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CMS Terminology
A guide
to terms, definitions and abbreviations found in the world of CMS and
associated areas of IT- a CMS glossary and dictionary. For common
abbreviations, the conventions used, and other notes: please see the Notes on the Definitions at the foot of the page.
A - H -- this page
I - Z, numbers -- next page
ACL
access
control lists - another way of describing user privileges that infers a
more complete ability to control user groups and user rights, for
activities like viewing pages or editing them. The most common use of the term ACL now is to mean group roles: selecting a group of users with differing privileges, to form a group with access to specific content. The finer and more detailed the control - and therefore more capable - the more granular the ACL is said to be.
add-ons
small
programs added to another, that provide additional external
functionality. Another term with the same meaning is extensions. cf
plugins
address
a route direction, or filepath: the position of a file or command or Internet resource. Examples:
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
- this is the address or position of Internet Explorer on your PC.
http://www.a3webtech.com/index.php/cms-terms.html
- this is an Internet URL.
The first is a local address, a machine filepath (note backslash), the second a network address (note forward slash).
admin
slang
for the management process of a CMS. The admin backend is the
administrator's apparatus for adjusting all facets of the site's
operation and content. It is accessed by logging in, via a different
URL from the visible website's pages. The administrator is then
presented with options concerning all functions of the site. cf frontend
ADSL
(asymmetric,
sometimes asynchronous, digital subscriber line) aka DSL or broadband;
a fast connection. A bigger pipe than your ISDN or dial-up connection.
Basic broadband is 512 kbit down, 256 kbit up, which explains the
asymmetric part. Divide the numbers by 8 to get the speed you'll
achieve in kB (kilobytes), which is what we normally work with and
understand. Therefore, 512 over 8 = 64 kB, or the likely max download
speed for basic DSL.
DSL is a copper wire technology, providing a fast connection over basic twisted-pair wiring at reasonable distances. Cable DSL (ie cable TV providers' broadband) comes in via coaxial cable so the speed potential is much higher - as it is for fibre optic connections).
512 kbit DSL used to be a fast
connection, but now you can often get up to an 8 Mbit pipe; and 24MB in cities. DSL only
works at a finite distance from the Telephone Exchange, so that some rural
and coastal populations are second-class citizens as they always have
been and always will be. City dwellers call the tune. The percentage coverage of the population in the UK for instance is fairly high (around 98% depending on the source), but the physical coverage of the country is less perfect.
agnostic
the
new word for platform-independent (almost); 'xxxx-agnostic' means an
application doesn't care about any 'xxxx' during its operation.
AI
artificial
intelligence. A virtual lifeform or task executer created within a
computer; bots of one kind or another. At present these are on a fairly
small scale with limited functionality, but will undoubtedly grow in
capability.
analytics
qv statistics
API
(application
programming interface) the means by which additional functions can be
added to an application the handle a developer uses to add additional
features to a program. Some programs have none, some have notably
clever APIs. This determines whether or not it is possible, and how
easy it will be, to add plugins. Many modern programs are extensible,
because this allows easy future changes and also a means to leverage
the power of the huge developer community. This of course applies
especially in the open-source world, which has increasing power in the
software field.
ASP
a
Microsoft text-based code language used for semi or fully-dynamic
webapps like CMS. Such apps need to run on a Microsoft server, since
although PHP (the rival OSS script, normally associated with a LAMP
server) is often installed on an MS server, the reverse is not true.
ASP is frequently associated with .NET qv
app
application, program, software, digital tool.
beta version
a
new version of a program that is not thought to be perfect yet. An
application goes through several stages of authoring: it starts as an
alpha version, which is a 'first draft' and probably not all it should
be. When it has been worked on to the point that it runs more or less
correctly, but there are still plenty of bugs to be found, it goes to
beta. The beta version number then perhaps looks like this: NewApp 0.1b
(beta); and this version is normally released among the wider software
team for testing. After it's been kicked around and various changes
made, the version number might then be: NewApp 0.6b, for instance. At
this stage it may go out to wider beta testing among the community, who
thrash it around and report back on bugs. Finally, it gets sorted
enough that the app can be release as NewApp 1.0, though some firms use
a NewApp 1.0RC1 system first: a final beta level for release
candidates. In theory it is then a delta or gamma version (why
technogeeks want to play around with ancient Greek is a mystery). Then,
you buy it, and help them beta-test it a bit more; which leads us
nicely on to...
beta testers
everyone who buys a Windows operating system in its first year or two.
bit, Byte
a
bit is one piece of digital information; 8 bits = a Byte. Half a Byte,
i.e. four bits = a Nibble; a quarter Byte (2 bits) = a Crumb (and this
is not a joke).
