Web Development LESSON 1-3

Internet

A network of connected computers governed by a system of standards and rules designed to share information.

Cold War

Historical geopolitical tension between the US and Soviet Union that served as a catalyst for creating survivable, distributed communications.

Sputnik

The Soviet Union satellite launch that spurred the U.S. Defense Department to design a decentralized network capable of surviving a nuclear attack.

ARPANET

Advanced Research Projects Agency Network; defense-funded network that evolved into the Internet.

January 1, 1983

The official birthday of the Internet, the date ARPANET and Defense Data Network officially switched to TCP/IP.

TCP/IP

Transfer Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol; communications standard enabling different computers across separate networks to talk to each other.

UNIVAC I

Universal Automatic Computer; first American commercial business computer delivered to Census Bureau in 1951 and GE in 1954.

World Wide Web (WWW)

Hypertext-based information management system proposed in 1989 at CERN allowing documents to be linked across networks.

CERN

European particle physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland where the World Wide Web was invented.

Tim Berners-Lee

The CERN computer specialist who proposed and created the initial prototype of the World Wide Web.

Robert Cailliau

Tim Berners-Lee's partner who co-created the prototype for the World Wide Web.

NCSA Mosaic

The first graphical browser, introduced in 1992, transitioning the Web into mass media.

W3C

World Wide Web Consortium; international standards community that oversees open web standards and accessibility guidelines.

1994

The year the Netscape web browser was released.

1998

The year the Google search engine was launched.

2004

The year Facebook was launched and the WHATWG was formed.

2007

The milestone year marking the release of the modern smartphone (iPhone).

2010

The milestone year marking the release of the tablet computer (iPad).

Protocol

A standardized method for transferring data or documents over a network.

HTTP

HyperText Transfer Protocol; request-response protocol used by the Web to define how messages are formatted and transmitted.

Intranet

A private, internal website or network protected by firewalls used to exchange information solely within an organization.

Extranet

A private network like an intranet that provides password-restricted access to select outside users such as clients or vendors.

Firewall

A security mechanism used to protect intranets from unauthorized outside access.

Web Application

An application accessed with a web browser over the Internet or an intranet.

Web Browser

Client software used to request resources, communicate with web servers, parse HTML, and render web pages.

Microsoft Edge

Web browser developed by Microsoft.

Mozilla Firefox

Open-source web browser developed by Mozilla.

Apple Safari

Web browser developed by Apple.

Google Chrome

Web browser developed by Google.

Opera

Web browser developed by Opera Software.

Web Client

The human user and/or browser software that requests resources from a server and displays results.

Web Server

Hardware machine or software program that receives client requests, locates resources, and transmits HTTP responses.

HTTP Request

Message sent from a client browser to a server requesting a specific document or file.

HTTP Response

Message returned by a web server containing status codes, headers, and requested document data.

404 Not Found

The standard HTTP error status code returned when a web server cannot locate the requested file.

IIS

Internet Information Services; proprietary web server software developed by Microsoft Windows.

Apache Web Server

Open-source, cross-platform web server software supporting UNIX, Linux, OS X, and Windows.

Nginx

High-performance web server software pronounced "engine x".

GWS

Google Web Server; Google's proprietary web server infrastructure.

HTTP Header

Metadata block in an HTTP message containing transmission data, browser/server info, and content types.

HTTP Body

The payload section of an HTTP message containing actual document content such as HTML code.

Cloud Computing

Delivery of virtualized IT infrastructure and computing services abstracted from physical hardware.

IaaS

Infrastructure-as-a-Service; pay-as-you-go access to fundamental compute, virtual servers, storage, and networking.

PaaS

Platform-as-a-Service; cloud provider hosts hardware, OS, runtime, and databases while developers manage applications and data.

SaaS

Software-as-a-Service; applications hosted entirely in the cloud accessed via browser or API where provider handles everything.

Server Virtualization

Running multiple operating systems and environments simultaneously on a single physical machine via a hypervisor.

Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM)

Software or hardware hypervisor layer managing physical system resources across multiple virtual operating systems.

Standalone Approach

Virtualization architecture where the VMM hypervisor runs directly on top of bare metal hardware.

Host-Guest Approach

Virtualization architecture where a guest OS runs inside a VMM installed on an underlying host operating system.

