XHTML Definition
Stands for "Extensible Hypertext Markup Language." Yes, apparently "Extensible" starts with an "X." XHTML is a spinoff of the hypertext markup language (HTML) used for creating Web pages. It is based on the HTML 4.0 syntax, but has been modified to follow the guidelines of XML, the Extensible Markup Language. Therefore, XHTML 1.0 is sometimes referred to as HTML 5.0.
Because XHTML is "extensible," Web developers can create their own objects and tags for each Web page they build...
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HTML Definition
HTML Definition
Stands for "Hypertext Markup Language." HTML is the language used to create webpages. "Hypertext" refers to the hyperlinks that an HTML page may contain. "Markup language" refers to the way tags are used to define the page layout and elements within the page.
Below is an example of HTML used to define a basic webpage with a title and a single paragraph of text.
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<title>TechTerms.com</title>
</head>
<body>
&l...
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URL Definition
URL Definition
Stands for "Uniform Resource Locator." A URL is the address of a specific webpage or file on the Internet. For example, the URL of the TechTerms website is "http://techterms.com." The address of this page is "http://techterms.com/definition/url" and includes the following elements:
http:// – the URL prefix, which specifies the protocol used to access the location
techterms.com – the server name or IP address of the server
/definition/url – the path to the directory or file
...
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ASP Definition
ASP Definition
ASP has two different meanings in the IT world: 1) Application Service Provider, and 2) Active Server Page.
1) Application Service Provider
An Application Service Provider is a company or organization that provides software applications to customers over the Internet. These Internet-based applications are also known as "software as a service" (SaaS) and are often made available on a subscription basis. This means ASP clients often pay a monthly fee to use the software, rather th...
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PHP Definition
PHP Definition
Stands for "Hypertext Preprocessor." (It is a recursive acronym, if you can understand what that means.) PHP is an HTML-embedded Web scripting language. This means PHP code can be inserted into the HTML of a Web page. When a PHP page is accessed, the PHP code is read or "parsed" by the server the page resides on. The output from the PHP functions on the page are typically returned as HTML code, which can be read by the browser. Because the PHP code is transformed into HTML before ...
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JavaScript Definition
JavaScript Definition
JavaScript is a programming language commonly used in web development. It was originally developed by Netscape as a means to add dynamic and interactive elements to websites. While JavaScript is influenced by Java, the syntax is more similar to C and is based on ECMAScript, a scripting language developed by Sun Microsystems.
JavaScript is a client-side scripting language, which means the source code is processed by the client's web browser rather than on the web server. Th...
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Web Browser Definition
Web Browser Definition
A web browser, or simply "browser," is an application used to access and view websites. Common web browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari.
The primary function of a web browser is to render HTML, the code used to design or "mark up" webpages. Each time a browser loads a web page, it processes the HTML, which may include text, links, and references to images and other items, such as cascading style sheets and JavaScri...
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FTP Definition
FTP Definition
Stands for "File Transfer Protocol." FTP is a protocol designed for transferring files over the Internet. Files stored on an FTP server can be accessed using an FTP client, such as a web browser, FTP software program, or a command line interface.
An FTP server can be configured to enable different types of access. For example, an "anonymous FTP" configuration allows anyone to connect to the server. However, anonymous users may only be allowed to view certain directories and may n...
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TFTP Definition
TFTP Definition
Stands for "Trivial File Transfer Protocol." TFTP is a file transfer protocol similar to FTP, but is much more limited. Unlike FTP, TFTP does not support authentication and cannot change directories or list directory contents. Therefore, it is most often used to transfer individual files over a local network. TFTP may also be used to boot a computer system from a network-connected storage device.
While FTP connections use the TCP protocol, TFTP connections are made over UDP, whi...
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What is a Protocol?
What is a Protocol?
A protocol is a standard set of rules that allow electronic devices to communicate with each other. These rules include what type of data may be transmitted, what commands are used to send and receive data, and how data transfers are confirmed.
You can think of a protocol as a spoken language. Each language has its own rules and vocabulary. If two people share the same language, they can communicate effectively. Similarly, if two hardware devices support the same protocol...
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