Glossary

ALT string (for images): An optional text string that a Webmaster might include with an HTML IMG tag, which is used to describe the associated image. For example, for an image of a waterfall, the ALT string might read: "GIF image of waterfall." The ALT string allows people who use text-only browsers or who have chosen not to download images, to know what the image depicts. In Content Analyzer, the ALT attribute is a property you can examine in the image's Properties dialog box.

alternate route: A secondary occurrence of a page or other object in a WebMap, shown with a green label. When you see an alternate route, it means the resource is pointed to by more than one hyperlink. See also main route.

application: In a WebMap, Java™, applets, EXE files, PDF files, Microsoft Word documents, and other applications.

applet: See Java.

broken link: A reference to a resource that Content Analyzer cannot locate, because the URL is not valid, the resource the link points to doesn't exist, or the server containing the resource is busy or having other technical difficulties.

CGI bin directory: The directory on a server where CGI script programs are stored. For Content Analyzer, you specify the location of the CGI bin directory when you use the New command to map a site located on a local or networked file system.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) script: A program that allows a server to communicate with users on the Internet. For example, when you enter information in a form on a Web page, a CGI script interprets the information you enter and communicates it to a database program on the server.

child: An object that appears below the selected object in the Tree view (because there is a link to it on its "parent" page. For example, any resources that are pointed to by hyperlinks on the home page are represented in the WebMap as "children" of the home page.

collapse: In Tree view, to hide from view all children of the selected object, either by clicking the minus icon or by using the Expand command.

crawler: See spider.

Cyberbolic view: The "pane" on the right side of the Content Analyzer map window. This view shows the site as an interconnected web of pages and other resources. See also Tree view, splitter, map window.

default file: The page (file) that is automatically shown when you access a URL that ends with a directory specification. Usual file names for the default file are default.htm/html, index.htm/html, or welcome.htm/html. You enter the name for the default file when you create a new map.

default.wmp: A WebMap of a site, placed in the site's root directory by the Webmaster. When you first create a map, Content Analyzer checks to see if there is already a default.wmp file on the site.

domain name: A text representation of a resource's IP address, using the unique name of the server computer, plus the kind of operation it's involved in, such as .com for a business or .edu for an academic institution. Domain names may have several parts, separated by periods. For example, www.microsoft.com is the domain name for the Microsoft site, where www.Microsoft is the unique name for Microsoft's server on the World Wide Web, and com is the type of activity the company is involved with (in this case, a commercial business).

expand: In Tree view, to show all immediate children of the selected object, either by clicking the plus icon or by using the Expand command. See also collapse.

explore: To retrieve a resource via its URL. If the resource is a page that contains links to other resources, exploring the page also looks up the URLs for those linked resources. Content Analyzer explores a resource when you click the map object's question mark icon, or when you use the Explore command. See also verify.

firewall: A type of network security that analyzes traffic and restricts access between the Internet and your internal network. A firewall allows users to access the Internet while protecting data and resources on their internal networks.

frame: An extension to HTML that allows Webmasters to divide a browser's viewing area into two or more windows. Each frame can be linked to a distinct URL. Commonly, frames are used to create a nonscrolling region of the screen, such as a company banner that stays onscreen at all times, or for navigation buttons that work only within the site.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A protocol used for transferring files across the Internet. FTP is often used for anonymous downloading of text files, software, audio or video files, and other information.

full path: The directory and file name for a resource, which is the full URL without the protocol (http:) and domain name. For example, https://www.Microsoft.com/manual/index.htm is the full URL of the resource. The full path is /manual/index.htm.

Full URL: The complete Internet address for a resource, including the protocol and domain name. For example, the full URL for the Microsoft home page is https://www.microsoft.com/ms.htm. The Full URL can be used as a label for map objects. See also URL.

gateway: In a WebMap, a representation of a CGI script.

Gopher: A menu-driven, browseable index of servers, sites, directories, and file information available on the Internet.

heading (HTML): On an HTML page, text that has been formatted with one of several heading tags: H1, H2, H3, and so on. You can use the first heading encountered on HTML pages as a label for pages.

helper application: An application that can be used in conjunction with Content Analyzer for browsing mapped Web sites or for editing map objects. For example, Internet Explorer could be a helper application for browsing mapped Web sites; Microsoft Word could be a helper application for editing HTML pages in the WebMap; and Microsoft Image Composer could be an application for editing graphic images in the WebMap.

hierarchy: The relationship between objects in the Tree view, determined by the links between the objects. Content Analyzer creates the hierarchy by first retrieving the URL for the home page, then the links on that page, then the links on those pages, and so on. Objects pointed to by links are shown as children of a page. See also main route, alternate route.

hit count: The number of times any given resource in a site is accessed by visitors. You can import details about hit count--and other types of usage data--into your map so that you can monitor your site's effectiveness, appeal, and "extended presence" on the Web. See also usage data.

