BASIC SOFTWARE GLOSSARY
| Application
or language |
Manufacturer | Background and uses | Links |
| Access | Microsoft | Database Application -- Generates .asp Web pages from database, uses Structured Query Language (SQL) Usually part of the "Office" suite with Word, Excel and PowerPoint. | |
| Acrobat | Adobe | Prints to "portable document format" (.pdf) which is a single uneditable image of any combination of text and images. It is opened using a free reader that can be separate or embedded in a browser. | |
| Apache | NCSA National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois |
Web server application for Unix mainframe computers | |
| ASP | Microsoft | Dynamic Server Application -- ASP (Active server pages) produces HTML pages "on the fly" with input from the user. These are processed on a Microsoft Web server before the page is sent to the user. ASP is oten used as an interface for databases and to generate pages . | Microsoft
ASP site ASP 101 |
| Authorware | Macromedia | Multimedia / animation editing software. Purchased by Macromedia, no longer widely used. Similar to Macromedia's Flash. | Macromedia |
| Avid | Avid | Video editing hardware, software; often used in TV broadcasting | Avid |
| BBedit | freeware | Text / html editor | |
| C ++ | ANSI standardized programming language created by Bjarne Stroustrup |
The basic object-oriented programming language for creating large-scale applications. A related language, Java, is based on C++ but optimized for the distribution of program objects in a network (the Web). Java is somewhat simpler and easier to learn than C++ and has some advantages for Web use. Computer science majors need C++, Web Designers who have to choose will probably chose Java and PHP. |
|
| CDF |
Microsoft | One of many XML type languages, Channel Definition Format is "server push" technology. Instead of a user pulling information f rom a server, the user sets the channel and receives updated information. | CDF |
| CGI | Unix programming gateway | A Common Gateway Interface is a Unix application allowing interactive programs like TCL, Perl, C++, Visual Basic, AppleScript, or others to run on a server and then be displayed into html pages for Web use . | CGI Resource Index |
| Cold Fusion | Macromedia | Dynamic web server application, professionally oriented, ColdFusion Markup Language allows a Web site developer to create pages with variable information (text or graphics) that is filled in dynamically (on the fly) in response to variables such as user input. Along with the usual Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags that determine page layout and appearance, the page creator uses CFML tags to bring in content based on the results of a database query or user input. Files created with CFML are saved as ColdFusion templates with a ".cfm" extension. | |
| CoolEdit | JASC | Audio editng application | |
| CSS | World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) |
Cascading Style Sheets, an HTML extension | |
| Domino | IBM/Lotus | Dynamic Web server & database management application (Also see ASP, ColdFusion, JSP) | IBM Domino |
| Director | Macromedia | Complex multimedia editor for CD and Web (Also see Flash and Authorware) | |
| Dreamweaver | Macromedia | Popular, high quality HTML and JavaScript editor (Also see Adobe GoLive) | |
| ELM | NCSA | email reader for Unix (old) | |
| Excel | Microsoft | Spreadsheet application, also creates charts | |
| Explorer | Microsoft | Popular Web browser | |
| Fetch | Fetch Softworks | Simple FTP application for the Mac , early versions are free | Fetch Softworks |
| Flash | Macromedia | Interactive Animation / Multimedia application - files are appended with .swf for the compiled "player" program and ".fla" for the non-compiled working application file. | |
| FileMaker | Claris | Mac database application with Web extension (Also see Access, FoxPro) | |
| Fireworks | Macromedia | Digital imaging editor (Also see Adobe Photoshop) | |
| Freehand | Macromedia | Graphic design application (Also see Adobe Illustrator) | |
| Front Page | Microsoft | HTML editor, interactive program manager with unique server side requirements. Once a site becomes a FrontPage site it can't be edited with anything but FrontPage. | |
| FoxPro | Microsoft | Database program (Also see Access, FileMaker) | |
