A dynamic web page is the display layer of programming used to relay information over the internet from a server to a workstation anywhere in the world - and beyond. The programming can be very simple (as in a javascript) to highly complicated (as in an ecommerce or blogging package). There are several layers involved in creating dynamic websites which can be programmed in several different languages in different ways - depending upon the desired result.

According to professionals in the field, a dynamic web page [or site] is one that displays data or content that is stored within a database. "Dynamic" web pages can be statically written to do "dynamic" things - but that is a lot of coding and can take time to load, putting strain on a user's computer, bandwidth allowance, and patience.

A dynamic page [site] consists of several layers. Follows is the simplest hierarchy [excluding security levels, gateways, and other very technical aspects of web development].

Display layer: the web page [HTML]

This is the basic language for web development. It is written into a document that is called up by a web browser using a web address (URL). Embedded within the HTML can be varying programming commands or markup - depending upon the desired content and the language behind the display layer.

Programming layer: server applications [Java, ASP.net, PHP, PERL, CGI, etc.]

This layer orchestrates and organizes the dynamics of a website. Be it calculating the total of a shopping cart to organizing pictures or streaming video. Several languages are used, sometimes combined, for different items being called by the HTML. It is this layer [generally] that communicates with the database as well as the storage layers.

Storage layer: typically the documents themselves [images, pdf docs, html docs, external scripts, style sheets, etc.]

This layer can be a single server or multiple servers - depending upon the configuration of the server itself.

Data layer: content, information, text and storage of such [MySQL, Oracle, MSsql, etc.]

Databases can be as simple as a list of emails [for an email campaign] to holding all information of a given object [location of images on multiple servers, product descriptions, pricing matrices, references to related items, etc.]. The database behind a web page [or site] can become very complex - most times residing on a completely separate server than the web page, programming and storage for security as well as processing reasons.

Typically, when a web page is displayed, the work behind the process is as such:

A web address is entered into the web browser to look up the HTML at the address
The web browser begins to read over the html markup of the called page
If directed, the markup within a page will send multiple queries via the programming layer to the database and storage servers
Requested data and content is sent from the database back into the programming to be packaged
Packaging of all requested information and documents is then sent to the requesting web browsers
The web browser displays the returned information in accordance to the HTML

This is a very high level explanation of web development and dynamic web pages. More detailes can be found all over the internet depending upon the specific desires for a web page [site].

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