Glossary


This glossary defines terms useful in understanding JavaScript applications.

active application. A JavaScript application that has been started, and can therefore be run, or accessed, by clients.

application URL. A page in a JavaScript application, relative to the base application URL. Clients use the application URL to access a particular page in the application.

ASCII. American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Defines the codes used to store characters in computers.

base application URL. The name of a JavaScript application, as specified in Application Manager. Clients use the application URL to access the default page of an application.

BLOb. Binary large object. The format of binary data stored in a relational database.

bytecodes. Platform-independent object code, intermediate between source code and platform-specific machine code.

CGI. Common Gateway Interface. A specification for communication between an HTTP server and gateway programs on the server. CGI is a popular interface used to create server-based web applications with languages such as Perl or C.

client. A web browser, such as Netscape Navigator.

client cookie. One of the methods that JavaScript uses to maintain properties of the client object. This method stores name/values pairs as cookies on the client machine.

client-side JavaScript. Core JavaScript plus extensions that control a browser (Navigator or another web browser) and its DOM. For example, client-side extensions allow an application to place elements on an HTML form and respond to user events such as mouse clicks, form input, and page navigation. See also core JavaScript, server-side JavaScript.

client URL encoding. One of the methods that JavaScript uses to maintain properties of the client object. This method appends name/value pairs to a URL string.

commit. To perform all the database actions in a transaction; the attempt to commit may succeed or fail, depending on the actions and the state of the database.

cookie. A mechanism by which the Navigator client can store small items of information on the client machine.

CORBA. Common Object Request Broker Architecture. A standard endorsed by the OMG (Object Management Group), the Object Request Broker (ORB) software that handles the communication between objects in a distributed computing environment.

core JavaScript. The elements common to both client-side and server-side JavaScript. Core JavaScript contains a core set of objects, such as Array, Date, and Math, and a core set of language elements such as operators, control structures, and statements. See also client-side JavaScript, server-side JavaScript.

critical section. A section of code in which you need exclusive access to an object or property to ensure data consistency.

current row. A row in a table referred to by a database cursor.

current transaction. In a database application, the active transaction under which all database actions are performed.

cursor. A data structure returned by a database query, consisting of a virtual table and a pointer to a row in the virtual table; the JavaScript Cursor object has corresponding properties and methods.

DDL. Data Definition Language. Database statements to create, alter, or delete database objects such as tables, keys, stored procedures, and so on.

deadlock. The situation in which two processes each wait for the other to finish a task before continuing. If each waits for the other, neither can continue.

default page. The page, specified in the Application Manager, that a client accesses if the user requests an application URL, but no specific page in the application. Compare to initial page.

deploy. To transfer an application to a location where others can access it. The location can be on the local server's file system or a remote server connected to the Internet.

deployment server. A server on which a JavaScript application is installed that is accessible to end users; also called a production server. Should be different from the development server.

deprecate. To discourage use of a feature without removing the feature from the product. When a JavaScript feature is deprecated, an alternative is typically recommended; you should no longer use the deprecated feature because it might be removed in a future release.

development server. A server, typically inside a firewall, on which you develop and test JavaScript applications, not accessible to end users. Should be different from the deployment server.

DML. Data Manipulation Language. Database statements to select, update, insert, or delete rows in tables.

ECMA. European Computer Manufacturers Association. The international standards association for information and communication systems.

ECMAScript. A standardized, international programming language based on core JavaScript. This standardization version of JavaScript behaves the same way in all applications that support the standard. Companies can use the open standard language to develop their implementation of JavaScript. See also core JavaScript.

external function. A function defined in a native library that can be used in a JavaScript application.

HTML. Hypertext Markup Language. A markup language used to define pages for the World Wide Web.

HTTP. Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The communication protocol used to transfer information between web servers and clients.

initial page. The page, specified in the Application Manager, that the Application Manager runs when the application is first started. Compare to default page.

IP address. A set of four numbers between 0 and 255, separated by periods, that specifies a location for the TCP/IP protocol.

IP address technique. One of JavaScript's techniques for maintaining the client object, in which the server uses the client's IP address to refer to a data structure containing client property values.

LiveConnect. Lets Java and JavaScript code communicate with each other. From JavaScript, you can instantiate Java objects and access their public methods and fields. From Java, you can access JavaScript objects, properties, and methods.

MIME. Multipart Internet Mail Extension. A standard specifying the format of data transferred over the internet.

Netscape cookie protocol. Netscape's format for specifying the parameters of a cookie in the HTTP header.

ODBC. Open Database Connectivity. Microsoft's interface for relational database programming.

primitive value. Data that is directly represented at the lowest level of the language. A JavaScript primitive value is a member of one of the following types: undefined, null, Boolean, number, or string. The following examples show some primitive values.

a=true               // Boolean primitive value
b=42                 // number primitive value
c="Hello world"      // string primitive value
if (x==undefined) {} // undefined primitive value
if (x==null) {}      // null primitive value

roll back. To cancel all the database actions within one transaction.

server cookie. One of JavaScript's techniques for maintaining the client object, in which the server generates a unique name for a client, stored in the cookie file on the client, and later uses the stored name to refer to a data structure containing client property values.

server-side JavaScript. Core JavaScript plus extensions relevant only to running JavaScript on a server. For example, server-side extensions allow an application to communicate with a relational database, provide continuity of information from one invocation to another of the application, or perform file manipulations on a server. See also client-side JavaScript, core JavaScript.

server URL encoding. One of JavaScript's techniques for maintaining the client object, in which the server generates a unique name for a client, appends it to URLs, and later uses the stored name to refer to a data structure containing client property values.

Session Management Service. JavaScript's four predefined objects request, client, project, and server, and one class, Lock, that provide a foundation for sharing data among requests, clients, and applications.

SQL. Structured Query Language. A standard language for defining, controlling, and querying relational databases.

static method or property. A method or property of a built-in object that cannot be a property of instances of the object. For example, you can instantiate new instances of the Date object. Some methods of Date, such as getHours and setDate, are also methods of instances of the Date object. Other methods of Date, such as parse and UTC, are static, so instances of Date do not have these methods.

stopped application. An application that has been stopped with the Application Manager and is not accessible to clients.

transaction. A group of database actions that are performed together; all the actions succeed, or all fail.

updatable cursor. A database cursor in which you can update tables based on the contents of the virtual table.

URL. Universal Resource Locator. The addressing scheme used by the World Wide Web.

web file. The compiled form of a JavaScript application; contains bytecodes. Must be installed in a Netscape web server to run.

WWW. World Wide Web