyway) and free, it is
one of the most popular languages used on the Internet.
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Script
Without getting into any technical details, a script is very small program.
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Search Engine
A search engine is a tool that allows you to find information on the Internet.
Typically, you would type in some keywords and click a search button to look
for information. Yahoo, AltaVista, and Google are examples of search engines
on the Internet.
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SQL
SQL, pronounced sequel, is a Structured Query Language. This language has a powerful
set of instructions used to manipulate or access information from a database.
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Streaming Audio & Video
Streaming is a method of sending audio and/or video over the Internet.
You can have a commerical video showing your products, play a clip of your latest
hit music, or have an narrator read a section of your new book. The possibilities are endless!
Need music for your web site? Technomages has a professional musician on staff.
Need video to be filmed? Technomages also has a seasoned videographer to meet
any and all of your needs.
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URL
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is basically an Internet address such as
www.technomages.net/glossary/index.cfm.
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