home page: The page from which you want to begin mapping a Web site. This could be the home page for the site, or any other page in the site.

home site: The domain you entered when you first mapped the site with the New Map command.

host name: See domain name.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): A formatting language for documents (pages) on the World Wide Web. HTML files are plain text files with formatting codes that tell Web browsers how to display text, graphics, and hyperlinks.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): The protocol used to transfer Web pages and other resources between computers and servers on the World Wide Web.

hyperlink: The "clickable" area on a Web page that allows you to jump from one Web resource to another. Hyperlinks are created by the HREF attribute of the A (anchor) tag in HTML.

hyperlink text: The text string associated with a hyperlink on the parent page of an object. The hyperlink text is often what you click to jump to another page when you're browsing a Web page.

imagemap: A bitmapped graphic image that links to multiple URLs via hotspots on the image. You can click different regions of an imagemap to jump to different resources in the site. Imagemaps can be server-side or client-side. Server-side imagemaps map each URL on the server; they require CGI scripts. Client-side imagemaps, on the other hand, don't require mediating CGI scripts because the URL mapping is contained in an HTML file. Content Analyzer recognizes client-side imagemaps and shows the links as children of the imagemap's parent page.

inline: A characteristic of how an image is specified in an HTML page, which indicates that the image is to be downloaded and displayed in the Web page.

InLink: A link to a selected object from another object in the WebMap.

Internet service: Any protocol for transferring information over the Internet, except HTTP. The protocol is the first part of the full URL for a resource. Internet service types include Gopher, Telnet, WAIS, NNTP, and FTP. See also HTTP, full URL, protocol.

Intranet: Web sites or Internet addresses inside a corporation, behind the firewall. For instance, many companies have an internal Web site, created and maintained by different departments in the company.

IP address: Internet Protocol address. A unique series of numbers that identifies a computer on the Internet. See also domain name.

ISMAP: An attribute of an image tag (IMG), shown in the Properties dialog box for that image, indicating that the image is a server-side imagemap.

Java™: An object-oriented programming language, developed by Sun Microsystems Inc., that allows developers to create mini-programs (called applets) that can be embedded in Web pages and used across the Internet. Java programs are platform-independent, and feature real-time updating and interactivity--for example, stock quote "ticker tapes" that are updated every few minutes, interactive games, and animation.

label: In the map window, in the Properties dialog box, and in results windows, the text describing an object or link. By default, the label for pages is the text in the TITLE tag (taken from the Name field on the Annotations tab of the Properties dialog box). The default for all other objects is the link URL.

link: On an HTML page, the code that links the page to another resource. Different HTML tags are used to link different types of resources. For example, the IMG tag links to an image, the FORM tag links to a CGI script, and the APPLET tag links to a Java applet. See also hyperlink.

Link URL: The URL associated with the link on a resource's parent page. The Link URL can be absolute (the full URL) or relative (the path name relative to the resource's parent page). See also URL, Full URL.

Mailto: An electronic mail address, often in the form name@domainname.com. 

main route: The first occurrence of a page or other object in a WebMap, displayed in black (if the object is onsite) or blue (if the object is offsite). The main route represents the first hyperlink to the object encountered by Content Analyzer. See also alternate route.

map window: The portion of the computer screen that contains the WebMap of a site. The map window is divided into two panes, one for the Tree view and one for the Cyberbolic view. See also Cyberbolic view, pane, splitter, Tree view.

MIME type: The file type of an Internet resource. The MIME type has two parts: the general format of the file (the "major" type) and the more specific format (the "minor" type). For example, an image could have the MIME type image/gif or image/jpeg.

NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol): A protocol that transfers Usenet news to Web sites on request.

Notes: In the Properties dialog box, optional annotations that can be added to an object. Notes are saved with a published map, and are thus viewable by anyone who uses the map. See also Private Notes.

object: In a WebMap, a page, image, audio or video file, Mailto, gateway, application, or other Web site resource. All WebMap objects are represented by icons and a text label.

offsite object: An object on a different site than its parent page. Offsite objects have blue labels in the WebMap.

onsite object: An object that is part of the site that was originally mapped. See also offsite object.

page: An HTML document.

pane: The Content Analyzer map window is divided into two panes. The pane on the left contains the Tree view, and the pane on the right contains the Cyberbolic view. You use the splitter to determine the size of each pane. See also Cyberbolic view, map window, splitter, Tree view.

parent page: In the Tree view, the page above the selected object in the map hierarchy; it is the page that contains the link to the selected object.

PDF (Portable Document Format) file: File type developed by Adobe Systems Inc. that allows users to exchange and read files created with different software and/or on different computer systems. You need Adobe Acrobat to read PDF files.

PostScript file: A type of text file developed by Adobe Systems Inc. PostScript files contain text and instructions for printers that understand the PostScript "page-description" language.

