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Top 5 Tech Terms

by Ashley Zimmerman

Don’t get lost in tech lingo! If you have a great new site idea or just want to bring your existing business online, it may be difficult to grasp some concepts without knowing specific terms. Don’t let this cause you frustration! By becoming familiar with just a few key definitions, you can feel more confident in the process and developing your site.

PHP – PHP is probably the most popular scripting language on the web used to enhance web pages. By using PHP, programmers can create username and password login pages, check details from a form, create forums, picture galleries, surveys, and liven up websites. The most popular explanation of just what PHP stands for is “Hypertext Pre-processor”. So why isn’t it HPP instead of PHP? The initials come from the earliest version of the program, which was called Personal Home Page Tools.  PHP is open source, runs on different platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, etc.) and is compatible with nearly all servers.

MYSQL – A computer “database”  is a collection of data. Specialized database software, like MySQL, are just programs that allow you store and retrieve data as efficiently as possible. If you think of it in comparison to Microsoft Access, MySQL is what holds all the tables while PHP acts as your field or question. Your forms are basically web pages with fields in them. With PHP and MySQL combined, you can create truly impressive websites.

OPEN SOURCE – Open source software means that the source code used to create a website is open and available to the public. While many programs are encrypted and do not allow for modification, iScripts offers completely open software. This means you can purchase the software and edit it at any point in the future. You may use our customization services, your own PHP programmer or edit the code yourself if you know the PHP programming language.

CONTROL PANEL – After purchasing the open source PHP/MySQL software, it will be installed on a server. This is your web host (like GoDaddy, BlueHost or various other providers). A control panel is a web-based interface provided by your hosting company. By logging into and accessing your control panel, you can manage your websites and services in a single place. To get your website up and running, you will need to install the software by logging into your Control Panel (or cPanel). If you would like iScripts to install the software for you, we will require your cPanel login details to access your account and get it set up so that you can bypass any additional hassle.

IP ADDRESS/DOMAIN/URL – What is the difference between these terms?
IP Addresses – An IP (Internet Protocol), is an identifier which sends and receives information across the Internet. It is made of 4 octets consisting of 32 numbers between 0 and 255, separated by periods. Whenever you are browsing the web or sending an email, an IP address (assigned to your computer) is required. URLs and Domains – A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a distinct web address on the Internet for a web page. It is easy for humans to remember URLs but the computer cannot “understand” this format.  For example, the URL or domain of a web page may be www.xyz.com, and its IP address 123.456.789.011.
The internet uses the Domain Name System to convert a URL to an IP address.

If you have any specific questions or feel that there are additional terms causing some confusion, give us a call at (800) 569 – 5538 or email sales@iscripts.com

Ask us your questions and we can tell you how it relates to your website and online business.

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