What is a dynamic website?

[ricky2020]

More complex dynamic web sites consist of a variable number of pages. There will be a fixed number of actual pages types, but each page type may be populated dynamically with variable data from a database. The page you're read now consists of elements written by Yahoo!, elements written by you, elements written by me and elements written by others; these elements are combined dynamically to form the page.
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I just bought a microwave fireplace. You can spend an evening in front of it in only eight minutes.

[Paulel]

A simple static web site consists of a fixed number of pages. When you visit one of those pages you always receive the same content. It may be there is intelligence embedded in the web site in the form of JavaScript, Flash or Silverlight, but essentially the pages delivered are identical.

More complex dynamic web sites consist of a variable number of pages. There will be a fixed number of actual pages types, but each page type may be populated dynamically with variable data from a database. The page you're read now consists of elements written by Yahoo!, elements written by you, elements written by me and elements written by others; these elements are combined dynamically to form the page.

An example of a simple static web site would be a site advertising a plumber, it will give his contact details, the services offered and perhaps references from happy customers. You can read the site, but it is little more than a glorified yellow pages advert.

An example of a dynamic web site would be Yahoo! Answers, you can interact with it, change it and talk to others through it.

If you are buying web hosting, having a static web site is considerably cheaper than a dynamic web site.

Paul