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WAI An acronym for Website Accessibility Initiative.
wangchong A slang term for Chinese Internet users.
wakiten Diacritical marks (usually dots) used with Japanese kanji to provide emphasis, analogous to using italics in alphabetic scripts.
WAP An acronym for Wireless Appliance (Access, Application) Protocall. A developed standard used by cell phones, wireless Internet appliances, and other narrow band devices to transmit data to and receive data from the Internet.
The protocall standard is utilized by adding a WAP gateway to a user client (this could be a cell phone or other appliance with a built-in browser and a WAP encoder/decoder) and a WAP gateway to an origin server. Websites which are on a WAP-equipped server could then communicate with cell phones having a browser and a WAP gateway.
warichu A long inline anotation of ideographic characters set like a paragraph, at half the pointsize of the regular text.
watermark A visually subtle graphic design embedded in a paper or other medium before imaging. This is usually achieved by a chemical or pressure process. An alternative to watermarking is embedding copyright information with copy-protection. See .VTC file.
(another definition follows)
watermark A visually or sonically subtle sound byte, pixel sequence, graphic design, or other data bit sequence placed in the background over which the actual signal or image is overlayed. This can be achieved graphically by setting the graphic in a halftone only slightly darker than the background.wavelet or wavelet compression Either a lossy or non-lossy method of data compression which stores coefficients of a mathematical formula to represent sequences of data bits.
WCAG See Website Accessibility Initiative.
weak character A character which is designated as being usable for more than one writing direction (bidirectional to quad-directional), as for both a left-to-right script and a right-to-left script, but which usually takes on the direction properties strictly based on context. (See neutral character as a comparison.) Examples of weak characters include numerals, numeral or figure space, punctuation, 'slash', and some math operators such as "+" and "-". The opposite of a weak character is a strong character.
web A term referring to a continuous supply of a material in the form of a roll. A « web press » is so named because it uses a continuous roll of paper which is cut as needed.
(another definition follows)
Web An abbreviated term used colloquially for World Wide Web.Web accessibility guidelines A number of guidelines have been developed for the design of Web pages to provide maximum accessibility for challenged individuals. These guidelines were developed by the U.S. General Services Administration to satisfy Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and are listed below:
Unfortunately, the guidelines above are not sufficiently inclusive. Additional guidelines are necessary to cover the gamut of challenged users and the operation of current intelligent agents which they can use to read Web pages. Additional necessary guidelines include (but are not limited to):
1) Use only black and white images, texts, and backgrounds, unless the color combinations chosen provide adequate contrast for all types of color-blindness;
2) When using PDF and PowerPoint documents (which intelligent agents cannot read) as part of a Web site, make available, simultaneously, plaintext versions; and
3) Insure that flashing displays, text, or graphics have a low enough frequency so as not to cause problems for individuals with photo-induced epilepsy.
Web address The Uniform Resource Locator of a Web site.
Web appliance An appliance which connects to the Internet.
webot or Webot A contraction of « Web robot. » See crawling robot.
Web browser A utility viewer which can display HTML documents. It can display documents on the World Wide Web because such documents are written in HTML.
Web browsers have opened up a whole new concept toward the goal of platform-independent software, serving effectively as operating system extensions since the advent of Java and JavaScript. It is now possible to write applets in Java which can be run by browsers. These applets can be distributed in any manner (diskette, CD-ROM, web site) and the byte-for-byte identical software will work on any Java-compliant browser, no matter what operating system the browser runs under. This concept may, eventually, eliminate the need for operating system upgrades which serve to introduce new features.
Web browsers can also serve as a new type of document viewer. The documents are written in HTML, and can be stored on a host computer. The document format is identical, no matter what operating system or platform serves as the host. HTML also has the advantage that the document format is self-adjusting to the size of the viewing window on the fly. The document format cannot transmit viruses, it is compact, human-readible, and editable without special software. The disadvantage is that much less typographic control can be maintained with the basic Web browsers in use today.
