Websites Introduction

A website is a collection of files on the hard drive of a computer commonly known as a server, such servers have open access to the internet world. Unlike the computers we have in our homes and offices, the servers open doors allow files to be directly accessed and viewed by the public, in this case the files we speak of are specifically coded website files. It is possible to run a website from a home or office PC but doing so you would leave all the personal information you have stored there quite vulnerable and accessible to anyone who looks hard enough. You would also need to keep the computer on 24/7 - 365 days per year to allow your customers and visitors unrestricted access, it is for these reasons we can clearly state this method is not a practical solution for most people. So, given the above information we can state with confidence that these are some of the main reasons why 99.9% of website authors choose to use a professional website hosting company like ourselves to manage their files for them.  (Using the diagram above as an example) An internet user would type a domain name into their browser, example; www.ultimusonline.co.uk The users internet browser then submits the address in order to locate the domain names server, once found the domain server points traffic to the domain and websites host server. Finally the host server will relay all the information it holds for the specified domain directly to the users PC and hey presto a website should appear. "All in a matter of seconds" Lets take a closer look at a websites technical terms and how they actually work; The files, folders and directories that make up a website contain certain scripted text languages that use different techniques to relay their information to a websites visitor. Some of the more commonly known scripting names are shown below; HTML: An acronym for Hypertext Mark-up Language, HTML codes are interpreted by the web browser (Internet explorer etc) to format documents and website pages in a particular way, relaying the information to us at home in the form of website pages. PHP: An acronym for Hypertext Pre-Processor, similar to HTML it's a server side scripting language written in a HTML context. You have probably also seen the text HTTP in the address bar of your web browser; in fact, it should be in your address bar now in the form of http:// followed by the address of the site your visiting, in this case Ultimus Online. HTTP: An acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and is the protocol used by the World Wide Web (WWW.). HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to the various commands they receive from the hosted websites files. The three main attributes for any website are as follows; (1) Domain Name: You websites identity eg: www.ultimusonline.co.uk (2) Hosting Plan: Space on a publicly accessible server, packages suited by how much space and traffic are required & How many e-mails, amongst other things. (3) Website Files & Folders: These sit in your hosted webspace allowing people to view your website. We hope the above information gives you a good basic insight into how a website works, we have further tutorial information available all easily accessible by clicking the links below; Domain Names Explained Website Hosting Explained File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Explained Should you feel you require any further help or assistance in understanding any further details please contact us for further assistance.