web design terms and definitions

This list is provided by lingt to help you decide which services you need. For a more comprehensive list of terms go to netlingo.

This page contains many of the terms mentioned in our service list and throughout our site.

A browser is the means by which we surf the web. Browsers take the underlying computer language and turn it into a web page. Some popular browsers are Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Mozilla.

A counter counts the number of hits a specific web page has received. A counter is not an accurate way to keep track of the number of visitors your web site receives because many people may enter your site from a page other than the home page. It is often better to have ahostwho provides statistics for your entire site.

Cascading Style Sheets are used to style HTML and give much more control over the look and feel of a website than HTML alone. CSS allows one to separate content and style permitting faster updates and greater accessibility.

A database is basically an electronic storage unit for data. Data can be entered by users through a form or by the database manager. Data can then be retrieved from the database by using a scripting language to make a request from the server. Lingt uses PHP for its scripting language and MySQL databases.

Flash is a program developed by Macromedia that is used for animating. Flash has gained popularity on the web because it appears the same on all platforms and allbrowsers and it compresses data so that it loads quickly. The Flash player is now included in the newest versions of most browsers (i.e.. Explorer, Communicator). Macromedia claims that 98% of all internet users have the Flash player.

A form is used to request information from the user. A form consists at least one text box where users can enter information. The information is usually sent to an email address or stored in a file or database.

The homepage is typically the first page (entrance page) of a web site. A well-designed home page typically contains links to all of the important areas of the site and an intuitive and appealing interface.

A host is a computer where you store your web pages. The host usually has a continuous connection to the internet so that the pages can be viewed at all times. Hosting can be provided by millions of networked computers or by a single personal computer.

HTML (hypertext markup language) is the language that most web sites are built with. Unless otherwise stated, lingt's web design services use HTML.

The interface is where all of the action takes place on a web site. It is the point of interaction where you click on buttons to find other areas of the web site. The interface is typically repeated on every page of the web site.

My SQL is a programming language that is used to create and manipulate databases.

PHP is a scripting language and interpreter that is often used with databases on the internet. PHP differs from HTML because it is processed by the server before the user sees it (server-side processing). Because it is processed before the user sees it, it is more secure. HTML can be seen by viewing the source code in a web browser: PHP cannot.

A web site (actually a program) that acts as a card catalog for the Internet. Search engines attempt to index and locate desired information by searching for the keywords a user specifies. The ability to find this information depends on computer indices of Web resources that can be queried for these keywords. Some examples of search engines are Google, Lycos, and Ask Jeeves.

Search engine optimization is the process of enhancing a site so that it ranks higher in a given search engine. Search engine optimization is also known as search engine placement or search engine positioning.

The server is where the data is sent for processing before the user receives it. The server can be either software or the host computer in a network of computers.

Maintenance consists of updating material, fixing broken links, and changing content.

Web development differs from web design. Web development is the implementation of a design.

We currently serve all of the greater San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, and Santa Maria areas. Some of the towns that we serve are San Luis Obispo, Los Osos, Morro Bay, Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles, Santa Maria, Atascadero, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Oceano, Templeton, Nipomo, Cayucos, Cambria, Guadalupe, Creston, Shandon, San Simeon, Baywood Park, and many other nearby cities.

*We meet most of our clients in San Luis Obispo; however, we can meet elsewhere if it is more convenient for you. If you do not live on California's central coast, but would like to use our web design services, contact us for arrangements.