Private Notes: In the Properties dialog box, optional annotations you can add to an object. Private notes are viewable only by you and are not saved with a published map. See also Notes.

protocol: The method by which computers communicate on the Internet. The most common protocol for the World Wide Web is HTTP. Other Internet protocols include FTP, Gopher, and Telnet. The protocol is part of the full URL for a resource.

proxy server: A program that communicates with external servers on behalf of internal clients by providing a single host with Internet access for multiple users. The proxy server sends requests back and forth between the client (on the internal network) and the external server.

published WebMap: A map that has been customized and saved to share with other Content Analyzer users. You use the Publish dialog box to determine which objects are saved with the published map. Published maps are compressed for faster transmission over the Internet.

realm: For password-protected files, the name of the protected resource or area on the server. If you try to access the protected resource while browsing, the name of the realm usually appears in the dialog box that asks for your username and password.

referrer: An offsite link that is imported as usage data. These links can be found in the Link Info window as a property of the selected page. Referrers are not themselves map objects (unless you mapped the referring site using the Extensions tab on the New Map dialog box); if you're analyzing usage data and want to see the total number of hits, use the Link Info window rather than doing a search for links.

results window: A type of Content Analyzer window that contains a collection of objects, which are the results of a search or of a map comparison. You can change the column arrangements, and you can add or remove properties.

robot: A fast, automated program, such as a search engine, indexing program, or cataloging software, that requests Web pages much faster than humans can. When Content Analyzer automatically explores a Web site, it operates as a robot. Other commonly-used terms for robot include "crawler" and "spider." See also robot exclusion protocol, explore.

robot exclusion protocol: A "code of behavior" that is generally adhered to by spiders (such as Content Analyzer when it automatically explores a site) when they attempt to access Web pages. The Robot Exclusion Protocol usually involves restrictions on certain parts of a site. This avoids tying up the server with multiple, fast connections. See also explore.

root directory: In a Web site, the directory on the site's server in which the building of the map was started.

site root: The URL or file system directory where you began mapping the site. For instance, if you entered www.mysite.com/products in the New Map dialog box, that entire string is the site root--not www.mysite.com.

source map: In a compare and update operation, the map with customizations that you may want to preserve, usually the older of the two maps (source and target).

spider: A fast, automated program--such as a search engine, indexing program, or cataloging software--that requests Web pages much faster than humans can. When Content Analyzer automatically explores a Web site, it operates as a spider. Another commonly used term for spider is "crawler." See also robot exclusion protocol, explore.

splitter: The divider between the Tree view and the Cyberbolic view "panes" of the Content Analyzer map window. The splitter lets you specify the size of each pane; if you slide it to the left, you can see more of the Cyberbolic view, and if you slide it to the right, you can see more of the Tree view. See also Cyberbolic view, map window, pane, Tree view.

target map: In a compare and update operation, the map that you may want to update with the source map's customizations, usually the newer of the two maps (source and target).

Telnet: Internet protocol that allows a user to log into a remote computer, using a public or private account.

TITLE tag: On an HTML page, a text string at the top of the page that usually gives a descriptive name for the page. For map pages, the Title text is used by default as the Name field.

Tree view: The "pane" on the left side of the Content Analyzer map window. This view shows the site as a linear hierarchy (much like Explorer in Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 or File Manager in Windows NT 3.x). See also Cyberbolic view, map window, pane, splitter.

unavailable object: A page or other Web site resource that Content Analyzer cannot retrieve, because the URL is not valid, the resource doesn't exist, or the server containing the resource is busy or having other technical difficulties.

unexplored object: An object whose URL has not yet been retrieved by Content Analyzer. An object gets explored when you click its question mark icon (in Tree view) or when you use the Explore command.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The Internet address for a resource. A URL can be absolute (the full URL) or relative (the path name relative to the parent page's URL). See also Full URL, Link URL.

usage data: Information you can import into your map to tell you how other people are accessing and using your site. Analyzing this data helps you identify your site's most popular (or unpopular) areas, clarifies the most common navigational paths through your site, and helps you monitor the site's "extended presence" on the Web. See also hit count.

USEMAP: An attribute of an image (shown in the Properties dialog box for that image), indicating that the image is a client-side imagemap.

Usenet news: News articles and information shared by Internet users. Usenet URLs are in the form news:name_of_newsgroup or news:message-id.

verify: To check that a page exists at the specified URL. Unlike exploring, verifying does not look up the URLs for any links to resources that may exist on that page. Content Analyzer verifies resources as the first step in the exploration process, or when you use the Mapping|Verify Links command. See also explore.

WAIS (Wide Area Information Server): A method for searching and retrieving information from databases available on the Internet.

WebMap: A representation of the resources and links in a Web site. The WebMap is displayed in the map window.

WebMap publisher: A person who creates WebMaps to share with others, using the Publish command.

Webmaster: The person who manages a Web site.

.wmp file: The file name extension of a saved WebMap.