Web Application Architecture Practice Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the physical and logical architecture of web applications as presented in the Digital Solutions curriculum.

Digital system

People, data, devices, software and networks working together.

Physical Architecture

The real-world machines and connections, including the client, network, and server.

Client

The component where the user interacts with the digital system.

Server

The component where the application responds to requests.

Logical Architecture

The specific jobs or functions a web application needs to perform, defining what each component does.

HTML

The frontend technology used for page structure and content.

CSS

The frontend technology used for appearance, layout, colours and spacing.

JavaScript

The frontend technology used for interactivity, behaviour and browser-side updates.

Backend Technologies

Python and Flask running on the application server to handle logic and validation.

Flask

A backend framework that receives requests, runs route functions, and returns responses.

Flask route

A Python function connected to a specific URL.

SQL

The language used to tell the database what to do, often used to build queries for stored records.

SQLite

The database engine that stores one or more databases containing tables, records, and persistent data.

HTTP

The protocol used for requests and responses between the Browser/Frontend and the Application Server/Backend.

Industry Deployment

A configuration where components run on different machines (Web/App Server, API Server, Database Server) for scale, reliability, and security.

Development Deployment

A configuration where the browser, Flask backend, and SQLite database file all run on a single device, such as a student laptop.