BIOS
the
firmware in ROM that tells a computer how to start up and run; aka CMOS
settings. These instructions tell the PC what to do before the OS
starts.
blocks
the
term used in some projects to describe visible modules, on a dynamic
site: blocks of information on web pages, generated by a dynamic
website application such as a CMS, or by plugins. It is an alternative
term for sections of the displayed output, often arranged as central
content with left and/or right columns of blocks or modules.
blog
a
common CMS plugin. Originally this term was derived from web log,
though this is all but forgotten now. It refers to an online diary or
news page that is frequently updated, and commented on by readers. It
is interesting to note how polite they normally are.
bridging
a
term used to describe a less than complete integration of a new
function, which therefore does not qualify as a plugin. A piece of middleware software is needed to link the two applications. The advantages are that a capable app can be used instead of a more limited plugin; and the database and membership lists will be common.
category
a subsection within a section qv.
changelog
a log or record of changes made to software.
CI
content item qv, occasionally.
client (1)
a computer that accesses a (remote) service on another computer by some kind of network.
client (2)
app
that acts as a receptor and interpreter for a service of some sort
usually provided by another computer on a network, e.g. an email client
such as Thunderbird.
client-side CMS
An
application that runs on a local machine rather than a server. The CMS
is installed on your PC, it generates the site pages, and then they can
be uploaded to the server. Advantages: can provide a CMS-like solution
if there is no access to the server management, to set up databases;
needs no helper applications on the server. Disadvantages: not really a
CMS; normally provides little user-interaction or any other capability.
client-side scripting
a
process or script that is executed client-side (ie on the local machine
- the user's PC) by the users web browser, instead of on the web
server. This type of programming is an important part of the DHTML
concept, enabling web pages to be scripted; that is, to have different
and changing content depending on variables like user input or
environmental conditions (such as geolocation or time of day).
CMS
content
management system or systems: website (in our case) software that
normally resides on a server and delivers pages on request. Most run on
a database, and build the pages on-the-fly.
CM system/s
Another word for CMS. Has the advantage of providing a clearer plural form at less length than the full description.
CMTP
(components, modules, templates, and plugins) an acronym for all types of plugins, used by some projects in the world of CMS. Extensions or add-ons are yet more terms that are synonymous.
Coldfusion
Allaire's version of Flash, with a .cfm file extension. Normally used in association with ASP, on a Microsoft server.
code
the
various languages software is written in. A fine example of how there
could never be such a thing as a universal human language: already
there are hundreds of computer languages, from Delphi to VBasic, and
more coming every month. Code is either text-based or compiled: visible
as text on a page, or 'invisible' until decompiled.
coders
programmers,
developers, software authors - people who write code. No three coders
can agree exactly what their language is trying to achieve and how to
do it and so go off to write their own. Geeks is a synonym and may be
used in a positive, neutral or negative context.
community
a
distributed group of people interested in a particular subject, who
engage on or contribute to that topic. Commonly used to describe those
who surround a software project, especially an OSS one.
compatibility mode
qv legacy
compile, compiled
A
term used in CMS implementation to mean building up an application - or
application group - on a server, especially a LAMP server. Therefore,
"compile it on Linux" is often heard. A synonym (which might perhaps be
more accurate) is 'build'. Example:
http:// www. plainblack.com/rfe/request-for-enhancement/ change-in-install-directory-for-wre/1
[rebuild this URL to one unbroken line, no spaces]
component
an
extension that performs a more powerful function than a module, and can
often display this as a page entity of some type - sometimes in
conjunction with another module that may provide the visible part of
the function.
content changes
this
refers to editing or adding more text and images (or other filetypes)
to a CMS. It also infers creating new pages. It is the equivalent of
page changes on a normal site.
content item
an
individual piece of text, or a formatted item of some kind, that is
held and published separately by a CMS. Not quite the equivalent of a
page, on a flat site, it is nevertheless a convenient parallel.
database
or
DB - a structured collection of data, and the core of a dynamic site.
