What is Hypertext?

Hypertext is the words or chains of words in a text we can click on to be linked to new sites whose content is related to the words. But how does this global system work? It is a network of people and information linked together by telephone lines which are connected to computers. The applications are based on a client/server relationship, in which your computer is the client and a remote computer is the server. All you need to join this system is a computer, a normal telephone line, a modem and an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a company that provides access to the Internet. A user buys a subscription to a service provider, which gives him/her an identifying username, a password and an email address. With a computer and a modem, the user can connect to the service provider's computer which gives access to many services, such as WWW (world wide web), emails and FTP (file transfer protocol).

Data storage

Online storage is an emerging method of data storage and back-up. A remote server with a network connection and special software backs up files, folders, or the entire contents of a hard drive.

There are many companies that provide a web-based backup. One emerging technology in this

area is cloud computing. This allows colleagues in an organization to share resources, software and information over the Internet. Continuous backup and storage on a remote hard drive eliminates the risk of data loss as a result of fire, flood or theft. Remote data storage and

back-up providers encrypt the data and set up password protection to ensure maximum security

Small businesses and individuals choose to save data in a more traditional way. External drives, disks and magnetic tapes are very popular data storage solutions. USB or flash memories, DVDs and hard disks are cheap and widely accessible solutions. These methods are very practical with small volumes of data storage and backup. However, they are not very reliable and do not protect the user in case of a disaster.

Database

A database is a collection of related data or facts arranged in a specific structure. A database management system (DBMS) is a program, or collection of programs, that allows multiple users to store, access, and process data or facts into useful information. Three of the most important terms to know about databases are a table, a record, a field. Data is stored in tables. A table is divided into records (unnamed rows), and each record is divided into fields (named columns). The table consists of a set number of fields and an arbitrary number of records. For a record to exist, it must have data in at least one field. To help you understand how a database stores data, think about a typical address book. Each piece of information in the address book is stored in its own location, called a field. For example, each entry has a field for First Name and another field for Last Name, as well as fields for Address, City, State, ZIP Code, and Phone Number. Each unique type of information is stored in its own field. One full set of fields – that is, all the related information about one person or object – is called a record. Therefore, all the information for the first person is record 1, all the information for the second person is record 2, and so on. A complete collection of records makes a table. Once you have a structure for storing data (whether it is a printed address book, phone book, or electronic table), you can enter and view data, create reports, and perform other tasks with the data. For example, you may create a customer report that lists customers by ZIP Code.