GLOSSARY

                               

ATM -- Adobe Type Manager; a software package that enhances the printing and display of some fonts.

 

Browser -- Web client software (such as Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Mosaic) that is used to request information from web servers and to display that information for the user.

 

Class B -- See I.P

 

Client -- A program running on the user's computer that manipulates or displays data provided by a

server. (A WWW browser is an HTML client.)

 

Database -- A continuously updated electronic file of related information, usually focused on a particular subject or discipline.

 

HTML -- An acronym which stands for "HyperText Markup Language." Most documents available on the World Wide Web are written in HTML.

 

http:// --  An Internet address prefix which stands for "HyperText Transfer Protocol."  HTTP is the

language used by the Internet to access information available electronically on the World Wide Web.

 

PDF -- Portable Document Format (PDF) is the document format from Adobe Systems,  Inc., that

enables electronic distribution of documents regardless of operating system. Creating a PDF file from a document allows you to keep the look and feel of the original document. PDF files are compact, cross platform and can be viewed by anyone with a free Acrobat Reader.

 

Plug-in -- A software application (such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader browser plug-in) that, once

installed, is integrated into the browser and is launched when a user clicks on a file type that the plug-in was designed to interpret.

 

IP range, IP address, etc. --  IP stands for Internet Protocol.  If a database is restricted to IP address, that means every computer with the same "address" will be able to access it.  LSU has a "Class B" IP range, meaning every computer on  campus has an IP address beginning with 130.39.  and ending with two more numbers.  Most database vendors limit access in this manner. Vendors should be informed that the Libraries are included with the University in the Class B IP range of 130.39.*.*

 

Interface -- The "look" of a particular database.  For example, SilverPlatter and FirstSearch both offer GeoBase as a database. Though the information is the same, the search screens look different to the user because of the different interfaces.

 

Stand-alone -- Refers to a computer which is not connected to a network.

 

URL --  An acronym which stands for "Uniform Resource Locator." Each resource on the World Wide Web has its own address or URL. For example, the URL of the LSU Libraries web site is: http://www.lib.lsu.edu  In this example, the first part of the URL (http://) indicates that the resource is a hypertext document. The second part of the URL shows the location of the document.

 

Web browser -- A sophisticated software program which allows the user to search for information available electronically on the World Wide Web. Currently, the most popular Web browser of users accessing the Libraries' site is Netscape Navigator, but other browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and a wide variety of text-based browsers may be used.