Glossary for Authors

FrontPage

Microsoft FrontPage is a Web authoring tool designed for beginner to intermediate skill levels. It is fairly easy to use. FrontPage assists the user in layout and designing the page. Fine-tuning the page manually in the HTML view is occasionally required. The current version is XP/2002. The price is around $150.

GIF

The GIF image format is appropriate for images with solid blocks of color, requiring transparency, and gray-scale photos. It is not attractive or efficient with most color photographs. 

HTML

HTML is a Hyper-Text Markup Language. It is used for formatting, style, and linking to other pages. HTML includes coding around text. Most codes are enclosed in angle-brackets (less-than and greater-than symbols) like <p>Some text in a paragraph</p> that begins and ends formatting. Nearly all pages you view on the World-Wide Web are text files including HTML. 

JPG (JPEG Format)

The JPEG image format is appropriate for images requiring more than 256 colors. It is efficient with gradients like those found in photographs. It does not include any transparency capabilities. 

Macromedia Flash

Flash is a design tool for movies on Web pages. The movies may be interactive. Nearly every Web browser includes support for the Flash player. This site currently requires a player with version 5 or later. 

PNG

The PNG image format is appropriate for images requiring more than 256 colors. Like GIF, it is efficient with solid blocks of color. It includes transparency capabilities. Some older browsers do not support the PNG format. 

Student

As used at Crossroads, the term "student" applies to children in grades 7-12. Their information is under the Student Ministries category. Information for younger children is in Children's Ministries. 

style sheet

A style sheet is a text file that specifies fonts, colors, positioning, and other style features of a Web page. Style sheets are often shared by several pages. Changes in the style sheet are distributed to these pages immediately. It is a very efficient way to control style of a site. 

The styles may also cascade allowing overriding of the style of specific page elements. For instance, a ministry may have a style sheet that specifies a different color for the side menu.