Q: What is a Database Application?
A: A database application is a computer program that uses the services of an already developed database management system.

Database Management systems come in many types from simple flat file databases to relational database systems like SQL Server, Sybase, Oracle and DB2.

Q: What is an Accounting Application?
A: A Database Application that stores accounting data in a Database.

Q: What is a Client / Server Application?
A: An application which is split into two parts. One part is the Client which is what the user sees and interacts with. The other part is the Server which is usually located on a different computer and is accessed over a computer network or the internet. Web Browsers and Web Servers are examples of Client / Server systems. Other types of client server systems exist as well. In one type of client server system the Client element consists of a program with one or more on screen forms to interact with the user and the Server is a database management system like SQL Server, Sybase, Oracle or DB2.

Q: What is an Applet or Servlet?
A: Applets and Servlets are small JAVA language plug-in programs.

Java Applets are programs that are written in Java and run on your web browser in a web page. Applets can perform a wide variety of tasks from database access and forms to web site navigation and graphics animation.

Java Servlets are programs that are written in Java and run on your web server. They perform tasks once only delegated to CGI programs.

Q: What is a Work Flow Application?
A: A Work Flow application has tasks that must be completed by several people on their computers. This flow is analogous to the path a piece of paper takes in a paper based system. An example would be a purchase requisition which needs to be created by the person requesting an item then approved by his manager and possibly their manager before being approved. After approval the requisition would be routed to the Purchasing Agent who might split the requisition into several Purchase Orders before submitting them to their manager for Approval and purchase.

Q: What is a Document Management System?
A: A system of archiving and storing electronic and paper based documents for subsequent retrieval and viewing or printing. Document Management systems also store "Meta Data" or information about the documents being archived to aid in the document retrieval process.

Q: What is a Multimedia Presentation Application?
A: A program that displays a multimedia presentation. In some cases the multimedia presentation is contained in a separate file but it can also be included in a stand alone configuration in a single file.

Q: What is Office Automation?
A: All the programs in Microsoft Office and many other software packages can be "Automated" with small scripts and programs. This feature can be used to customize the software packages to your business and handle work flow the automatic distribution of messages and files to co-workers or customers. Automation scripts can also be used to simplify repetitive tasks.

Q: What are Utility Applications?
A: Utility Applications are small programs that provide some special functionality like Data Conversion (converting data from one format to another) or merging. They are usually written specifically for one special task.

Q: What are Web Applications?
A: Web Applications are applications in which all interaction with users is handled through a Web Browser. The implementation consists of Web Pages, Programs and Scripts that exist on a Web Server or Database Server.

Q: What is Multi-Tiered Middleware?
A: Multi Tiered applications consist of different parts that fit together like the layers of a cake. These layers are interposed between the user and the companies database. These middle tiers are used to enforce business rules and safeguard company data.

Q: What are Back End Server Programs?
A: Application Programs that run on servers (dedicated computers located in closets or data centers which are not normally used by humans). They might be utility programs for massaging or converting data or the middle tiers of a client server system. Back End Server programs are a way to plug in specific new functionality to the programmable database and server programs that support your company.

Q: What is a SQL Database Server?
A: A server program that usually runs on a dedicated computer located in a closet or data centers which is not normally used by humans. Access to the data is done using a SQL (Structured Query Language) query over a computer network or the internet. SQL Server, Sybase, Oracle and DB2 are the most popular SQL Database Servers on the market.

Q: What Are ASP Pages?
A: Microsoft(r) Active Server Pages (ASP) is a server-side scripting environment that you can use to create interactive Web pages and build powerful Web applications. When the server receives a request for an ASP file, it processes server-side scripts contained in the file to build the HTML Web page that is sent to the browser. In addition to server-side scripts, ASP files can contain HTML (including related client-side scripts like Javascript) and calls to Windows COM components that perform a variety of tasks, such as connecting to a database or processing business logic etc.

Q: What Are PHP Pages?
A: PHP (Personal Home Page) is a server-side scripting environment that you can use to create interactive Web pages and build powerful Web applications. When the server receives a request for a PHP file, it processes server-side perl scripts contained in the file to build the HTML web page that is sent to the browser. In addition to HTML and related client-side scripts like javascript PHP files contain perl scripts which can perform a variety of tasks, such as connecting to a database and formatting returned data in an HTML format that can be displayed by any web browser.

Q: What Are JSP Pages?
A: JSP (Java Server Page) is a server-side scripting environment that you can use to create interactive Web pages and build powerful Web applications. When the server receives a request for a JSP file, it processes server-side java language code contained in the file to build the HTML web page that is sent to the browser. In addition to HTML and related client-side scripts like Javascript JSP files contain java language code which can perform a variety of tasks, such as connecting to a database and formatting returned data in an HTML format that can be displayed by any web browser.

Q: What Are Java Servlets?
A: Java Servlets are programs that are written in Java and run on your web server. They perform tasks once only delegated to CGI programs.

Q: What Are Java Applets?
A: Java Applets are programs that are written in Java and run on your web browser in a web page. Applets can perform a wide variety of tasks from database access and forms to web site navigation and graphics animation.

Q: What Are CGI Programs?
A: Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a standard for interfacing external programs with web servers. A plain HTML document that a Web server supplies is static, which means it exists in a constant state: a text file that doesn't change. A CGI program, on the other hand, is executed in real-time, so that it can output dynamic information. For example, let's say that you wanted to "hook up" your database to the World Wide Web, to allow people from all over the world to query it. Basically, you need to create a CGI program that your web server will execute to transmit information to the database engine, and receive the results back again and display them in a web browser.

Q: What Are CGI Scripts?
A: Common Gateway Interface (CGI) Scripts are like CGI programs but are written in a scripting language like perl or wsh instead of a programming language. Scripting languages are generally interpreted when they are executed. Programs are generally compiled by programmers before they can be run.

Q: What Is Perl ?
A: Practical Extraction and Reporting Language (PERL), is an interpreted computer language that functions on a wide variety of computers. It eclectically combines features and purposes of many programming languages. Perl is widely used for programming World Wide Web electronic forms and generally serves as a glue and gateway between systems, databases, and users.

Q: What Is WSH?
A: Windows Scripting Host (WSH) is a language-independent scripting host that allows you to run any script engine on the Windows operating system. For example, one script can be run with the VBScript script engine, and another could be run with Jscript, and yet another could be run with perl. WSH also extends the functionality of the scripting engines it supports by providing access to the Windows Common Object Model (COM) and all of the COM objects built into or installed on a Windows System. Distributed COM (DCOM) provides WSH scripts access to COM objects residing on other systems on a network.

Q: What Is C?
A: C was the natural name for the successor to a computer language called B. The C language was developed by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie of Bell Labs to program the UNIX based computers and equipment used in the telephone system. C is a general purpose language and is not specialized for any particular application. One of its main features is that it is available on almost every type of computer from a washing machine to a mainframe.

Q: What Is C++?
A: C++ is an Object Oriented extension to C. C++ enables software re-usability by supporting objects and multiple inheritance.

Q: What are Object Class Libraries?
A: Object Class Libraries are pre written and tested software objects and code that can readily be inherited and re-used in new applications very easily. this eliminates the need to re-invent the wheel in every software project re creating functionality that has already been developed and tested.