This provides users not only content that looks good but an easy way of navigating to related information. The two key software components of the Web are the browser and the http server. A browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, communicates with the http server, a program that listens for and accepts requests for information from the browser, then looks for a predefined page with appropriate information or causes a program to be run. These programs, called scripts, can issue a query to an external database or communicate with a PDM server. The program is run through something called the common gateway interface.
Users enter a uniform resource locator address for the Web page into the browser, and off it goes.
One of the big attractions of the Web is the simple interface through standard browsers, which are inexpensive, simple to understand, and capable of supporting almost all users. The programs run on all types of computers, Unix workstations, PCs, and Macintoshes, providing the same look and feel across all platforms and for all applications. Browsers are seen as a way of expanding PDM to thousands of people in the manufacturing enterprise who otherwise might not have convenient on-line access to this broad base of information. A script can be written to retrieve information from multiple sources and present it in a single view to the user. This includes not only data from the PDM system, but also information from the shop floor, parts management systems, purchasing, finance, shipping, and legacy systems.