C

Cable Modem

A modem used to connect a computer to a cable TV system that offers online services.

Also see Modem

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

CCIT

Comite Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique (International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee). Group responsible for the establishment of international telecommunications standards.

CDF (Channel Definition Format)

An XML DTD that sets up server-push channels for routine delivery of Web-based information to users.

Also see DTD

CERN

Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire) A Lab located in Geneva, Switzerland, where the concept for the World Wide Web was first developed.

CGI

(Common Gateway Interface) an interface-creation scripting program that allows you to make WWW pages on the fly based on information from fill-in forms, checkboxes, text input etc.

Channel Definition Format (CDF)

See CDF

channel

See Active channel

CHAP

(Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol). The protocol used to verify a username and password during PPP connections.

Also see PAP PPP

character data

All of the text, other than markup,contained in an element in XML documents. For an element to contain character data,the element's definition with the DTD must include CDATA in it's content model. All elements do not necessarily have to contain character data.

character entity

All of the text, other than markup, contained in an element in XML documents. For an element to contain character data, the element's definition with the DTD must include CDATA in its content model. All elements do not necessarily have to contain charachter data.

Chemical Markup Language (CML)

See CML

CHILD element

An element that is nested (contained) within another element.

classification properties

In CSS, classification properties are the collection of properties and values that control the formatting of white space and lists.

Client

A computer system or workstation that requests a service or the contents of a file from a file server.

Also see Client/Server Client/Server Network Server

Client/Server

A network architecture whereby a system is divided into two parts: the client (front end) is a requesting machine (usually a PC), and the server (back end) is a supplying machine. Both terms can be applied to hardware devices or software programs.

Also see Client Client/Server Network Network Server

Client/Server Network

A local area network (LAN) structure in which network resources are centralized and controlled from one or more servers. Individual workstations or clients (such as PCs) must request services through the server(s).

Also see Client Client/Server Network Server

CML (Chemical Markup Language)

An XML DTD that describes chemistry formulas and data.

comments

Content in both XML DTD's and documents (contained whithin tags) that is ignored by an XML processor.

Compress

The act of discarding redundant or semi-redundant information from a file, thereby making it smaller.

Compuserve

US Internet Service Provider; one of the oldest and biggest.

Cookie

A Cookie is a piece of software which records information about you. It holds this information until such time that the server requests it. For example, if you are browsing around a virtual shop, each time you place an item in your basket the information is stored by the cookie until you decide to buy and the server requests the purchase information.

COM port

The serial communications port on a Windows-compatible PC.

Comms (EDI)

Communications (EDI)

See Comms

Composite Element (EDI)

construction rule

The base element of an XSL style sheet. A construction rule contains the formatting instructions for any given element within an XML document. Also called a template rule.

content

Anything, including other elements, character data, and entities, found between the START and END tags of an element.

content-based markup

Markup that describes content intended to be read and processed by a computer to accomplish a task instead of displayed for a user. The Open Software Description (OSD) vocabulary, which is designed to describe software packages to be installed by a server across a network, is an example of content-based markup.

content model

In a DTD, the definition of the content (Element or character) that can be nested within any given element.

Construction (EDI)

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

A style-sheet mechanism designed to govern how HTML and XML documents are displayed by display mechanisms, such as browsers. CSS is a W3C standard that is currently in its second version (CSS2).

CSV

Comma Separated Variable

Customs & Excise

Cybercafe

A cafe or bar allowing customers to explore the World Wide Web whilst having a drink or snack, usually charged per half-hour of usage.