Technical aspects of web design

An average user sees only the outer or client side (front-end) of a website. Behind that, there is a technical basis which holds up all the systems of a website, called the back-end or the technical side of web design. It includes content management system, hosting, domain name and other elements. The technical site of a web site consists of an application, database and server.

Application

An application is a part of a website a user directly interacts with. It is the part that employs web design as a tool to enable this interaction. Thus, for example, when ordering tickets on the internet, an application uses various buttons and forms to acquire information about users and place an order.

Database

A database is a group of data organised in a certain system. A database is the place where information about application interactions is stored. Thus, when ordering tickets online, a number of entries are made into the database, which record the user, the type of a ticket, if the tickets have been paid for and other information. If the user re-enters the website later on, this information is taken for the database and is displayed via the application of the website. Thus the user can see that he/she has placed an order, whether he/she has paid for the ticket and the ticket itself.

Server

A server can mean both the hardware (a computer) that stores databases and the software (programs) that ensures a connection between an application and the databases. A server is the basis of the back-end part of a website, which provides a platform for all the other components. Thus, the server hardware and software are technically the most well-supported parts of a website.