Tuesday, January 1, 2008

CGI

CGI, the Common Gateway Interface, enables your page to interact with viewers. Generally, CGI is used to process the data submitted by users and send the response back to them.

Link to CGI reource web sites:


CGI Resource Index: This site contains a ton of links to CGI Scripts on the WWW. They are well categorized and easy to browse.

Fluid Dynamics: Many useful CGI scripts are here, such as Search, Counter, etc. The documents are easy to understand and follow.

Matt's Script Archive: This site is always popular on the Net. You'll find a bunch of CGIs written in C++ and Perl. All of them are free. Matt's Script Archive provides a Guestbook, Counter, Text Counter, Search, WWW Board, FormMail, etc.

Salena Sol's CGI Script Archives: Like Matt's Script, Salena give you a bunch of useful scripts, Form Processor, Guestbook, Basic Animation Scripts, Random Banner Gennerator, Web Chat, etc. The new URL is at extropia.com. Scripts are still free, but there are now (paid) registered versions.

WebScripts: This site contains many useful scripts written by Darryl C. Burgdorf. Some examples of scripts here are WebBBS, WebSearch, WebLog, etc. All scripts are always updated!

The CGI Archive: Many useful scripts such as Message Board, URL Search Engine, Random Image Displayer, etc. Scripts are easy to install.

Also, Yahoo has a frequently updated list about CGI.

The following are sites where you can get other particular scripts that may match your needs.



Counter:


It seems like everyone wants to have one. If you're paying for hosting service, your provider should have one for you. If you're getting free hosting service from your organization such as a university, you may try to install the script by yourself, but don't forget to ask the system administrator whether he or she allows you to have CGI Script. If it isn't allowed, don't waste your time. The alternative is running a counter from other people's servers, such as commercial counter, or let Java, which doesn't require installation on a server, counts visitors for you.

WWW Homepage Access Counter and Clock!: This site provides a reliable CGI counter and clock with an explanation in great detail. You will also find JavaApplets at this site.

YAAC (Yet Another Access Counter): This site provides access counter script written in Perl.

Counter 4.0: This site provides a text counter.

Easy Counter: The alternative for people who aren't allowed to have CGI script on their own server, but you need to be able to read an access log.

Web Counter at digits.com, they used to offer a free counter, but not anymore. Their commercial counter starts at $5 a month.

Email Form:


Formmail: Located at Matt's Script site. Get results from forms and send mail to specified users.

CGIemail: Developed by MIT. CGIemail script can accept the results of forms and use a template file to build and construct an email message containning those results.

Links with Drop Down Box:


Jump Box: This redirection script uses a pull-down select box to allow users to select a site and then click a 'GO' button to visit it. This script is OK for only a few URLs, but if you have many, it can become very hard to configure, as each selection has to be configured into the CGI script.

Selection: Users choose a link from a pull down menu and then click a button to go there.

Newbie Perl Archive: Form Navigator: This script enables you to navigate your user to different pages depending on their choice from a selection box.

Running your CGI remotely:


i-Depth: Run Ad Banners, Forums, Guestbooks, Webforms to Mail, Counters, Chat, Postcards, Classified Ads, and Calculating Order Pages from this remote host.

Worldwidemart: They offer service for you to run your CGI from their site at $7 a month.

JavaScript

Java vs. JavaScript


Java is a programing language developed by Sun. Java allows programmers to create programs. One example is Java Applets, a small program embedded within a web page.

JavaScript is a scripting language developed by Netscape and later joined in a partnership with Sun. You can insert it directly to your HTML documents. Creating JavaScript is not difficult. What you need are only simple text editor and browser that supports JavaScript.

JavaScript


We are not going to show you how to write JavaScript here because useful JavaScripts are widely available for you to copy. You may not need to know how to write it unless you want customized Script for your site. If you want to learn how to write the script, try JavaScript for the world wide web book.

Shown below are some examples of useful JavaScripts and links to some JavaScript web sites

Alert message:


Here is the code for alert message:

<a href="j_script.html" onclick="alert('Reload this page?');">Click here</a>

Dynamic images and menus:


Dynamic menu can either be created by JavaScript or JavaApplet. The JavaScript version will work only on Netscape 3.0 or higher. JavaApplet version should work on both Netscape and Explorer but it will run much slower than JavaScript.

JavaScript example:

>>

example of dynamic menu

The principle is that you have two images. One will be displayed when you put your mouse on it, and the other will be displayed when the mouse is off the image.

Installation is easy. This code originally written by Nick Heinle and Athenia Associates. Follow the link to get detail instruction.

Customized Message in Status Bar


To see how it works, simply put your cursor over (but don't "click") on this links and watch the status bar at the bottom of your screen.

You can get this script from "Cut-N-Paste JavaScript"

Counter:


There is no example shown here. To use this counter script, your server must support server-side includes (SSI) feature. You can get it at http://www.cris.com/~adaml/Counter.shtml. The script developed by Adam Levental.

Links to JavaScript resources:



On line JavaScript Tutorial:


Anton Subagja