First we're going to start with working on searching
the Internet.
Online students should read the Internet Tutorials on the
main CS150 web page, especially the using search engines part.
We've already discussed how domain names are the text equivelent to a IP address. You still need to know that, but now we will discuss how the IP and domain match up, and how you can find out what domain names are available.
- You get IP address from your ISP or from any company that can host Web pages. The IP addresses go along with the servers of the company that is willing to host the Web page. There are hundreds of companies that can host Web pages, they range from $8.00 a month to $100's to host a Web page with one of these companies.
- Usually you can buy a domain name from these companies also. If you want a domain name, or if you want to see if a domain name is available you should go to www.networksolutions.com. This company keeps the national database for all .com, .net and .org domain names.
- On average it is $70 for a two year ownership for a domain name. After you purchase your domain name then you get it transferred to a IP address that you get from a Web hosting company.
- Once your domain name and IP address is matched up with Network solutions the computers start broadcasting out that information to all the DNS servers which hold the tables that have that information. Eventually (short amount of time) all the DNS servers get updated with the new tables that have your IP and domain name, and then anybody can find your Web page.
CGI - Common gateway Interface - a program
that resides on the server (server-side application) that can handle forms
and information from the Web Browser.
Java Applets - Client-side applications,
they download to the browser and run on the client, they are usually applications
that are embedded into the Web page
Javascript - Small set of instructions for
the Browser to interpet and display. Javascript is also embedded in the HTML.
A subset of the Java Programming language
VRML - Virtual Modeling Language - allows
3D content over the Internet, you need a special browser plug-in to view
VRML worlds
Streaming Audio/Video - Real Player is one
type of application that allows viewing streaming video and audio.
Shockwave/Shockrave/FLASH - The Mona
Lisa picture on my homepage is an example of Flash animation. It allows for
interaction with the user, it is a client side application.
Secured Data Encryption - At the bottom of
most browsers you can see lock when you enter a secured data encryption site.
These sites take the information given the browser by the user (filling in
forms, such as the login page on my quizzes) and scrambles the infomation
before it sends it back to the server. After the information gets back to
the server it is descrambled and then it is used by a CGI program that is
mentioned above. The information is scrambled so anybody that intercepts
the info between client and server can not descramble the info and use it
(eg. Credit Cards).
Downloads/plugins - A whole lists of downloads. Games, business, and many more misc free programs.
Java game - Just a small Java Applet that I programmed, a Hangman game, no need for plug-ins to play Java Applets.
- Shareware vs Freeware - Both types of items are available on this site.
- Freeware is public domain
- Shareware is good for firms or programmers that can't afford marketing. The program is a trial version, it might expire, be a limited version or some the application will have some other annoying criteria that will make the user want to pay for a full version.