Architecture

This application allows users to consult a database of computer-related acronyms through a simple web interface. It runs with little supervisor intervention (installation, maintenance, adding acronyms and verifying user-posted acronyms).

The Ultimate Computer Acronyms Archive uses Microsoft SQL Server as database, interfaced to the Web pages through ODBC. On the server, pages are generated dynamically using ActiveX server-side controls (ASP pages). On the client, the database's hierarchical structure is shown with an user-friendly look and feel.

Another program built upon MS-Access allows the maintenance of the database in both structure and content forms, thus acting as an administration front-end. The PDF files you can download are created using this program. It also uses ODBC to exchange data with SQLServer.

The figure below shows the application's architecture.

Archive architecture

Main features

  • Frame usage. The application is divided in two panels: the left frame shows the possible operations and the acronyms' categories; in the right frame you can see the content of the operation selected;
  • Active Server Pages. To achieve a flexibility high enough, we decided to use server-side active pages expanding the base HTML functionality;
  • Tree view menu. At a first glance you see the acronyms' categories and operations, with a familiar and user-friendly graphical user interface. If you want either to view the acronyms or to execute an operation (for example, to define a new acronym), it's easy to know what you have to do;
  • Free search function. It's possible to search for an acronym, or part of it.
  • Insert function. You can contribute to the growth of this archive by defining acronyms that aren't included yet (note that they are checked against other sources before being displayed).
  • Easy navigation. The acronyms are grouped alphabetically and separated into ranges. Also, a maximum amount of definitions is shown per page, giving the user the capability to scroll forth and back among pages.

Platforms & requirements

At the database server we have:

  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Server with the latest service packs applied;
  • Database Management System: Microsoft SQL Server 7.0.

The web server uses:

  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Server with the latest service packs applied;
  • Web Server: Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0;
  • Web Statistics analysis tool: Microsoft Site Server 3.0;

The client runs on:

  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (server or workstation) or later or Microsoft Windows 95 or later;
  • Database Management System: Microsoft Access 8 (Office 97) or later.

Finally,The web browser must support session cookies, JavaScript, HTML 4.01 and CSS2 (to know more about this issue, see the browser compatibility page).