Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Retrieving and Sending Web Pages
The fundamental purpose of a Web server is to process and respond to client requests that
are sent using HTTP. In response to such a request, the Web server program locates and
fetches the appropriate Web page, creates an HTTP header, and appends the HTML doc-
ument to it. For dynamic pages, the server involves other programs, retrieves the results from
the back-end process, formats the response, and sends the pages and other objects to the
requesting client program.
Web Site Tracking
Web servers capture visitors' information, including who is visiting the Web site (the visitor's
IP address), what search engines and keywords they used to find the site, how long their Web
browser viewed the site, the date and time of each visit, and which pages were displayed. This
data is placed into a Web log file for future analysis.
Web Site Development
Web site development tools
include features such as an HTML/visual Web page editor
(e.g., Microsoft Expression Web, Adobe Dreamweaver, NetStudio Easy Web Graphics, and
SoftQuad HoTMetaL Pro), software development kits that include sample code and code
development instructions for languages such as Java or Visual Basic, and Web page upload
support to move Web pages from a development PC to the Web site. The tools bundled with
the Web server software depend on which Web server software you select.
Web site development tools
Tools used to develop a Web site,
including HTML or visual Web page
editor, software development kits,
and Web page upload support.
Web Page Construction
Web page construction software
uses HTML editors and extensions to produce Web
pages—either static or dynamic.
Static Web pages
always contain the same information—
for example, a page that provides text about the history of the company or a photo of corporate
headquarters.
Dynamic Web pages
contain variable information and are built to respond to
a specific Web site visitor's request. For example, if a Web site visitor inquires about the
availability of a certain product by entering a product identification number, the Web server
searches the product inventory database and generates a dynamic Web page based on the
current product information it found, thus fulfilling the visitor's request. This same request
by another visitor later in the day might yield different results due to ongoing changes in
product inventory. A server that handles dynamic content must be able to access information
from a variety of databases. The use of open database connectivity enables the Web server to
assemble information from different database management systems, such as SQL Server,
Oracle, and Informix.
Web page construction
software
Software that uses Web editors and
extensions to produce both static
and dynamic Web pages.
static Web pages
Web pages that always contain the
same information.
dynamic Web pages
Web pages containing variable
information that are built to respond
to a specific Web visitor's request.
E-Commerce Software
After you have located or built a host server, including the hardware, operating system,
and Web server software, you can begin to investigate and install e-commerce software.
E-commerce software must support five core tasks: catalog management, product configu-
ration, shopping cart facilities, e-commerce transaction processing, and Web traffic data
analysis.
The specific e-commerce software you choose to purchase or install depends on whether
you are setting up for B2B or B2C transactions. For example, B2B transactions do not include
sales tax calculations if they involve items purchased for resale, and software to support B2B
must incorporate electronic data transfers between business partners, such as purchase orders,
shipping notices, and invoices. B2C software, on the other hand, must handle the compli-
cation of accounting for sales tax based on the current state laws and rules. However, it does
not need to support negotiation between buyer and seller.
Catalog Management
Any company that offers a wide range of products requires a real-time interactive catalog to
deliver customized content to a user's screen.
Catalog management software
combines different
product data formats into a standard format for uniform viewing, aggregating, and integrat-
ing catalog data. It also provides a central repository for easy access, retrieval, and updating
