For example, to develop a web application, the designer needs to use an operating system, web server, database and programming language. One of the many possible solution stacks available is LAMP:

• Linux (the operating system);
• Apache (the Web server);
• MySQL, (the database management system)
• Perl, PHP, and/or Python (scripting languages).

Another common stack is the Windows alternative to LAMP:

• Windows Server
• Internet Information Services
• Microsoft SQL Server
• ASP.NET

Recently (as the other layers became more tolerant of Windows) WAMP has become more popular as a more literal Windows alternative to LAMP, using:

• Windows
• Apache
• MySQL
• Perl, PHP or Python

Similarly, MAMP for the Mac.

Another example is the OpenACS stack which comprises:

• Linux or Windows (the operating system);
• AOLserver (the Web server);
• PostgreSQL or Oracle (the database management system)
• Tcl (the scripting language).

In the Erlang world, there is also the LYME stack of:

• Linux
• Yaws, the web server;
• Mnesia, the database
• and Erlang itself, the programming language.

See also

• Web application framework
• Content management framework
• Content management system