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Chapter 6: Script Languages
Server side scripts can be written in a wide variety of languages. The language does not really matter from the Web designer's point of view, as long as the script does its job. Even so, a little background information will be worthwhile.
- Common Gateway Interface, or CGI, is one of the original scripting technologies that is used on the Web. Despite being relatively old it is still perfectly useful. because it has been around so long you will find lots of useful CGI scripts on the Web that you can download and use. CGI is not really a language, but rather a technology, and most CGI scripts are written in Perl.
- Perl, which is an acronym for Practical Extraction and Report Language, is another powerful scripting language. Perl is widely supported and there are lots of useful scripts available on the Web. Perl scripts are stored in files with the .pl extension.
- Active Server Pages, or ASP, is a Microsoft technology that has gained wide popularity. ASP scripts are written using the VBScript language which can also be used to write client-side scripts. It is very powerful but does not enjoy as wide support as some other scripting technologies. ASP script pages use the .asp extension.
- PHP (which, as far as I know, does not stand for anything) is
rapidly gaining popularity as the server side scripting language of
choice for many Webmasters. Why? It’s easy to use and learn,
very powerful and is open source and therefore free. A Web
hosting provider does not have to pay in order to support PHP on their servers. PHP script pages have the .php extension.
Client-side versus Server-side Scripts
What's the difference? The names say it all. A server-side script is executed on the Web server and the results are returned to the user. A client-side script is embedded in an HTML page and is executed on the user's computer.Installing and Linking a Script
Once you have found a script you want to use, you will use FTP to upload it to the proper folder of your Website. (For example, CGI scripts are traditionally kept in a folder named 'cgi-bin' off of your site's root folder.) Once the file has been uploaded you will need to set the form's action attribute to point to the script file. For instance:<form action="cgi-bin/myscript.pl">
Once the page containing the form is published, your users will be able to use the form and its attached script. Be sure to test forms and scripts that you publish to make sure they are working correctly.
The Short Story
CoffeeCup Software started in a real Coffee House 1996. Our first program was the HTML Editor. Over the last 10 years we have created a lot more Web Design & Flash Software. Our philosophy has always been to create software and services so you can make better Websites. We are dedicated to helping you by offering extraordinary support so we can succeed together. Consider us a partner and a friend, because we really are about Fresh Software and Warm People.
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