Botnet

Coordinated network of compromised computers running malicious bot programs controlled via a network connection.

Bot

Malicious application payload installed on an infected PC without user knowledge.

Command and Control (C&C) Server

A central IRC or web server used by botnet operators to broadcast instructions to compromised computers.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Network of physical objects with on/off switches and sensors communicating and exchanging telemetry over the Internet.

SMART Planning Cycle

Framework for project objectives: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

Specific (SMART)

Criterion ensuring an objective is detailed enough to convey full scope so implementation can begin.

Measurable (SMART)

Criterion ensuring an objective has a distinct, quantifiable indicator of completion.

Attainable (SMART)

Criterion verifying whether completing the task is physically or logistically possible at all.

Realistic (SMART)

Criterion determining if an objective can be achieved given available timelines and resource constraints.

Timely (SMART)

Criterion ensuring an objective is delivered by a useful, actionable deadline.

The Fold

The upper visible area of a web page before scrolling, prioritized for key branding and high-impact content.

Typography

The study of font styles, readability, conveying emotion or tone, and pairing harmonious type families.

Site Map

Hierarchical XML file or diagram placed in the root directory mapping site structure for search bots and users.

Wireframe

Visual skeletal layout or mockup mapping element positions, interface controls, and UX navigation pathways.

Framework

Comprehensive code compilation providing structural classes, functions, and architecture to build apps rapidly.

Yii Framework

Component-based PHP framework designed to reduce SQL statement writing using MVC architecture.

Ruby on Rails

Open-source MVC web development framework written in Ruby that runs on Linux.

AngularJS

Google-backed client-side JavaScript front-end framework using MVC patterns for single-page applications.

Node.js

Scalable, event-driven JavaScript backend environment suited for real-time, data-intensive distributed applications.

Laravel

Open-source PHP framework featuring an elegant syntax, dependency manager, and tools for deployment.

Django

Python-based MVC web framework built for security, scalability, and meeting rapid newsroom deadlines.

CodeIgniter

PHP application framework loosely following MVC where controllers are mandatory but models and views are optional.

Zend Framework

Object-oriented enterprise PHP framework aligned with agile methodology and high customizability.

Template

Pre-structured grid layout files with placeholder elements used to establish a website's look and feel rapidly.

Bootstrap

Open-source front-end framework developed by Twitter providing CSS, JavaScript, and UI components.

Foundation

Responsive front-end grid framework focused on multi-platform styling, rapid prototyping, and wireframing.

Visual Studio Code

Microsoft source code editor featuring built-in JavaScript/TypeScript/Node.js support and extensive language extensions.

Sublime Text

Fast, lightweight, clutter-free cross-platform code editor supporting multiple programming languages.

PyCharm

Python-focused IDE supporting web languages with both free and professional editions.

NetBeans

Free multi-language IDE supporting JavaScript, HTML, PHP, and C/C++.

Bluefish

Lightweight, cross-platform IDE supporting HTML, CSS, PHP, Python, Perl, and SQL.

Notepad++

Windows text editor offering syntax highlighting, tabbed document editing, regex find-replace, and macros.

API

Application Programming Interface; controlled gateway exposing data and routines using a predetermined vocabulary.

Mashup

A web application or service created by combining data and features from multiple third-party APIs.

SDK

Software Development Kit; package combining an API, documentation, and tools to help developers build apps.

Lessig's Three Layers

Model describing the Internet across Physical (hardware), Code (software commons), and Content (media) layers.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language; markup notation specifying the structure, layout, and contents of web pages.

Document Markup

Notation system that defines how manuscript or electronic document text is meant to be formatted and structured.

HTML Living Standard

The continuously updated, authoritative HTML specification maintained by WHATWG.

WHATWG

Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group; browser vendor consortium that maintains the HTML Living Standard.

DOM

Document Object Model; platform-independent tree structure representing HTML tags, attributes, and text in memory.

HTML Tag

Syntax element enclosed in angle brackets (<>) used to delimit the start and end of document elements.

HTML Element

A complete markup unit comprising the opening tag, attributes, contained text or nested tags, and closing tag.

Single Tag

An empty element lacking content and closing tags, written with a self-closing slash like .