Lesson 4: Websites & Web Apps

What is a Website?

A website is a collection of related web pages that are typically identified by a common domain name and are published on at least one web server. These web pages are interconnected and can contain various types of content, such as text, images, videos, and interactive elements. Websites are accessible over the internet through a web browser, and users can navigate between different pages using hyperlinks.

Websites serve a variety of purposes, including providing information, entertainment, communication, e-commerce, education, and more. They can be static, with fixed content that doesn't change frequently, or dynamic, with content that is regularly updated or personalized based on user interactions.

Key components of a website include:

• Web Pages: Individual documents containing text, multimedia, and other elements.
• Domain Name: The unique identifier for a website, usually entered the address bar of a browser (e.g., www.erastusesilesi.com).
• Web Server: A computer or server that hosts the website and responds to requests from users' browsers.
• Hyperlinks: Text or images that, when clicked, lead users to another page or resource.
• Web Browser: Software used by individuals to access and view websites (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari).

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I want you to see a website like a digital house on the internet, let’s call this house Omwami Apartments. Imagine this house has different rooms, each filled with interesting or useful things. In internet terms, these rooms are like the pages of a website, and they can have text, pictures, videos, or interactive elements.

To visit Omwami Apartments (website), you use a ‘car’ called a web browser, like Uber (Chrome) or Bolt (Firefox). You tell your driver where you want to go by typing in the house's address, which is like the website's domain name (for example, www.erastusesilesi.com).

Once you're at the digital house (website), you can move from room to room (navigate between pages) by clicking on doors (using links). Each room might have different information or things to do. Some rooms are like libraries full of information, while others are like playgrounds full of games and fun stuff. For example: www.erastusesilesi.com/contact is a room hosted on the internet to enable visitors get the contact information of Erastus Esilesi, while www.erastusesilesi.com/blog is a room hosted on the internet to enable visitors view his blogs.

The cool thing is that anyone with the right address can visit this digital house (website) from anywhere. That's why we say it's on the internet.

What is a Web Application?

A web application is like a digital tool or service that you can use through your web browser on the internet. It's a software application that runs on a web server, and you interact with it through your browser, like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Think of it as a set of functions or features that you can access online, like using a program on your computer, but in this case, it's all happening on the internet. Web applications can do various things, such as letting you shop online, check your email, use social media, edit documents, play games, or manage your finances.

Unlike a regular website that is more informational, a web application often involves user interaction, allowing you to input information, perform tasks, and get specific results. Examples of web applications include Google Docs for editing documents online, Facebook for social networking, or online banking websites for managing your finances.

We will create very good websites using WordPress. You can also use WordPress to create a Web Applications. Example of Web apps build on WordPress include:

1. Nation Media Group - www.nationmedia.com/careers/
2. Nairobi Stock Exchange - www.nse.co.ke
3. Tech Crunch - www.techcrunch.com
4. The Walt Disney Company - www.thewaltdisneycompany.com

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Now, how does the Internet work? Please refer to this video:? This serves as the prerequisite knowledge to this course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN8YNNHcaZc