Website Address (URL = Uniform Resource Locator):

There are 4 important parts of URL. The first part is called Protocol, we know it as http:// stands
for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. The 2nd one is domain name (in many cases subdomain is
included) e.g., www.mydomain.com or www.subdomain.mydomain.com. The 3rd one is
Directory, just like a directory (folder) in your computer where the files located in specific area.
The 4th one is file name e.g., index.html or myfiles.html. Here is an example of complete
address of a website file http://small-appliances.co.cc/

What are static and dynamic Web pages?

Answer: Web pages can be either static or dynamic. "Static" means unchanged or constant,
while "dynamic" means changing or lively. Therefore, static Web pages contain the same
prebuilt content each time the page is loaded, while the content of dynamic Web pages can be
generated on-the-fly.

Standard HTML pages are static Web pages. They contain HTML code, which defines the
structure and content of the Web page. Each time an HTML page is loaded, it looks the same.
The only way the content of an HTML page will change is if the Web developer updates and
publishes the file.

Other types of Web pages, such as PHP, ASP, and JSP pages are dynamic Web pages. These
pages contain "server-side" code, which allows the server to generate unique content each time
the page is loaded. For example, the server may display the current time and date on the Web
page. It may also output a unique response based on a Web form the user filled out. Many
dynamic pages use server-side code to access database information, which enables the page's
content to be generated from information stored in the database. Websites that generate Web
pages from database information are often called database-driven websites.

You can often tell if a page is static or dynamic simply by looking at the page's file extension in
the URL, located in the address field of the Web browser. If it is ".htm" or ".html," the page is
probably static. If the extension is ".php," ".asp," or ".jsp," the page is most likely dynamic.
While not all dynamic Web pages contain dynamic content, most have at least some content that
is generated on-the-fly.

HTML

Stands for "Hyper-Text Markup Language." This is the language that Web pages are written in.
Also known as hypertext documents, Web pages must conform to the rules of HTML in order to
be displayed correctly in a Web browser. The HTML syntax is based on a list of tags that
describe the page's format and what is displayed on the Web page.

Fortunately, the HTML language is relatively easy to learn. Even more fortunately (so much for
good grammar), many Web development programs allow you to create Web pages using a
graphical interface. These programs allow you to place objects and text on the page and the
HTML code is written for you.

Static Website

Example: "The graphic designer created a simple static website with information about her
company."

A static website contains Web pages coded in HTML. The content of each page is fixed and does
not change unless it is edited and republished by the webmaster. Static websites are usually small
and only contain a few brochure-style Web pages. Large sites are typically designed as dynamic
websites, since they are easier to maintain.

Dynamic Website

Example: "The softball association created a dynamic website that provides current team and
player stats."

A dynamic website contains Web pages that are generated dynamically. Each time a user
accesses a page within a dynamic site, the HTML is generated in real-time and is sent to the
user's Web browser. The content is typically accessed from a database, which is why dynamic
websites are often called "database-driven" sites. Most large sites contain dynamic content, while
smaller sites may be designed as static websites.