As a first step, this is possible through the use of Web forms and the state-less CGI protocol for generating dynamic documents. But to obtain a truly integrated service, it is necessary to introduce a state-full protocol that maintains a number of individual, sequential user sessions with both local and global state. While such a technology is not directly available in the current Web standards, it is certainly possible to laboriously encode such services on top of the existing CGI protocol. In this section we shall present and motivate the different levels of services that Web sites may offer. Static vs. dynamic documents To make a document available on the World Wide Web, one need only to author it in the HTML notation and offer its URL to potential readers.
Most information is presented as such simple, static documents.
However, there are several problems inherent in this simplicity. Manual browsing is frustrating and exhausting if a truly large number of documents is offered by a Web site. Also, the hierarchical structure that is imposed makes it all too easy to get lost. A static document must be updated by the site manager according to some discipline that is not directly driven by external accesses. Thus, many static document will display outdated informations.