What is a publishing tool? A technical review...

The dynamic web presence, or the "data base driven" web entity came about as a matter of convenience. Static HTML is simply inconvenient when dealing with the following situations:

• When the amount of information displayed on similar pages becomes unmanageable.
• When content changes often or continually on any page forcing programmers to continually produce HTML pages for the new content… it was labor intensive!
• When companies with the above mentioned issues were forced to employ technical staff to maintain an evolving web site…
• When data needed to be collected, processed and stored for core business purposes.
• When online activities generate transactions that need to be reentered into existing "legacy systems" like accounting, order processing and inventory.
• When web sites looked to customize screens based on individual visitor tastes.

In the early days, every page was a separate document on a web server, an HTML document. In big sites it meant hundreds of individual web pages were being developed and managed, one small change to design or navigation was an epic and costly process. Dynamic sites were then created where there are only a few documents and the content for each page is filtered through them for display to visitors. This involved a relationship between the visitor interfaces (the web site), an administrative interface (that which data is entered and managed) and a database (where the data is held).

Databases

Databases come in a few varieties, but there are norms for the web industry today. It is important to stay close to the norm in technological endeavors to allow for any potential compatibility with other systems. Today's standards include:

• SQL or MYSQL (freeware)
• Oracle
• Sybase

Database programmers develop procedures to allow for the organization of data, whether it be text and photos for simple web pages or complex calculations for shopping systems and management tools. The database makes sure that all content and information is collected or stored for presentation and/or management.

Interfaces

There are two interfaces involved in dynamic web sites and applications. One is your administrative interface; the other is the public visitor or viewing interface. The administration interface allows for the collection of data via a web-based entry screen or form and the management of that data. The visitor interface is basically your output of data… whether it be simple web pages or transactional information. From here the combination of the two interfaces becomes unlimited:

• Web site publishing tools have administrative interfaces that collect text, photos, video and other typical web content for display on the public site.
• Intranets mix both administration and viewing interfaces to allow for work collaboration where data and content is entered into databases and passed to others for further management. There's admin work well as viewing involved for all parties, typically within a single company.
• Extranets go farther where they can involve data being entered, viewed and managed by a single company with an "external" access to interfaces for their clients to enter and manage data.

These interfaces are simply either input screens or output screens with direct links to the database. All are written in standardized programming languages. Once again it is key to remain both current and compatible in your selection of programming language as you may want to consolidate applications being developed or be compatible with other systems. Today's top development environments include:

• Java, J2EE
• .NET (ASP.net, C#, Visual Basic.net)
• Cold Fusion
• PHP

Once the dust settles on your understanding of these principles the opportunities to collect, manage and publish information of all kinds is unlimited. Simple web pages to complex banking systems are all built using these standard development and database tools. Indeed most desktop applications, especially productivity oriented ones, are built with web-savvy tools to ensure that web interfaces and consolidation are possible. Today's companies have links from web interfaces to legacy systems to eliminate double entry and streamline workflow.

Checklist: Choosing the right platform

1. Do you have IT standards regarding operating systems? Y/N
2. Does the database the web project you are about to embark on use the same database as your internal systems? Y/N
3. Do you have any other web or internal systems written with the programming language you have chosen for your project? Y/N
4. Is security of information a concern? Y/N
5. If above is Yes, do you have security standards? Y/N
6. Is scalability an issue? Will your system need to be duplicated and accessible to a growing number of users and transactions? Y/N