Scripting and programming languages fall into two broad categories -
- 1. Client-Side
- Scripting languages designed for inclusion within an HTML Document.
The script is an integral part of the HTML Document delivered to the client
by the server. It is interpreted
and run within the browser application being used by the client.
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The HTML Document
Resides on the Server
and Includes a Script
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» |
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The Server Delivers
the HTML Document
to the Client Browser |
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» |
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The Client Browser
Receives the HTML Document
Reads and Interprets the Script | |
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» |
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The Client Browser
Displays the Script Result
within the Browser Application |
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| Server-Side |
Client-Side |
The most commonly used Client-Side scripting languages today are
JavaScript and its variants derived from Java
CSS (Cascading style sheets for Microsoft IExplorer) and
VBScript (Microsoft) derived from Visual Basic.
All these scripting languages, along with recent HTML language extensions supported or
developed by Netscape and Microsoft for its Internet Explorer browser interact to enable
the DHTML (Dynamic HTML) environment.
- 2. Server-Side
- Scripting languages designed to be placed, interpreted and run on the Internet
server which is delivering a website. Calls to a server-side script come from
the browser but the code is interpreted and run on the server. Results are
delivered to the client through the browser as webpages or add-ins to webpages.
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The HTML Document
Resides on the Server
and References a Script |
|
» |
|
The Server Delivers
the HTML Document
to the Client Browser |
|
» |
|
The Client Browser
Receives the HTML Document
and Calls the Script on the Server |
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» « |
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The Server Runs the Script
and Displays the Script Result
within the Client Browser |
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| Server-Side |
Client-Side |
There are many Server-Side scripting and programming languages and environments. Among the most
popular and widely used today are
| ASP | Active Server Pages (Microsoft) server-side scripting language and environment. |
| CGI | Common Gateway Interface standard communication environment. |
| Cold Fusion | Object-oriented server-side programming and scripting language and environment. |
| Java | Object-oriented programming language similar to C/C++. |
| Perl | Practical Extraction and Report Language object-oriented scripting language. |
| PHP | Personal Home Page Tools scripting language and environment. |
| Python | Object-oriented programming language similar to Perl. |
| XML | eXtensible Markup Language - an extension of HTML. |
| XSL | eXtensible Style Language - XML based style extensions. |
Scripting and programming languages extend the capabilites of HTML, and provide greater
control over content, style and functionality. Some of the richer web environments
such as XML, VRML and DHTML offer platforms for expanding the capabilities of simple HTML,
as well. For most simple web applications, however, HTML provides all the necessary
features for web authoring with the notable exception of data collection through forms
and forms processing. Forms require server-side processing using one of the
web-based programming languages and CGI.
A detailed discussion of scripting and programming for the enhancement of websites
is beyond the scope of this introductory course in HTML.
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