Snippet:  A small piece of something such as information or music.

Snippets are also how this web site works!  Snippets of HTML programming code are created,  saved,  and then collected.  These snippets are then recollected to present a web page like this one.  All without having to write a single line of HTML code.  Making it a snap to keep web site content current and fresh!

Go to the next Snippet below to find out ...

This web site consists of  two parts. 

• the display page,  (which you are reading right now) and
• the Snippets tool set. 

The display page is created as Snippets are collected from the database and "poured" into a  page template.  With this template it's easy to give the web page a consistant look and feel.

The tool set makes it simple to create and edit and save a Snippet in the database. With the tool set you can:

• Create a  Snippet
• Edit a Snippet
• Choose the Publish Status
• Shedule when to have your Snippet displayed
• Add an image
• Attach a PDF file

So far we have only discussed how the front end of the Snippets works.  How a web browser is used to input data snippets to be stored in and then served from a database.  But, the trick that makes the system tick is what's behind the front end. 

There are  three tiers to the system:

• The browser, HTML
• ASP, Active Server Pages
• SQL Server, the database

Or,  in more detail:

• At the front end, a browser creates the interface to the InterNet.
• ASP, the middleman,  provides a method to link between the browser and the database.
• At the backend, SQL Server, a powerful, industrial strength database, provides the engine to manage the data.  Data, once stored, that can be served back to the brower to create a web page. 

Because each page is created by collecting snippets together, it's easy to team up and create a page.  Each person on a team can create a snippet.  When the snippets are collected everyone's contribution is on the display page!

To work with the Snippets no special software is needed. All you need is a web browser and an InterNet connection.  So, you can work anywhere any time!

(There is one caveat though,  currently to use the full features of the Snippet system you must use Microsoft's IE 5 or higher browser on the Windows operating system.)