It is an application that holds data in a rapidly accessed format; in
this case, text and publishing details. The most popular on webservers
is MySQL; the most popular for PCs is the Windows Office suite
component Access.
deep
a
designation of website architecture where the layout replicates a tall
and narrow structure: to navigate between pages you move 'down' instead
of 'across'. Pages generally contain links to other pages that cannot
be reached except via that page. cf flat
deprecated
semi-obsolete:
still in existence but no longer used; may still be in evidence to
cater for backward-compatibility; of less importance.
development
(or
dev) testing and trialling. A development environment is that which
exists on a private LAN with no Internet connection, in use for testing
code or applications. Here, as well as the standard LAMP server
environment, a WAMP solution is used more frequently, as are application
servers and alternative server apps. Development
is the stage before an application is released; and then subsequent
work to improve it. Security has to be reduced for development, and
then when it is introduced, for public-facing applications, it is
harder to work on them. With more security comes less functionality. cf
production
DHTML
dynamic
HTML, an extension of HTML that enables, among other things, the
inclusion of small animations and dynamic menus in Web pages. DHTML
code may make use of CSS and JavaScript.
directory
a folder, or group of folders, that data resides in; often used to describe folders in the server webroot.
disc
any removable data storage disc, such as a floppy disc or a CD note spelling: disC.
disk
a non-removable data storage disk, such as the Hard Drive / Hard Disk note spelling: disK.
distro
distribution, commonly used to refer to any of the various Linux clones.
documentation
the
help files, user manuals and collected information on how to use a CMS.
It is now common to use a wiki, forums and other web pages for this
purpose. In general, documentation is not seen as a vital part of a
software application's make-up, and this applies especially to OSS. It
takes a very large project to enable anything other than token
documentation.
Document Object Model
(DOM)
form of representation of structured documents as an object-oriented
model; the official World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard for
representing structured documents in a platform- and language-neutral
manner. DOM is also the basis for a wide range of application
programming interfaces, some of which are standardised by the W3C.
DOMIT
an xml parser for PHP based on the DOM Level two specifications. It is lightweight, fast, and written purely in PHP.
drill down
to
navigate to, especially when referring to directory levels. In managing
a website, you might log in to the root directory, then drill down to
the public_html folder to make changes.
dynamic (1)
moving, mobile, not fixed. Antonym: static.
dynamic (2)
as
regards web pages: meaning that the information thereon is varied
according to who's asking and what they're asking. Interactive web
pages or sites. Recognisable by the URL, which will include a ? or a
PHP or ASP reference, etc, when raw and unrewritten.
dynamic (3)
a
dynamic local IP is a temporary address on your LAN, allocated when you
fire up your PC and log in to the network. It is used by the LAN when
fixed IPs (a more secure alternative) have not been allocated.
dynamic (4)
a
dynamic IP is a temporary IP given you by an ISP when you access by
dial-up modem or phone line ADSL. Next time you connect, it's changed.
ecommerce
electronic
commerce - specifically that occurring on the Internet, on websites
enabled for it with specialist applications. These are often referred
to as shopping carts. They can be standalone applications, or plugins
for a CMS. In order to qualify as one, a shopping cart must present a
product display with prices, tax, ordering and shipping variables; plus
payment methods that usually entail the use of a credit card. The final
stage of this procedure is called a checkout. An ecommerce application = a shopping cart = a standalone server program that allows vistors to buy products or services. A shopping cart may also be a plugin for another webapp such as a CMS.
email
electronic mail. Messages sent from PC to PC across the Internet.
email client
(or POP3 client) software that sends and receives your email, eg Outlook Express, Outlook, Mail (for Mac), Thunderbird, etc.
engine
a
core component of an app which drives a process, usually its main
function; or the app itself, providing a function other software
depends upon.
exploit
(noun)
a security vulnerability in an OS, server, or application, used to
attack it or gain entry. Plugging loopholes is a daily task for
sysadmins and coders defending against intrusion. To exploit (verb) =
to use a vulnerability.
extension
a
plugin for a CMS. It can be used as a term to describe plugins that
improve core functionality to a major degree; but in practice the
various terms for additional software add-ons are mixed and
non-specific, except as applied to a particular CMS where the community
insist on a tighter definition for these terms. Such terms include:
extension - plugin - add-on - module - Mambot - Wobject - CMTP; and/or
whatever else the authors prefer. qv plugins
FAQ
(frequently asked question) a commonly asked question and its
answer. Lists of FAQs are a popular way of providing help files online
and for computing-related issues; no doubt this trend will spread
offline.
