So in our last post, we covered some of the basic front-end technologies web developers use and where you fit in.

Next up, we're going to focus on some of the functionality of your site......the server side.

Definitions of client side and server side: 

The internet is a way to connect computers to each other in order to share information, regardless of computer location. Web pages are files stored on computers called servers. These servers can access the internet directly and display files from their hard drives. Any technology or files stored on the Server are called Server side. Personal computers are called Clients. They can access files on Servers (web pages), but Client computers are not meant to share files on their hard drives with the rest of the internet. Any actions or technology that occur on the Client’s computer or web browser are called Client Side. 

Server side (write this down) basically means anything that runs on your web server instead of on the client's browser, or Client Side.

All the front-end stuff we covered previously?  Client Side.

So let's get started :

AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) 

So what is it?

• Besides being good for cleaning, AJAX is also the term for a technique that uses JavaScript or jQuery to connect to a database on a server. 
• An example of AJAX functionality would be when you type in a username and the website tells you immediately whether the username is available or not. 
• In our last episode, we spoke about JavaScript needing special techniques to access data on your server.....This is that technique.

AJAX comes in three parts:

• The JavaScript.
• An interface, like a web service (more on that in a minute).
• And your database.

What to look out for? 

• AJAX is only as fast as your web server. If your web server is slow, your website will appear slow. 
• Building apps with AJAX can add a lot of complexity, but there are tools out there to help.
• AJAX also has to be REALLY secure. 
• Also like JavaScript, this can break very easily. 

So what's that mean for you?

• Nicer interface, for one. 
• Allow visitors to interact with your website without waiting for the entire page to refresh or reload. 
• But just like JavaScript , don't expect to be managing this one yourself any time soon.

Key Term:

• Web Service: This is a spot on your server (usually a special page, or a file with a special extension) that allows JavaScript to call up data from your server without having the entire page reload. It returns raw data that isn't fit for people to read, but is just right for the browser to recognize.

ASP.NET

So What is it?

• Ah, now we get to the good stuff. ASP.NET is a scripting language that controls just about every dynamic piece of content on your site. (Dynamic content is content that changes frequently. It is not fixed on the site and the user can go in and change it easily). 
• It spits everything out as HTML, so what'll happen is a programmer will write some ASP.NET, the ASP.NET will then write HTML, and that's what your browser reads and converts into something humans can read. 
• It's EXTREMELY powerful. Any advanced website function you want cannot be done without it.
• It's a scripting language, like PHP or PERL, except much easier to use.

What to look out for?

• Some folk'll mention C# or VB.....don't worry about this too much. Most developers prefer C#, however good developers can program in both.
• Make sure you own your code. .NET programming can be compiled (See? Programming term. Means compressed) into DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files.
• These files are extremely difficult to open, so if you change developers and this is all you have, you're screwed.

So what's that mean for you?

• In terms of features for your site?  LOTS. Every kind of form or feature you can imagine is done through a scripting language like this one.
• When you work with a developer, make sure to always ask for all the Project files. This should include a solution file as well.
• To make sure, take a look at whatever files they've sent you. If there are files that have either a .cs extension (if they used C#), or a .vb extension (if they used Visual Basic), then you've probably got what you need, or at least a decent start. If not, get on the phone and yell at them some more, because they're holding out on you.

• DLL: A compressed form of ASP.NET that allows for a slightly faster site and greater security. DLLs are nearly impossible to decompress and work with.

SQL Server

So What is it? 

• It's the house for your data. Customer names, dates, addresses, emails, shoe sizes, favorite colors, credit card numbers are all stored in here.
• Programmed using TSQL.....you'll have zero exposure to this.

What to look out for?

• It can be extremely difficult to program well, otherwise you'll end up with a very slow site and a corrupt database. 
• Requires actual maintenance sometimes.....dumping of transaction files, clearing of bad records, etc.... This is something either your Hosting Company or your developer can handle.
• The developer needs to make sure that information saved here is encrypted, and that defense techniques are put in place to defend against hacking. Otherwise, all that personal data can flood out into the open (Sony, I'm looking at you).

So what's that mean for you?

•  Any website with a Content Management System (CMS) will use SQL.
• If you need to access this data, you can't. Ask a developer to get it for you. 

Key Terms:

• Sql Server and MySQL are two very popular database systems out there with hosting companies. SQL Server has a lot more features and is a favorite of but may add cost to your hosting plan. MySQL is catching up (if not caught up with already) in features and is cheaper, but is tied to PHP which isn't as easy to develop in.

Internet Information Services (IIS)

So what is it?

• Web server software. This is the house for your actual web files. The database holds all of your customer data (names, addresses, etc...), while the WebServer actually holds all of your files (html files, PDFs, images).
• It is the server of choice for anything Microsoft based.

What to look out for?

• Just make sure ease of access is provided by a hosting provider.

So what's that mean for you?

• Only affecting what hosting plan you intend to buy.

Now we've covered more internet jargon for those of you who are less-than technical users. If you are still wondering what some of this means, read The Alphabet Soup of the Internet Part 1 for more information on the front-end side of web development.