Glossary of Terms

classpath
A mechanism that Java uses to locate programs when it runs them. In order for Java to run the Saké engine or individual Saké applications, Java must be able to find the programs first. Be aware that some systems have several classpaths set, as different Java virtual machines may each have their own classpath. The classpath that is important to set is the one that is actually being used by your servlet runner.

jar file
A file that contains programs that run on a Java platform. Java applications are typically made up of hundreds of different files that would be unweildy to transport and install. Jar files, similar to a DLL file on a Windows machine or a shared library file on a Unix machine, allow you to transport and install just a handful of files.

Java
A platform for running applications that transcends specific operating systems such as Microsoft Windows or Linux. Applications that are developed to run under the Java platform, such as Saké, will run on any system with an available Java virtual machine, no matter what operating system that machine actually uses.

interface templates
The entire interface for a Saké application is defined by template files, which are written either in XML or HTML. This includes all error messages, date format specifications, and anything else that the user might see. Interface templates allow for easy customization of Saké applications, and allow for multiple simultaneous interfaces from a single application via skins. More information on customizing Saké applications is available elsewhere in the documentation.

Saké
A family of server-side applications for providing enhanced functionality to web sites.

servlet
Servlets are web-based applications developed for the Java platform. They are similar in functionality to CGI applications, but the engineering behind servlets is very different. Servlets can be far faster and more reliable than CGI applications. A properly engineered servlet can run under virtually any web server, since servlets leverage the portability and widespread implementation of the Java platform.

servlet container
A servlet runner is an application that allows a web server to run web-based applications developed for the Java platform. These applications are known as servlets. A servlet runner contains a Java virtual machine and plugs in to a web server using the web server's expansion API, such as ISAPI, NSAPI, or even CGI. We list tested configurations and recommendations on the Saké requirements page.

skins
A mechanism that Saké uses for providing multiple different interfaces to different users simultaneously. More information is available in the Saké customization documentation.

snippet
In Saké, the term "snippet" refers to a small chunk of XML or HTML code that is embedded into an interface template. Snippets are used when an item in a Saké application's interface template may need to be used only in certain contexts, such as an error message that only occasionally needs to be displayed. A snippet may also be used for items that need to appear a variable number of times in a Saké application's output, such as the individual rows used in a list of messages. Snippets are stored within the template files themselves rather than in configuration files so that 100% of a Saké application's output can be specified via the templates.

template files
See interface templates.

virtual machine
The program that actually runs Java applications. Available for download for free from Sun Microsystems, and sometimes included with servlet runners.

XML
A simple, universal standard for representing structured documents. XML is a simple standard that can be converted into HTML via XSL. More information on XML is available from the W3C. XML is used in Saké applications for creating interface templates for customization, it is used as the standard format for all of Saké's configuration files, and it is used in most cases when Saké applications need to store data to files.

XSL
XML Style Sheets, used for converting XML documents into other forms, generally for output. Saké uses XSL as a mechanism for converting XML interface templates into HTML, which allows many common interface elements to be centralized in a single XSL style sheet. This allows designers to easily make global changes that affect the entire application by modifying a single file. More information on XSL is available from the W3C.