Page 118 - Electronic Commerce

Technology Infrastructure: The Internet and the World Wide Web

HTML and XML Editors
Web designers can create HTML documents in any general-purpose text editor or word
processor. However, a special-purpose HTML editor can help Web designers create Web 93
pages much more easily. HTML editors are also included as part of more sophisticated
programs that are sometimes called Web site design tools. With these programs, Web
designers can create and manage complete Web sites, including features for database
access, graphics, and fill-in forms. These programs display the Web page as it will appear
in a Web browser in one window and display the HTML-tagged text in another window.
The designer can edit in either window and changes are reflected in the other window.
For example, the designer can drag and drop objects such as graphics onto the Web
browser view page and the program automatically generates the HTML tags to position the
graphics.
Web site design programs also include features that allow the designer to create a
Web site on a PC and then upload the entire site (HTML documents, graphics files, and so
on) to a Web server computer. When the site needs to be edited later, the designer can
edit the copy of the site on the PC, and then instruct the program to synchronize those
changes on the copy of the site that resides on the Web server. The most widely used Web
site design tool is Adobe Dreamweaver.
XML files, like HTML files, can be created in any text editor. However, programs
designed to make the task of designing and managing XML files easier are also available.
These programs provide tag validation and XML creation capabilities in addition to
making the job of marking up text with XML tags more efficient. An example of a leading
XML editing program is XML Spy.

INTERNET C ONNECTI ON OPTIONS

The Internet is a set of interconnected networks. Most organizations have their computers
connected to each other using a network. Many families have their home computers
connected to each other in a network. Mobile phones are connected to the wireless phone
service provider’s network. These networks can be connected to the Internet in a number
of ways, as described in this section. Companies that provide Internet access to
individuals, businesses, and other organizations, called Internet access providers (IAPs)
or ISPs, usually offer several connection options. This section briefly describes current
connection choices and presents their advantages and disadvantages.

Connectivity Overview
ISPs offer several ways to connect to the Internet. The most common connection options
are voice-grade telephone lines, various types of broadband connections, leased lines, and
wireless. One of the major distinguishing factors between various ISPs and their
connection options is the bandwidth they offer. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can
travel through a communication medium per unit of time. The higher the bandwidth, the
more data can be transmitted in each second and the faster Web pages appear on your
screen. Each connection option offers different bandwidths, and each ISP offers varying
bandwidths for each connection option. Traffic on the Internet and at your local service

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