filepath
the
address or route to a particular file or folder. Usefully displayed in
the Address Bar of a folder, if selected. Filepaths on a network are
shown slashed, as: /folder/file.txt; on a local machine, backslashed,
eg: \folder\file.txt
firmware
locked-in
software, usually on an EPROM, that runs a piece of hardware. Example:
the PC's BIOS, qv. These routines tell the machine what to do, before
the OS fires up; or on a standalone device such as a router, provide
the operating instructions.
flame
flaming
people on a forum is posting rude or insulting comments about them or
in direct answers. It's bad manners, but sometimes the kiddies just get
carried away.
flat (1)
(pages)
normal, not dynamic - standard html web pages with little or no
scripting; or of an origin that did not entail their building on
demand. A flat site is a standard HTML site.
flat (2)
a
designation of website architecture where the majority of pages are at
more or less one level; to navigate between them, one moves 'across'
rather than 'down'. cf deep
foreign key
a
field or group of fields in a database record that point to a key field
or group of fields of another database record in another table.
fork
a
software project diversion: a new project started with an older
established codebase, either going in a new direction or building on
the old one. Example: Mambo >> Joomla; UNIX >> Linux.
forum
the
accepted name now for a BB or bulletin board. A section of a website
with dynamic pages that accept posts (text entries) from readers, who
may carry on an almost real-time text conversation with others in that
community, or more usually one that can be left and returned to
periodically. Forums are a common CMS plugin, sometimes consisting of
the market leaders (vBulletin and SMF) being re-packaged or bridged to
suit. The main issue for developers is integrating the site membership
list.
The word forums is the correct plural of the term, being
an anglicised version rather than the strict Latin one, fora. This has
a parallel with datum, data, and datums - the two plurals both being
correct and having completely different meanings.
frame
web
pages often used to use frames in the past: separate sections within a
page that were actually discrete mini-pages themselves. It was a
convenient way of separating content in the days of tables and cells,
which were an unwieldy way of building a page and now superseded by
layers and CSS. Essentially, this method became obsolete around 2001 -
2002. There are numerous disadvantages to this approach, especially
from the point of view of search - and therefore commercial reality. If
a frame is used now, it will probably be an iframe qv.
free CMS
aka
open-source CMS - this refers to free software that the authors release
either as a leisure project or as a basis for income via support and
extension work.
frontend
the
visible part of a dynamic-engine managed website; more specifically,
the low-level access afforded to users who have content upload or
editing rights, but no access to the major admin functions. In
practice, such users login, and are then presented with options that
may include restricted authoring rights; this is the frontend. Frontend
access to a CMS is therefore restricted user access.
FTP
file
transfer protocol. The method used for multiple or large transfers of
data, eg uploading web pages, downloading large files.
geek
aka hacker, anorak:
a person who sits in front of a PC screen for much of their waking
hours, and who can code in four or more languages. (Hacker of course is
used here in its true sense, meaning a person who 'hacks around' with
code, and not its offline media sense.) To qualify for the name, a
person should ideally be able to code in four or more different
languages without (much) reference to a manual; frequently use a CVS
system; be a named dev on an application's credits; be incapable of
literate written communication or logical thought; and live on another
planet. A typical geek therefore worships *NIX OSs, but may frequently
work on code for web applications that run on Microsoft servers,
because it funds their 'real' work: coding open-source applications.
generic
of
a general kind, relating to a broad type and not a specific model, not
of a proprietary name or type; of the general class, not a branded
product.
gfx
shorthand for graphics, eg images, drawings, logos, etc.
gigabyte
1,000MB more or less (1,024 actually).
granular
as in 'granular permissions' - a description of fine-grained user rights control that implies a more detailed control of permissions than is present in the normal user levels. Applies especially to user group roles, where individual privileges can be allocated at a per-user level. A basic requirement for full ACL qv.
GUI
graphical
user interface: the mouse, cursor, and windows that we use everyday.