| FTP | Internet function | File transfer protocol; allows files to be sent from one computer to another a s text or as "binaries." Now built into most email software, in the pre-Web days of the Internet, "anonymous FTP" was a method of logging onto a server and retrieving files. | |
| Fusion | NetObjects | HTML editor & Web site management application | |
| Gif Builder | freeware | Animated GIF application, now possible with Fireworks or Photoshop. Gif Animator is the PC version. | |
| GoLive | Adobe | HTML editor (replaced PageMill) (Also see Dreamweaver) | |
| Gopher | Early Internet ap. | Hierarchichal text-only system; precursor to Web | |
| HTML | language | Hyper Text Markup Language, the original Web page markup language using tags and attributes that can be read by browsers. Uses either .html or .htm extension. | |
| HomePage | Claris | HTML editor (old); Used in the early 1990s, precursor to PageMill | |
| Imovie | Apple | Low end, easy to use video editing software from Apple | |
| Itunes | Apple | Computer music application, upgraded into world's largest music sales site | |
| Illustrator | Adobe | Graphic design program (Also see Macromedia Freehand) | |
| InDesign | Adobe | Desktop Publishing (replaced Pagemaker) (Also see Quark) | |
| ICQ | freeware | Search and Chat function | |
| IRC | Early Internet Application | Internet relay chat. This is usually now embedded in Web pages | |
| Java | Sun Microsystems | Programing and operating systems language designed for the Web. Java is very similar to the C++ language, but it is simpler. It can be used to create complete applications that may run on a single computer or be distributed in a network. It can also be used to build a small application module or applet for use as part of a Web page. Applets are small programs sent through the Internet that make it possible for a Web page user to interact with the page without waiting for complex signals to go back and forth through the network. | |
| JavaScript | Sun / Netscape | JavaScript
is not Java, despite the confusion similarity of names. Java Script
is an interpreted programming or script language comparable to Microsoft's
Visual Basic, Sun's Tcl, Perl, and IBM's REX. In general, script languages
are easier to learn and faster to code in than the more structured compiled
languages such as C++ and Java. JavaScripts are used for rollovers, for
automatically changing a formatted date on a Web page, for creating popup
window, and other simple animated functions, but not complex functions like
creating applications or creating Web pages on the fly. JavaScript code
can be imbedded in HTML pages and interpreted by the Web browser (or client).
JavaScript can also be run at the server as in Microsoft's Active Server
Pages before the page is sent to the requestor. |
Another Javascript site ... |
| Linux | Freeware | PC operating system based on Unix, increasingly used as platform for video systems; also used in Mac OS. | |
| Media 100 | Media 100 | Video editing hardware and software (Also see Avid) | |
| MediaPlayer | Microsoft | Video and audio browser plugin | |
| Mosaic | NCSA | Original Web browser (old) | |
| MOTU | Mark of the Unicorn | Audio editing program | |
| Netscape | Netscape | Popular Web browser | |
| Oracle | Oracle | Database, integrated Web data server | |
| PageMaker | Adobe | Desktop publishing; not for the Web (old -- see Quark, InDesign) | |
| PageMill | Adobe | HTML editor (old -- see Dreamweaver, GoLive) | |
| PaintshopPro | JASC | Low-cost digital image editor (Also see Photoshop, Fireworks) | |
| Perl | language |
Practical Extraction and Reporting Language -- a programming language that is similar to C++ and also includes a number of popular Unix functions and is often used in the common gateway interface (CGI) for example for processing forms. Perl is easier to learn and faster to code but not as robust. |
Perl |
| PhotoDraw | Microsoft | Mid-range digital image editor / discontinued. | |
| PhotoImpact | Ulead.com | Low-cost digital image editor | |
| PhotoShop | Adobe | Widely used digital image editor (expensive. Also see Fireworks, PhotoImpact) | |
| PhotoPrint | Correl | High-end digital image editor ( Aso see Fireworks, PhotoImpact, Photoshop) | |
| PHP | language |
