Viewing a website on the internet is something akin to a choreographed dance in which your web server and web browser weave in and out of each other daintily.

Well, not really, but they do have equally important roles when you’re viewing a web page. In order to understand this, you need to know the difference between client and server side technologies.

Client side: Anything that occurs via the user’s computer and web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome, etc).

A Popular Example: Javascript

Server side: Anything that occurs on the web server before it appears on your computer.

A Popular Example: PHP

Javascript and PHP are two of the most popular examples of client side and server side functionality. When you download a webpage to your web browser, your web browser is basically receiving a file in HTML format and using the HTML code as instructions to display the website. While it may seem like you are “constantly connected” to a website, you’re actually just viewing a premade document on your computer that takes a fraction of a second to download.

If your website is using any Javascript, the effects are being executed by your web browser, and are considered client side. This is because your web browser is simply downloading a file from the web server and the web browser is executing the Javascript. The actual web server has nothing to do with the functionality other than allowing your web browser to download the files.

If your website is using any PHP scripts, the effects are being executed by your web server, and are considered server side. This is because your web server is doing all the information processing. In the case of PHP scripts, it is executing the code on the web server and outputting HTML code for your web browser to download and display.

Do server side and client side functionalities have to be exclusive? Absolutely NOT. In fact, some of the most intuitive functionality for websites comes from tactful use of both server side and client side technologies.

Example:

Let’s say you’re a photographer and you want to have customized photo galleries for your customers. You could accomplish the customized galleries with PHP web pages that are programmed to only show pictures to a specific user that is logged in. Then, you can use Javascript effects like the popular “Lightbox” effect to give your gallery a dynamic feel that is more intuitive to navigate.

Gone are the days of the internet belonging to the geek elite. It’s a common pitfall to think of the internet as a “magic box”. The key to using the internet effectively is knowing a little about what’s under the hood. By knowing the difference between what is going on client side and server side, you can put together the perfect mix of functionality and usability that not only displays information, but actively engages your visitor. It all comes with the mastery of developing the type of flawless user-experience that WEBii has been showcasing since its inception.

It used to be the case that websites were simple text documents that you downloaded to view on your Prodigy or AOL browser. Then again, you also used to be able to have dinner and watch Saved By The Bell by the time it actually downloaded, but the World Wide Web has come a long way since then. Websites are no longer restricted to being online versions of pamphlets. In fact, they run the gamut from expansive social networking services like Facebook, which has many millions of users, to small personal websites that receive maybe 5 visitors a month.

Websites used to be as simple as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) code embedded in a single file per page. While this was great for simplicity, it didn’t do much in the way of functionality. The pages could only display one static set of information per page. In today’s current version of the internet, one web page can display a variety of different information depending on what the user inputs. These types of websites are known as dynamic websites because they dynamically generate the web pages each time a visitor visits a page, using a set of data that is retrieved from a database.

Here is an example of the way a static HTML page works:

1) You type “www.example.com” in the address bar of your web browser, and your web browser sends a request to the server of “www.example.com” for the contents of the web page.

2) Your web browser downloads the content of the home page at “www.example.com” in the format of an HTML document.

3) Your browser reads this document, and then displays it in your web browser as a web page.

The way a dynamically generated page works is a little different. Let’s take this blog as an example. This blog runs on a popular blogging platform called Wordpress. The Wordpress software uses a combination of PHP code and a mySQL database in order to dynamically generate web pages. PHP is a server-side scripting language, which means that all the processing is done on the web server, as opposed to a client-side script like Javascript that runs on your local machine. The short explanation of mySQL is that it stores data on a database server, which can be retrieved through a series of “queries”. If you would like to know more, you can read about it here: mySQL

Here is an example of the way a dynamically generated web page works:

1) You type “www.webii.net/blog” in the address bar of your web browser, and your web browser sends a request for the contents of the web page.

2) The page “index.php” runs its PHP code on the web server, which includes mySQL queries for information from the database. This includes a query of the “latest posts” which Wordpress stores in the mySQL database. The “index.php” file finishes running its code, and it outputs the result in HTML.

3) Your web browser reads the HTML output of the PHP file, and then displays it in your web browser.

Either way, your browser still receives and displays HTML information, but the manner in which it is retrieved is very different. The “index.php” file can put out different results depending on the user input. When you click on the “about” link in our blog’s navigation bar, you are actually calling the exact same “index.php” file, but this time the page is dynamically generated to display the “About” information that is stored in the mySQL database. Neat, huh?

Dynamic websites are not for every one. If you simply need to display a couple of pages of text and images, then sometimes bare bones HTML pages can suffice. If you need something better for your organization or business (or even just your personal website), dynamically generated web pages can be designed to give multi-tiered security access, allow you to update your web page from anywhere on the web, and many other powerful features that can turn an otherwise uninspired website into a full blown online presence, a tool to help you get things done.

…Drupal

My favorite feature about Drupal content management software is how easy it is to edit a content page.

With the top toolbar administration setup, you can simply stay logged in and browse the web site as if you were a visitor.  When you find a page that needs revising, there is a handy Edit link right there on the page for you.  This takes you straight to a comprehensive edit screen; after saving your changes, you are taken back to the published page to review.

Authorize.net.

In our years of e-commerce development we have worked with a variety of payment gateways to integrate a business’s credit card processing service with a web site.  Authorize.net is currently one of the most popular gateway services available, making it very easy to install for almost any shopping cart.  Most software already has a module available to integrate with this service, which saves both your development team and you time and money.

…Zen Cart

This shopping cart software can be a web designer’s dream.  The software was well thought-out by it’s developers and is managed mostly with stylesheets, making custom layouts within close reach; opposed to a less flexible shopping cart that requires heavy programming to modify the look and feel.  Furthermore, developers will be pleased to see the impressively organized code for this program, complete with a smart override system.

…Joomla

With a long established history and a stable, growing community of supporters, this content management software is still a popular favorite.  The software has a large database of existing modules and other add-ons that extend its functionality quite easily.  There are several dedicated developers and software firms who actively provide support services, commercially licensed modules, and customization options.

A lot of folks crave the ability to self-manage their web site. But, no two content management system applications are equal. When researching software with your web developer, these are some factors to consider:

• You need a CMS software that runs efficiently and won’t bog down the server & site speed.
• You want an administrative interface that is easy for you to use.
• A lot of the nicely coded efficient software have awful looking interfaces.
• A lot of attractively designed systems are incredibly slow and arduous.
• Some software is too new or poorly supported, lacking community resources.
• Some software is widely popular with vast free online resources or paid support options.
• More popular programs often have easy growth options like add-on modules.

When WEBii proposes web site development with a CMS, we take all of these factors into consideration and choose a software or a ground-up custom solution option that best meets the needs of that client.