Progress
on the Web


Glossary

A
Application

Software that performs some real-world function (accounting, database management, word processing, etc.) as opposed to software that performs some function associated with the computer itself.

Application Component

A collection of one or more application (.r) files, procedure library (.pl) files, image files, and so on, grouped together based on related functionality. The collection of components makes up an application.

Application Configuration File

Configuration file created using the WebClient Application Assembler. This configuration file provides WebClient with the installation information needed to install, update, and run an application.

Application Configuration File Locator

A description containing information (including location information) on a particular WebClient application configuration file to be downloaded.

Application Homepage

The Web page that an ISV provides to allow an end user to install and launch a WebClient application.

Application Installer

An installer that the ISV configures to install a WebClient application on a user’s machine, typically over the Web.

Application Server

The process running on an AppServer that executes 4GL procedures in response to remote procedure requests. An AppServer can have any number of Application Server processes to service remote procedure requests.

Application Service

An entire business function provided by an AppServer. An Application Service has a specific name, and that name is an arbitrary alias for the AppServer that provides a specific function such as accounting or inventory.

AppServer

Progress Software’s name for its Application Server software.

ASP

Industry acronym for Application Service Provider, a term for a company that rents rather than sells a software license.

Assembler

See WebClient Application Assembler.

B
Bootstrap HTML File

An HTML file containing information that initiates the installation and execution of both WebClient and WebClient applications over the Web.

Bootstrapping Process

The process initiated when an end user launches a Progress WebClient application over the Web. This process is managed by a bootstrap HTML file provided by Progress together with the Progress WebClient Initializer. You customize this process for your particular application.

C
Codebase

Component files and all other resource files that make up an application. The codebase files are deployed on a server. The location of these resource files is specified using the Codebase Locator.

Codebase Locator

A description containing information (including location information) on WebClient application files to be downloaded.

Code Page

A table that maps each character on it to a unique numeric value.

D
Deployment

The process of distributing and installing the files and programs necessary to install and run a WebClient application over the Web.

Digital Certificate

An attachment to an electronic message that uses a public key encryption system to verify that clients and servers are who they are representing themselves to be. Digital certificates are issued by trusted third parties known as certification authorities (CAs).

Digital Signature

A digital code attached to an electronically transmitted message that attests to the file’s authenticity (that the file is from the person or organization claiming to have sent it) and integrity (that it has not been tampered with).

E
External Installer

An application install program, such as InstallShield or similar type of installer technology, used to install your application. An external installer should be responsible for completing all application installation tasks required. An external installer should also make an uninstall program available to users.

H
HTML

Acronym for HyperText Markup Language, the earliest language used on the World Wide Web, which is now being superseded, to some extent, by XML, the eXtensible Markup Language.

I
IntelliStream

Progress technology that allows the application deployer to specify that at application installation, WebClient should download only those files required to initially run the application. Remaining files would be downloaded when the end user needed to use specific functionality provided by the application. This technology also allows for application updates at the file level (including individual procedure files within procedure libraries).

IntelliStream includes WebClient Application Assembler. You use WebClient Application Assembler to define how to install and update your WebClient application.

IntelliStream also lets the application deployer digitally sign each file to be downloaded. If this option is chosen, the WebClient on the end user’s machine verifies the digital signature of each file downloaded.

ISV

Industry abbreviation for Independent Software Vendor.

M
Microsoft Authenticode Technology

The technology WebClient uses to create and verify digital signatures.

Microsoft Cabinet (.cab) File

A file in which WebClient stores compressed and signed application files that users download to their machines.

Migration

Term used metaphorically for the process of orderly change, for example from one code version to another.

MIME Handler

A file association mechanism that associates applications with MIME types.

MIME Type

A type associated with a file extension using the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension standard. This type can have an associated application specified that starts up in response to being recognized by a Web browser or Internet mailer.

N
NameServer

A process that directs a client connection request to an AppServer that supports a specified business function. A client indicates which AppServer instance it wants to connect to by specifying an Application Service name that identifies the required business function.

O
Out-hosting

A service provided by a third-party who hosts Web sites produced by and owned by others. A WebClient application might be hosted by an application deplores or by an out-hoster.

P
Platform

An industry term referring to the type of system (for example, Windows NT on Intel) on which some software runs.

Proxy Host

The host name or IP address of a machine that hosts the proxy server between a LAN and the Internet.

Proxy Port

The port on which a proxy server listens for messages between a LAN and the Internet.

Proxy Server

A server that provides a firewall to filter both incoming and outgoing messages between a LAN and the Internet.

S
Secure AppServer

Provides support for sending and receiving encrypted data. A Secure AppServer includes the AIA/S component and allows WebClients and 4GL Clients that have client-side security installed to send encrypted data over the Internet, or an intranet or extranet.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Industry-standard protocol that supports sending encrypted information across the Internet. SSL runs above TCP/IP and below the HTTP protocol. The SSL protocol provides for both client authentication by the server as well as server authentication by the client.

Security Cache

A cache of authentication items (such as user IDs and passwords) entered by the end user for accessing servers. The cache is maintained by WebClient and accessible to the application. There are separate security caches for the application configuration file locator and for the codebase locator, although, under certain circumstances, the application configuration file locator cache can be accessed while accessing the codebase locator cache.

Self-extracting Installation

A software installation contained in a single self-extracting executable file that a user can copy and run on their own machine to install the software.

Shortcut Mode

A mode of running the Progress WebClient Initializer where the initializer runs, downloads, and opens a WebClient application configuration file whose location is stored in the registry by the installer for a particular WebClient application.

Single Sign-on

A feature that allows an end user to enter a particular user ID and password once, even though the application might need it multiple times. WebClient provides single sign-on by caching authentication items entered by the end-user, then letting the application access the cached items.

W
WebClient

A Progress client specially designed for installing and running applications over the World Wide Web or a company intranet. WebClient does not support direct database access but does execute compiled 4GL (r-code) and perform other functions similar to a standard GUI 4GL client running in Windows.

WebClient Application

A Progress application separated into two parts: 1) a back-end part that runs on an AppServer, and 2) a front-end part that runs in a Progress WebClient and that is downloadable over the World Wide Web.

WebClient Application Assembler

A PRO*Tool in the Progress ADE that allows the ISVs to assemble a WebClient application and to create and maintain the files needed to deploy and manage a WebClient application.

WebClient Application Configuration File

File generated by the WebClient Application Assembler. This file contains deployment information about a single WebClient application.

WebClient Application Manager

A program installed with WebClient. WebClient Application Manager allows your user to configure and manage their use of WebClient application, and helps users provide you with information needed to solve application installation problems.

WebClient

Program that is responsible for running an application on a user’s machine.

WebClient Initializer

A WebClient executable that initializes WebClient to run a WebClient application. The initializer validates an end user’s system configuration, ensures that the appropriate WebClient and application versions are installed, and invokes the WebClient to run the application.

WebClient Install Page

A Progress provided Web page used to install a Progress WebClient over the Web.

Web-deployed Application

Any Progress application that is deployed across the World Wide Web from a Web server to a client machine, typically using a Progress WebClient.

Web-enabled 4GL Client

A Progress client running a 4GL application that is distributed across the World Wide Web using the Progress AppServer. The client connects to the AppServer through a Web server using the AppServer Internet Adapter and HTTP or HTTPS.

Web-enabled Application

A Progress multi-tier application that runs using a Web-enabled 4GL client and Web-enabled AppServer.

Web-enabled AppServer

A Progress AppServer that handles client connections through a Web server using the AppServer Internet Adapter and HTTP or HTTPS.


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