Dynamic server language and interpreter that is freely available and used on Linux / Unix Web servers. PHP (the initials come from the earliest version of the program, which was called "Personal Home Page Tools" )i s comparable to Active Server Pages. PHP script is embedded within a Web page along with its HTML. Before the page is sent to a user , the server calls PHP to interpret and perform the operations called for in the server side PHP script. An HTML page that includes a PHP script is typically given a file name suffix of ".php" ".php3," or ".phtml". PHP is free and offered under an open source license. |
|
| PicturePublisher | MG | Mid-range digital image editor | |
| PowerPoint | Microsoft | Multimedia slideshow application, part of the Office suite (Word, Excel and Access) | |
| Pico | freeware | User friendly text editor for Unix (old) | |
| Pine | freeware | Mail reader for Unix (old) | |
| Premier | Adobe | Video Editing application, not highly recommended by professionals. | |
| Python | Open source language | An interpreted, object-oriented programming language similar to Perl but with clearer syntax and readability. Python is relatively easy to learn and can be interpreted in a number of operating systems, including UNIX-based systems, Mac OS, MS-DOS, OS/2, and various versions of Microsoft Windows 98. Python was created by Guido van Rossum, a former resident of the Netherlands and named for Monty Python's Flying Circus. The source code is freely available and open for modification and reuse. | Python |
| Quark | Quark | Desktop publishing, printing applications, not used for the Web -- In recent years often replaced by Adobe InDesign due to the obtuseness of the Quark software developers. A more salient cautionary tale about the arrogance of monopoly may be found only in the realm of IBM in the late 1970s., | |
| Quicktime | Apple | Browser helper for audio and video files; also server application for streaming audio and video over the Web. Usually uses .mov suffix. | |
| RealMedia | Real Networks | Browser plugin to read specially encoded real audio, video and other files over the Web . Usually uses .rm or .ra suffix. | |
| Shockwave | Macromedia | Browser plugin to read Flash, Director files over the Web . Usually uses .swf suffix | |
| SGML | language | Standard General Markup Language, early Web language, replaced by HTML | |
| SMIL | language | Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language | |
| SQL | language | Structured Query Language for databases, used by most database applications | |
| SoundEdit | Macromedia | SoundEdit 16 is not supported. | |
| SuperPaint | Claris | Graphic illustrations (old) | |
| Telnet | NSCA* | Internet function (basic) | |
| TCL | Sun Microsystems |
Tool Command Language is an interpreted script language developed by Dr. John Ousterhout at the University of California, Berkeley, and now developed and maintained by Sun. Tcl is comparable to: Netscape JavaScript, Microsoft's Visual Basic, Perl and others. TclBlend is a version of Tcl that works with Java language. Tcl has a companion program, Tool Kit, to help create a graphical user interface. |
TCL |
| Unix | Unix | Mainframe operating system originally developed by AT&T at Santa Cruz, very widely used, especially in large systems such as universities. | |
| Usenet | Early Internet ap. | Older Internet system for threaded email; also known as "news" groups. | |
| VI and VIM | Unix text editor | Versatile but not user friendly | |
| Visual Basic | Microsoft |
Visual Basic (VB) is a graphical programming environment where users choose and modify preselected sections of code written in the BASIC programming language. Since Visual Basic is easy to learn and fast to write code with, it's sometimes used to prototype an application that will later be written in a more difficult but efficient language. There is also a VB Script which is to Visual Basic approximately as JavaScript is to Java. |
Visual Basic |
| WinFTP | FTP for Windows | ||
| Word | Microsoft | Word processing / text editor | |
| Word Perfect | Correl | Word processing / text editor | |
| XML | language |
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a system of markup languages that give much higher functionality to Web pages than HTML. Early applications of XML include Microsoft's Channel Definition Format (CDF), which describes a channel. Another early application is ChartWare, which uses XML as a way to describe medical charts so that they can be shared by doctors. Yet another is SMIL, a multimedia application. Applications related to banking, e-commerce ordering, personal preference profiles, purchase orders, litigation documents, part lists, and many others are anticipated. |
IBM XML tutorial. |