See references to Communicator, HotDog, HotJava, Internet Explorer, Mosaic, Navigator, and NeoPlanet.
Web bug A small image in an HTML or XML tag, attached to an advertisement sent in Email or a Web page, which is used to track an end-user when the image is retrieved from a server. In this manner, marketeers, police, or government officials can track end-users on the Internet. Also called "pixel tag."
Web caching A process of storing copies of frequently-accessed Web pages on a local server, rather than downloading them from the Internet. This saves time and conserves bandwidth.
Webcast Generally, the issuance of data or information from a Web site to a user or viewer. A concept product analogous to a broadcast, except happening through the Internet.
Webcasting The issuing of data or information from a Web site to a user or viewer. A process analogous to broadcasting, except happening through the Internet.
Web clipping :Generally, the process of deleting graphics and reformating a Web page, so as to enable the viewing of a Web page by a browser or appliance for which is was not originally designed. More specifically, Web clipping usually refers to the process of a Palm Pilot personal digital assistant browsing the Web with Web clipping handled through an installed PQA (or Palm Query Application). Only specially-modified shortened Web pages prepared using the PQA are downloaded.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines See Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines.
Web crawler or webcrawler See crawling robot. Also the name of a commercial search engine.
WebDAV An abbreviation for Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning. It consists of extensions to the http protocall which enable a Web user to control file locking, resetting metadata information of a document, and server file and resource management indirectly through URLs. WebDAV has reached IETF « proposed status » as of the year 2001. WebDAV is a component of implementing distributed file systems in the current Internet-involved fabric of computer information technology.
Web design The setup of a Web site, including planning and architecting its functional design and content; the graphic design of page layout and images; and programming in CGI, SSI (Server-Side Includes), Java, and JavaScript to implement interaction between the Web site and the visitor. All of this necessitates the services of marketing specialists, writers, graphic artists, programmers, and, sometimes, psychologists.
The requirements of a Web site differs, depending upon whether the Web site is on the Internet, or on a local network (Intranet). The requirements also differ for viewing by a Web browser or by Web TV, due to aspects of viewing format size, preferred navigating habits, and data transmission speeds.
The process of Web design using commercial design software is not as straightfoward as with desktop or electronic publishing design. When a publication is designed using desktop or electronic publishing design techniques, the finished work can be proofed, and there is substantial assurance of how the finished document or advertisement will appear to its viewing audience. This predictability is due to the uniformity of presentation and print architectures (graphical user interfaces, and PostScript). However, with Web design, the architecture is HTML. The appearance of an HTML document can vary substantially, depending on the web publishing software or other means used to create it, the Web browser used to view it, the platform it is being viewed on, and the user preferences set within the browser (like font typeface, font size, and link options). Furthermore, when Web publishing software is used to create an HTML document, different software packages usually generate different HTML from identical layouts, and some of the HTML generated (perhaps, even most) does not faithfully reproduce the document as the designer set it up on-screen. This problem exists because the current version of HTML is unable to precisely compose text, and precisely place images in relation to that text, in a simple, direct manner. And, even if and when HTML extensions are created which can achieve that, current commercial browsers interpret HTML syntax differently, even if all the user preference options are set identically; because the HTML standard does not precisely specify completely how each operator is to work. It is therefore de rigueur that a final Web design be checked out using (at this time) at least nine different browser/platform combinations.
Web font A font format which is usable as a downloadable font resource in HTML, MathML, XML, or other markup languages used to prepare Web pages on the World Wide Web. While the W3C has yet to officialize a Web font format as of 1999, various browser-proprietary formats have been adopted or developed to serve as Web font formats, with variable success. In late 1996, Production First Software developed a proposed Web font architecture, called Expresso(tm), which was specifically designed to manage complex and multilingual fonts with large character sets for use on the World Wide Web. See references to .IET, .EOT, .OTE, and .OTF.
WebGlott TM An application or Web tool developed by Production First Software which allows the script or spoken language of a document to be identified by visually inspecting the document and answering questions. Knowledge of the language is not necessary. To try out the Web tool, click on the WebGlott TM link.
