View source for Web sites: static versus dynamic

[[Website|Websites]] typically have one of two structures:

* '''Static''' web pages
* '''Dynamic''' web pages

A website is typically made up of all static pages, or all dynamic pages.

It is possible for a website to combine static pages with dynamic pages, but this would be an exception requiring an exceptional reason.

== Static web pages ==

* Each web page represented by a single text file
* File has extension '''.htm''' or '''.html'''
* File contains [[HTML]] (often [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]] and [[JavaScript]] as well)
* Files that are in subfolders on the server are represented as subfolders in the page URL
* Default page is typically named index.html
* File can be edited in text editor
* Manage files using [[File Transfer Protocol]] (FTP)

== Dynamic web pages ==

* Dynamic in either or both of two ways:

** [[Client-side]] dynamic
** [[Server-side]] dynamic

Dynamic web sites can be either or both.

Sites that use both are typically use [[Ajax (programming)|Ajax]].

=== Client-side dynamic ===

* Page content is generated and modified by in the [[web browser]] (the client)
** Web browsers run [[JavaScript]]
** Typically implemented using library or framework, for example:
*** [[jQuery]]
*** [[AngularJS]]
* File can be edited in text editor
* Manage files using [[File Transfer Protocol]] (FTP)

=== Server-side ===

* Content is generated by a [[server-side]] program
** Web pages are generated by the program -- in effect, the program is a "URL engine"
** There are no individual files for individual web pages
* Typically architectures:
** [[Content management system]], such as [[WordPress]] 
** [[Web service]]
* Server-side architectures typically use a [[database]] such as [[MySQL]]
* Typically edit content using a web browser
** Administrative control panel with username and password

== See also ==

* [[Dynamic web page]]

[[Category:Computing]]
[[Category:Web design]]
[[Category:Web design and development]]