Before that, it was text-only the Grim and Distant Days of DOS. Be
thankful, very thankful, to Xerox's PARC unit who invented it, who
didn't know what they had and dumped it; then IBM who bought it &
crazily dumped it again (The Worst Business Mistake Of All Time?); and
Mac who saw it for what it was, grabbed it joyfully, and bought it
again; and finally MS who reputedly, er, 'borrowed' it, but were
cleared in court, and who founded a billion-dollar empire on it. Now
reduced to being called the skin by the cognoscenti.
gzip
gzip
is short for GNU zip, a GNU free software file compression program. An
extremely efficient compression format that can reduce some types of
filesizes dramatically; for example a 1MB text file can be reduced to
25kB.
hackers (1)
a
term always used in the past, and still so now among the fraternity, to
discuss an innocent coder who lives in a dark room trying to improve
Unix or Linux code and so on. A hacker, in the computer world, is a
coder who 'hacks around' with programming languages to earn his daily
crust, or for fun. It has been hijacked by the media and now, to the
outside world, means someone who tries to break into another's computer
via the Internet.
hackers (2)
a
fine movie about a naughty fellow who combined coding, Internet
burglary, and an advanced talent for 'social engineering': the
synthesis of evil code attacks and physical penetration of a target.
Luckily the Feds nabbed him and saved us from his exploits.
hard-coded
- or hand-coded - pages or
websites that are basically flat rather than dynamic; pages
that are built by hand. Semi-dynamic hand-built pages (PHP, ASP etc)
also qualify as hard-coded. The opposite, dynamic pages, are
machine-created.
harden
to
make an application more resistant to attack. All web-facing
applications are under attack. The Net is the easiest environment of
all in which to launch an attack, and an attacker always has the
advantage.
hardware
solid
chunks of metal, electronics, drives, and other bits that go to make up
your PC and anything else on the network. Software runs on it.
host (1)
(website host) the people who own the server that answers requests for your web pages.
host (2)
any
machine connected to a computer network, a node that has a hostname. In
most cases this term is probably incorrect insofar as the computer will
often be a client, and have a client - server relationship. However, it
hosts local services.
hostname
the unique name by which a network attached device is known on a network.
.htaccess
the
default name of Apache's directory-level configuration file, on a Linux
box. Can't be used (or even created with this name) on a Windows PC as
the OS won't accept the file name. Because of the full stop at the
start of the filename, it is designated an invisible file - in some
views it cannot be seen. Normally, an FTP app has to be set up to view
invisible files such as this; but if it cannot be, then these server
files can be accessed via the file manager in the contol panel.
html
(hypertext markup language) web page code.
html editor
a
web page editor that works mainly in text, as against a visual (GUI)
mode. Used by the more experienced. Example: NoteTabPro, and even
NotePad. cf visual editor
html email
email
in the form of a web page: unlike a standard text email, it can contain
colours, images, and also a lot of code. Some code may simply assist
interactivity; some may be intrusive, reporting back if the message is
opened, and on links clicked etc. Some may be malicious, if sent by
spammers and malware coders; html email, then, looks very nice but has
privacy issues.
http
(hypertext
transfer protocol) the Internet's main language. Invented by a British
scientist at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, officially therefore World #1 Geek,
and now W3C director), it enabled the birth of the Internet.
https
an
http connection with additional security measures, including
encryption. When connected, your browser address bar turns a sand-gold
colour, and/or displays a padlock icon.
CMS dictionary page 2 >>
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A Note on the Definitions
They
are somewhat personal, or even alternative in some cases, but fairly
accurate in spirit. For ultimate precision, you will have to look
elsewhere. A
little humour has been used in places, to lighten the load; if you
don't find this acceptable, we apologise, and suggest therapy.
Abbreviations
The following common abbreviations are used frequently:
| aka |
also known as |
| cf |
compare with |
| qv |
see elsewhere herein |
| eg |
for example |
| ie |
in other words |
| |
|
Acronyms
These
conglomerations of initials, such as RAID, proliferate alarmingly in
the radio, electronics and computer worlds. In fact it isn't at all
necessary to know or remember the precise words the initials represent,
since in many (most?) cases they are complete gibberish. Only the
overall meaning is of interest.
Conventions
Data
size is expressed as follows: kb = kilobit, kB = kilobyte, Mb =
megabit, MB = megabyte, GB = gigabyte, TB = terabyte. A small 'm' would
indicate 'milli-', a thousandth of). Micro-, a millionth of, is ΅ (like
a reversed U with a long tail, which you won't see properly if your
browser doesn't support it), but sometimes seen as a plain u if the
author cannot apply the correct format.
A
data size figure is correctly expressed in the following way: 99GB,
with no spaces between the number and descriptor (and note that this is
different from some other quantity measures, especially offline). We
don't always get it right.
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CMS Terms 