Web hog A person or process which consumes excessive bandwidth or other Web-related resources due to repeated use.
Web Interface Definition Language An XML application which defines a services-layer which can provide function-based interfaces to arbitrary software objects. An example would be for providing uniform interfaces to a variety of forms implemented in HTML on the Web.
Weblet (jargon) A small application or utility written in markup langauge to be used from a Web page.
Web machine A thin client optimized for connecting to the Internet.
Web page A document written in HTML or XML which is usually stored on a Web site, and accessible through a Web browser.
Web page authoring The process of designing a Web page, including originating the graphical and textual content.
Web publishing The use of a Web site for the purposes of publishing periodicals, specifications, audio-visual exhibits, and other types of information. The mechanics of using a Web site for these purposes needs substantial improvements in the areas of visual presentation of text, audio, video, and speed of transmission.
Web-safe A term referring to a property of a software program's result or work product, signifying that it performs properly for tasks related to the World Wide Web.
WebSafeTM An application or Web tool developed by Production First Software which displays all possible colors, including Web-safe colors, which can be specified in HTML. To try out the Web tool, click on download and unZIP WebSafe TM and "save to disk" if that option is presented. Then, run "websafe4.htm" from a browser. (About 320Kb)
Web-safe color A color which will reproduce purely, without dithering, by Web browsers and image protocalls and formats used for the World Wide Web.
Web site or Website A collection of files on a Web server computer system for a single account. It is accessible using a Web browser or by Web TV.
Website Accessibility Initiative : A project undertaken by the Trace Rearch and Development Center of the University of Wisconsin (U.S.) to develop Website content design guidelines to accomodate physically and mentally challenged users. That project developed Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines (UWSAG).
Web tool or Webtool An application or applet written in XHTML, XML, or other suitable markup language which can be accessed and used directly from the Internet on-line, in order to perform a specific useful task. A number of Web tools are currently linked to the Encyclopædia of Typography and Electronic Communication, and more will be linked in the future.
WebTV ® An adapter, first sold in 1996, which can be connected to a television having cable TV service to enable interfacing with the Internet and World Wide Web. It was manufactured by WebTV, a company bought by Microsoft. WebTV has turned out to be a commercial flop for Microsoft, since, in 4 years, only 1 million subscribers signed up.
Echelon and Leviton Manufacturing announced in 1999 that electrical outlet controllers (similar to X-10 controllers) would be operable through WebTV. Microsoft was also negotiating with the Chinese government to develop Internet access through television in China, with a set top box similar to WebTV. The Chinese box would cost Chinese families only a few U.S. dollars, whereas WebTV in 1999 cost about US$250 with keyboard and US$25 per month for WebTV Internet service (which is specifically required for operation).
The CBS television network (US) announced that it would start broadcasting interactive WebTV programming in the 2000-2001 seasons, including sitcoms, dramas, and other shows.
wedge serif A serif which has a shape intermediate between a bracketed serif and a square serif, resulting in a triangular or wedge-shaped serif.
weight The boldness or lightness of the strokes of a typeface design, commonly measured by the ration of some stem thickness (usually vertical) to some letterform height (usually cap height or x-height). A slightly bolder or lighter version of a specific typeface design is usually designated as a style variant.
Weight classifications sometimes defined are (from the lightest to the boldest):ultra light, light, demi-light, book, medium, demi-bold, bold, heavy, ultra heavy. Other weight names may be used, such as poster (for ultra bold).
WEN An acronym for Windows Express Networks. An embeddable operating system, based on Windows/NT, developed by Microsoft for sealed appliances.
