Glossary

In many programming languages the $ sign is used to indicate a variable. In this sense we are using $cms on this site to indicate "replace this with your favorite CMS".

In contrast to a login with username and password, this authentication requires a second, physically indepentent factor, e. g. using a USB key. Short: 2FA or TFA (for Two-Factor Authentication).

Here: form and content of web sites and applications accessible for people with disabilities as well as for any other. Defined by → WCAG

Short for: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) - a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee validity even if the transaction is aborted

Directory service of Microsoft Windows Server.

Also called extension, module or plug-in: expansion of the → core‘s functionality.

→ JavaScript framework suitable for → REST API usage.

High-end server-side search and retrieval engine.

Short for → Application, usually meaning applications running on smartphones or table computers.

here: (task-oriented) application software

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines issued by → W3C. One example for an authoring tool is a content management system.

Administrational interface of a CMS (as opposed to ↔ front-end).

A field that treats ways to analyze, systematically extract information from, or otherwise deal with data sets that are too large, too complex or too volatile to be dealt with manually or by traditional data-processing application software.

Conference in which all participants are potential speakers.

Central Authentication Service - a → single sign-on protocol for the web.

Here: the channel to which content is published, e. g. a website, a social media platform, a smartphone app or a conference display. Related: cross-channel, multi-channel = publishing on several channels (simultaneously), omnichannel = publishing on all channels (simultaneously).

Short: CLI. Software tool based on text input and output, typically used in a terminal window.

A computer cluster is a set of loosely or tightly connected computers that work together so that, in many respects, they can be viewed as a single system.

Short iteration cycle in a software project that uses agile development (in CMS communities mainly: appointment for a certain date to collaboratively work on code, often at diverse locations).

Here: group of individuals who actively use, customize, and develop a CMS.

Tool for dependency management in PHP for automatted installing/updating.

Short for Conference

The Practice of merging all developer working copies to a share mainline, aiming at software quality enhancement. Web-specific: frequent deployment of small features.

Contributions of any kind code-wise speaking normally third-party components in contrast to → Core.

Basic function set of a CMS without extensions.

Organization publishing standard licenses allowing to share creative works free of charge while reserving certain rights. Attention: CC licenses should not be mistaken for „public domain“.

Injecting scripts (by exploiting a security vulnerability) into an otherwise trustable context in order to start an attack.

Such a pre-processor generates CSS files based on variables.

Installing the software development state on the web server.

Short for difference, meaning any tool or its results revealing the differences between to versions of text or code.

PHP Framework that offers a popular database abstraction layer for easier access to diverse database types.

Object-oriented → ERP system by Microsoft

A server-side search enginge similar to → Apache Solr.

Software for the integrated management of main business processes (Enterprise Resource Planning).

Code taking advantage of a vulnerability in software.

A frame of functionality for custom applications.

Output of a website (↔ back-end)

Not an abbreviation, it's the name of a project dedicated to free software and mass collaboration. Details about the GNU-Project on Wikipedia

Online advertising platform by Google, previously Google AdWords. The program allowing the ads to be served is called AdSense.

Web site statistics service by Google.

Delivering content without styling in formats like XML or JSON. This allows the content to be used outside of the webiste context, e. g. in mobile apps.

Structured storage: Stores any kind of objects and structure dependencies contrary to a ↔ relational database that is only able to map these relations to fixed tables. Similar to desktop filesystems.

A means to edit content right at the position of its front-end output.

Programming language typically running on the user‘s computer to allow interactions without reloading a page.

Computer-network authentication protocol that works on the basis of tickets to allow nodes communicating over a non-secure network to prove their identity to one another in a secure manner.

Introductory web page, campaign or target-group oriented, channeling users to content of the main website; less frequent meaning: a page users are redirected to after certain actions (e. g. login).

Network protocol for querying and modifying information from distributed directory services

Algorithm-based „learning“ processes based on already defined classifications or actions. „Artificial intelligence“ (AI) in the vernacular.

A means of (→ community) communication: an e-mail sent to a mailing list will be received by all subscribers of this list.

Open source web site statistics software, formerly known as Piwik.

Media assets = image, video, audio files. Asset management in the CMS context is understood as a solution for administering such (reusable) files, e. g. by adding meta data.

In agile development (here) a software or website with just enough features to satisfy early customers.

Software architectural pattern that decouples the internal representation of information from the → user interface.

The capability of a CMS to display contents in multiple languages.

The capability of a CMS to manage and to publish different web sites from the same installation.

A programming paradigm based on the concept of „objects“, which can contain data, in the form of fields (attributes or properties), and code, in the form of procedures (often known as methods)

Decentralized authentication system for web-based services.

A piece of code designed for debugging or for adding functionality.

Here: measure for efficiency of a CMS (determined by e. g. working memory, resources consumption by processor, hard disk access which influence the maximum number of pages delivered per time unit).

Group of PHP framework representatives, designing common standards PSR in order to enhance the code exchange between these frameworks.

In contrast to open source here: non-free software.

Programming language

→ JavaScript framework suitable for → REST API usage.

Different parts of content that refer to each other.

cf. ↔ hierarchical database

Service for storing source code, complete with version control.

Specific technical implementation of layouts/designs that allow a web site to adjust to the capabilities or requirements of different output devices (computers/tablets/smart phones etc.)

A software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating Web services.

Returning to a previous state, e. g. to a version before an update.

Programming language

Open source PHP framework based on Ruby following the → Model View Controller schema.

XML-based standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data.

In the CMS context: the enterprise resource planning software (→ ERP) of this name.

A standard for common structured data formats defined by the → W3C.

Decentralized authentication system for web-based services.

The concept of a single user accout to log on to several applications simultaneously.

Collective name of online platforms designed for general social communication via → user-generated content. Prominent examples are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.

A set of software subsystems or components.

Markup language for files that define the appearance in the browser („stationery“), typically CSS. Related: XLS, SASS, Less.

Open source PHP framework following the → Model View Controller schema.

A technique or model to classify contents based on specific criteria (e. g. multiple tagging).

A short introductory text (often with an image) that invites users to continue reading.

A set of elements that make up the layout of a website.

Data volume, usually measured in visitors per period of time, in number of clicks or in downloaded data volume itself.

Here: get-togethers/continuous communication of users of a CMS – both personally and/or via bulletin boards/→ mailing lists.

Interface enabling humans to interact with the computer/application

Content which is created by the (end-)users of a website.

Refers to a dependency on a manufacturer that is difficult (or even impossible) to break, for example when exporting your own content for use in other software. It can also describe a dependency on a monopolist.

→ JavaScript framework suitable for → REST API usage.

A consortium defining the standards for the world wide web.

Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), defining conformity levels: WAI-AA: medium-level conformity - the highest level that a CMS can achieve without actual content; WAI-AAA: highest conformity level - can only by achieved by auditing the actual website content.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines by the → W3C. See also → ATAG.

Elements with specific functionality that can be easily integrated into web pages.

What you see is what you get. Editing principle that immediately visualizes the result.

An → exploit against which no → patch is available yet (zero days given for fixing).