1.2 Purpose/Scope of Book

This book is designed to teach ACUCOBOL-GT developers how to deploy applications on the Internet. It includes an overview of Internet technology and terminology, a description of alternative approaches to Internet deployment, specific instructions on implementing each approach, and samples where appropriate.

After reading this book, ACUCOBOL-GT developers will have a clear understanding of how to integrate COBOL programming with their current Internet strategies, how to shape future Internet strategies, and how to minimize development time and expense.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, the references to "Windows" in this book denote 32-bit versions of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Those versions are: Windows 95, 98, and ME, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000. In those instances where it is necessary to make a distinction among the individual versions of those operating systems, we refer to them by their specific version numbers.