KB 223

What's the difference between dynamic and static web pages?

Article:223
Created:2003-04-30 11:54:32
Categories:
  Web Publishing

Question or Symptom

I've heard the terms dynamic and static referring to web pages. What does that mean?

Resolution

A static web page is a file made up of HTML commands that tells a web client (web browser) how to display some content. A dynamic web page is HTML that is generated by some programming process. This HTML is then sent to the web browser and displayed in the same way a static web page would be. To the web browser the page it receives is just an HTML document. The difference occurs at the web server.

Some processes that generate HTML are PHP, Perl cgi scripts, Active X, and Server Side Includes. These processes may be built into the web server like PHP, or Mod-Perl, or they may be external programs that are invoked, like most CGI scripts.

Dynamic pages are most often associated with form processes. For example a form may ask you to check your product interests and the subsequent page displayed will use that information to query a database of products showing only the ones you've indicated an interest in.

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