Posts Tagged ‘CGI’

General introduction-Java script

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

JavaScript is most commonly used as a client side scripting language. This means that JavaScript code is written into an HTML page. When a user requests an HTML page with JavaScript in it, the script is sent to the browser and it’s up to the browser to do something with it.

The fact that the script is in the HTML page means that your scripts can be seen and copied by whoever views your page. Nonetheless, to my mind this openness is a great advantage, because the flip side is that you can view, study and use any JavaScript you encounter on the WWW.

JavaScript can be used in other contexts than a Web browser. Netscape created server-side JavaScript as a CGI-language that can do roughly the same as Perl or ASP. There is no reason why JavaScript couldn’t be used to write real, complex programs. However, this site exclusively deals with the use of JavaScript in web browsers.

If you don’t have any programming experience at all it’s best to start with some gentle JavaScript examples that teach you the basics. It might be a good idea to buy Negrino & Smith, “JavaScript for the World Wide Web”, 4th edition, Peachpit Press, 2001. It contains some very useful examples and though it doesn’t treat advanced programming tricks, it will certainly help you get started. Of course this site also offers plenty of help.

I can also recommend Jeremy Keith, DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model, 1st edition, Friends of Ed, 2005. This, too, is a book that doesn’t delve too deeply into technology, but gives non-programmers such as graphic designers/CSS wizards an excellent overview of the most common uses of JavaScript - as well as the most common problems.

WordPress: Web Service

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

WordPress is a web-server-neutral application, meaning that it can run on many different platforms. Apache and Linux are the most robust platforms for running WordPress, but any server that supports PHP and MySQL will do.

Make sure your host features the most up-to-date and stable version of these platforms to create a strong environment in which to run WordPress.

Choosing the best method to run PHP, the language that interprets the WordPress code, can also affect your server’s performance. In CGI mode, the server creates a new instance of the PHP program for every PHP file that a visitor requests. In shared module mode (or ISAPI), a single library instance is used for each PHP hit. There are advantages and drawbacks to each method - while choosing the method for your server, be sure to keep in mind traffic and its demands on the server.

UNIX vs Windows Hosting

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

When browsing through the offerings of various web hosting companies you are sure to notice that some offer UNIX hosting and others offer Windows. Some hosts even offer a choice of the two operating systems. What are the differences and which one is better?

First of all, when choosing a host, it doesn’t matter what kind of operating system you develop your web site on or what you use on your own computer. Web sites hosted on both UNIX and Windows servers are universally accessible because the data they serve is identical. The difference lies solely in the software used to serve that data.

In terms of reliability UNIX systems have a slight advantage. They are known to extremely stable and able to run for years without rebooting. Windows is also very reliable – slightly less so than UNIX but still able to handle the demands of modern web sites.

The majority of web hosts use various flavours of UNIX like Linux and FreeBSD. These operating systems are free and reduce the costs of a hosting operation. Windows costs thousands of dollars so some hosts charge extra for Windows accounts if they offer both types.

As well as being free, Linux and the other UNIX varieties are open-source software. Anyone can alter the source code and make improvements, updates, and additions. There is a large pool of dedicated enthusiasts who use their free time to work on this software. Windows, on the other hand, is Microsoft proprietary software so users are dependent on Microsoft to release updates. There is no way for an individual user to modify the code.

The main difference between the two types of operating systems is the type of software each can run. Windows is suitable for Microsoft products such as MS Access databases, ASP for delivering dynamic content, and VBScript for site enhancements. UNIX cannot accommodate these technologies so if you absolutely need ASP or VBScript you should pick a Windows host. UNIX hosts deliver dynamic content by using software such as PHP, CGI, and MySQL – technologies which are also available on Windows hosts.

Windows is necessary for hosting Windows media files such as videos and audio. Other types of media such as MP3, Flash, Shockwave and Real can be handled by either UNIX or Windows. Websites created in Microsoft FrontPage (a graphical HTML development package) can also be hosted on either type as long as MS databases or dynamic content are not included for use on a UNIX host.
Which is Best?

Before deciding which type of hosting to use for your website, consider carefully what kind of technologies you will need. Do you need a dynamic site?  Will you have multimedia content such as streaming video or audio?

Both UNIX and Windows can provide dynamic content with PHP, MySQL, as well as CGI, and there are thousands of dynamic scripts readily available. Multimedia can also be hosted by either type of server, although Windows media (WMA and WMV) need to be hosted on a Windows server.

If you absolutely need Microsoft databases, ASP, and Windows media you have to go with a Windows host. Otherwise most websites are probably better off with a UNIX host. The advantages of UNIX over Windows include greater choices in web hosts, slightly better reliability, and (sometimes) cheaper hosting costs.

Using JavaScript

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Many people use JavaScript for their website needs because it is very user friendly. In fact it is said that JavaScript really changed the concepts people had about being able to create their websites on their own. Instead of paying thousands of dollars to have someone do it for them they were able to try it themselves.

The Common Gateway Interface, known as CGI, is the most complicated aspect of completing any type of web page layout. With the use of JavaScript though it is extremely easy to transfer data from the server to the browser in HTML format. In fact, you don’t even need to involve the server in many of the different tasks you will likely be processing.

With any online business the big part of it all is making sure your website looks great. After all the time and effort you put into advertising, you want the consumers to take the links and be impressed by what they find enough to make a purchase. With JavaScript you can double check to ensure all of the necessary elements are in place as they need to be.

Take some time to play around with JavaScript and see what it has to offer you. Chances are you will quickly discover it offers you a much easier way to create web pages. The fact that you can create information and validate it without having to run it through a server means your web pages will open up faster for consumers. You will also find using JavaScript takes the complications out of many different elements of designing your website and keeping it up to date.

Since JavaScript is continually updated you can also be sure you will have the most current tools to keep you in the loop. Trends change very rapidly online and your best course of defense is to be ready for them. Adding new features with the help of JavaScript will ensure your competition never gets the edge over you.

You will find plenty of great tips for using JavaScript online as well. This way you can get free assistance quickly if you aren’t able to make it do what you want to. JavaScript has been continually updated too so you can be sure it will offer you the best possible tools to get the job done.