.WFM file A Microsoft Windows metrics file used for multibyte bitmap fonts.
white space Spacing added between characters (by kerning) and between words. Production First Software fonts contain at least five space characters: standard space, em space, en space, thin space, and hair space. Some may not be accessible under various applications and platforms. Also known as « air. »
wide bandwidth device A device such as an optical-based device, a cable modem, a radio receiver, and a television receiver (analog and digital). A wideband device is one which can receive and selectively use signals throughout a relatively wide portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
wide character In East-Asian DBCS font and encoding nomenclature, a character whose byte-width is greater than one (e.g. 2-byte, 3-byte, 4-byte, etc.). This usually represents characters whose glyphs occupy an advance width of 1 em. All other characters represented by 1-byte usually have character glyphs designed to have advance widths of one half em. Note that in fixed-width encodings (either 1-byte, such as ISO 8859, or multibyte, such as Unicode or ISO/IEC/10646), this definition does not apply, since the encoding may contain characters which map to both narrow and wide characters of DBCS encodings.
(another definition follows)
wide character A character in a fixed-width encoding whose width property is assigned as being « wide. »widget Another term for « utility. »
Wide Hebrew A Production First Software Hebrew character set designed specifically for rendering Calligraphic Hebrew wide letterforms.
WIDL See Web Interface Definition Language.
WiFi An acronym for Wireless Fidelity. A wireless broadband system suitable for Internet usage.
widow The last line of a paragraph or block of text appearing at the top of the next page or column of text which is a single word. Optimum typesetting practice suggests that widows are to be avoided. However, in documents formulated using HTML, SGML, XML, or other free-form markup document formatting languages, widows are quite common because there is no text handling mechanism built-in to mitigate against them.
width property A fixed-width encoding character property (wide, narrow, half-width, ambiguous) which corresponds to whether the corresponding
width table A data file used by Ventura, GEM version, which contains character widths and spacing information for characters of all fonts used in the publication. When a new font is to be used, the font's character width table must be combined with Ventura's width table.
winding and winding rule A topological property of the procedure of filling glyph outlines (winding), designating which side of an outline path gets filled (winding rule). A winding rule, for example, might fill only concave sides or only convex sides of an outline path. An straight line outline path may get filled only on the right hand side or only on the left hand side. The direction of the outline path is also a variable parameter. A winding rule is sometimes designated as being « even » or « odd; » or sometimes « right-handed » or « left-handed. »
If two closed outlines have outline paths which are opposite in direction (clockwise and counterclockwise), their winding is said to be opposite. If the two outlines intersect, then the application of a winding rule may result in the intersection area being unfilled when the other areas are filled.
Since glyph shapes are stored as outline description data later to be filled, winding rules are used to determine how to fill glyph outlines when converting to bitmap data, prior to a rasterizing process.
The name « winding » comes from the winding of wire onto a spool or into a coil.
windowing system An operating system, or part of one, which provides a visual, graphical user interface (« GUI » ) under which applications are used. Windows appear on the screen, one per task, which are used to control the application by means of pull-down menus and dialog boxes.
Windows See Microsoft Windows.
Windows XP Embedded A modular version of Windows XP which permits Microsoft-developed middleware components (such as Internet Explorer or Media Player) found in previous versions of Windows to be removed and replaced. This was the structure of Windows which Bill Gates originally denied existed in testimony at the U.S. Department of Justice Microsoft Antitrust trial, but which was later recanted by him when nine states opposed the Microsoft-Department of Justice settlement.
WINE An acronym for WINdows Extension. A Linux widget which makes DOS, Windows 3.1, and 32-bit Windows APIs available on Linux. Unfortunately, WINE is restricted to x86 processors and will not run applications without some modifications to the application source code.
WIPO An acronym for World Intellectual Property Organization, a United Nations agency set up to protect world intellectual property rights.
WMA An abbreviation of Windows Media Audio. A digital music file format for Microsoft Windows.
WML or Wireless Markup Language A markup language based on XML to describe Web pages designed for narrow band devices for Internet access. WML is part of WAP technology.
