Glossary

Database

A collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. You can think of a database as an electronic filing system.

A database is organized by fields, records, and files. A field is a single piece of information; a record is one complete set of fields; and a file is a collection of records. For example, a telephone book is analogous to a file. It contains a list of records, each of which consists of three fields: name, address, and telephone number.

To access information from a database, you need a database management system (DBMS). This is a collection of programs that enables you to enter, organize, and select data in a database. Increasingly, the term database is used as shorthand for database management system.

Dynamic

Refers to actions that take place at the moment they are needed rather than in advance. For example, many websites create pages on the fly by extracting the necessary information from a database at the time of a request. The opposite of dynamic is static.

Graphics

Diagrams and illustrations, or the presentation of information in the form of diagrams and illustrations as opposed to words and numbers.

Navigation

Usually refers to movement through a place, and in web design it refers to how the user moves, or can move, through the web site. The navigation system should be organized so that a user will experience the most direct and logical presentation of information.

Search capability

Indexing the content of a site into a file or database. A user of the site can then enter keywords into an input field and locate content on the site through this index.

Site map

Provides an overview of the entire site and allows the visitor to have a visualization of the site's content.

Static

May refer to a web site that does not need to be refreshed by the its web server or it can describe a web site that is not moving or changing.

What is a web-based management console?

Web based management consoles are accessed with standard web browser such as Internet Explorer. These consoles allow you to administer your web site through controls presented to you in a private area of your web site. The administration consoles that we build allow you to perform many administrative tasks through web-based forms. For example, you can add text and graphics, edit security privileges, and add/delete members. The advantage to these consoles is that they are in a familiar environment and you will not have to install proprietary software to work on the site.

What is a database-driven website?

A database-driven website is a website that uses a database to gather, display, or manipulate information. An example of this would be an "e-commerce" site using a database to store your online orders and billing information. Another example would be a site that displays current stock market information; it is retrieving this information from a database and displaying it on a website.

Database-driven websites are very powerful tools because they allow a site to be dynamically generated or customized to display the information that is relevant to each user. They allow a website to quickly and efficiently display a subset of relevant information selected from a larger pool. They also allow a website to be interactive and store information the user enters, for use in the rest of their visit to the website, or for use in other activities.

How can a database driven website help me?

Depending on the function and purpose of your website, a database may or may not be a useful tool to incorporate. They can be used for very simple tasks like maintaining contact information about your users or storing and displaying product information from your catalog. They can also be used to create complex, dynamic, interactive websites.

More and more websites are using databases for their primary functionality, especially when working with large quantities of information. If you are developing a site that will ever work with large quantities of information, information that changes frequently or requires customizable reporting features, or services that will attract many users to your site, a database will almost certainly be useful to you.

What is a web application?

A web application is any software that can be run through a web browser. Web applications offer many advantages:

Accessibility - Web applications can be accessed anywhere a user has Internet access. A salesman on the road in Portland, Oregon can log in and retrieve the same information that his co-worker is using in the home office in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Speed - Most web applications execute their computations on the server hosting the web site. The user requests information, the server processor calculates the answer, and then sends it to the user's workstation. This reduces the need to continually update multiple computers within an office.
Cost - Web applications do not have licensing issues. Any web application that eWebSoftware constructs for you can have unlimited users. In addition, because the computations are executed on the server side, there is no need to continually upgrade your computers.
Familiarity - Most employees are familiar with the workings of point and click environment of web browsers.

How can a web application provide me with competitive advantage?

A web application can give your business competitive advantage by:

Streamlining your business processes
Unlocking capital tied up in inventories with more efficient stockholding. This enables you to invest in alternative ventures or reduce your pricing thereby enabling you to offer products or services that offer better value for money than those offered by competitors.
Knowing your customers and their preferences
Offering loyalty programs
Stimulating your sales during off-peak periods by offering online coupons or other alternative marketing techniques
Offering alternative or value added services via your website

What is a web service?

Web services are the fundamental building blocks in the move to distributed computing on the Internet. Open standards and the focus on communication and collaboration among people and applications have created an environment where Web services are becoming the platform for application integration. Applications are constructed using multiple Web services from various sources that work together regardless of where they reside or how they were implemented.