Wong/Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale A pediatric pain scale based on 6 cartouches of facial expressions depicting various levels of pain (0 to 5). The 0 level (no pain) is represented by a very happy face. The maximum pain level (5) is represented by a sad and tearful face. Intermediate levels are represented by cartouches having facial expressions between the two extremes. The classic reference for this pain scale is: Wong, D. L.; Wong and Whaley's Clinical Manual of Pediatric Nursing; Ed.4; C. Mosby Co.; St. Louis, MO, USA; (1996); p.316, 319.
The Wong/Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale has also been used with adults in cases where there may be a language barrier.
wood type Type bodies made of wood rather than metal. It was used in the same manner as regular metal foundry type. Wood type was generally used for larger sizes of type (72 points or larger).
word break An action performed on a text string, or one or more characters inserted in a text string, to separate words, so that a text string can be broken properly at the end of a line and continued onto the next line.
The character(s) inserted in a string to carry this out depends on the script. In Arabic, Armenian, Cyrillic, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, and Latin scripts, a 'space' or <0020> is used where a line may be broken. A no-break space or <00a0> can used to prevent the text string from being broken between two words. Some scripts such as Chinese, Indic, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Thai, and Tibetan do not place a space or other identifiable word separator between words. In those cases, determining word boundaries for automatic text formatting purposes can only be done by analyzing text content or recognizing certain character sequences.
word processor A computer application which is designed to create documents using only basic typographic capability. Modern word processors are evolving closer to page layout programs with the addition of some typographic refinements and the capability to place and position graphics.
word wrap The automatic termination of a line of text based on a predetermined width, placing the text overflow in the next line.
workflow See digital workflow.
WorkplaceOS See OS/2.
World Intellectual Property Organization A United Nations agency set up to protect world intellectual property rights.
WorldScript I A Macintosh System extension that implements various 1-byte scripts and writing systems such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Thai.
WorldScript II A Macintosh System extension that implements Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 2-byte scripts, writing systems, and encodings. As of this writing, ISO10646 and Unicode encodings are not covered under Systems 6.x and 7.x.
World Wide Web The extension protocall, invented by Tim Berners-Lee, and designed for use by a network to represent graphical data and exchange of such data. It was originally implemented on the world-wide Internet by the Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (« CERN » ) in 1989.
WORM An acronym for Write Once Read Many (times), usually applied to certain types of storage media, such as CD-ROM, which can only be written once.
(another definition follows)
worm A computer virus which is a stand-alone program, as opposed to a simple virus which has coding which must be attached to another program or additional coding to function. The notorious Code Red and Code Red II worms which infected Internet servers in 2001 scrambles itself at each execution rendering any type of detection of additional copies impossible.wrapper See bento container.
writing direction The physical manner in which a
writing system The inclusive term which refers to a spoken language, its orthography, and its representation script. Examples include Arabic writing system, hangul, Hebrew writing system, Russian writing system, and U. S. English writing system.
Writing system units include alphabets, cuneforms, ideograms, graffiti, hieroglyphs, hobo signs, petroglyphs, pictograms, and symbols. There are sometimes very subtle distinctions which categorize one unit from another.
wrong reading An image whose text, comprised of a left-to-right script, on a page reads right to left and top to bottom. A mirror image of the correct page.
WWW An abbreviation for the World Wide Web and used widely in internet addresses.
WYSIWYG An acronym for What You See Is What You Get. This refers primarily to computer monitor screen displays of the publication's page layout attempting to accurately resemble medium to high resolution printed results. This can never be achieved with the use of low resolution (50 to 100 dpi) raster-type display monitors. Various software aids (such as multiply-sized screen fonts, type managers, preview bit-maps in print files, vector application fonts, and display PostScript) improve displays to varying degrees. Sometimes, the aids are not worth the penalties they usually impose: complex installation procedures, many megabytes of additional required disk space, faster microcomputers, and more microcomputer memory.
W3C An abbreviation for World Wide Web Consortium. The standards body responsible for Web-related software standards, including HTML, XML, and, theoretically, Java.
.W00 to .W99 files Typographic International font Ventura/GEM .WID files, which contain character width and spacing information for only those characters in the character subset of a particular Language Group.
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