![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
To access the contents, click the chapter and section titles.
Perl CGl Programming: No experience required.
IntroductionThere is no question that the World Wide Web is booming these days. Cheap Internet access, powerful computers, fast modems, and software that is practically given away have combined to make it easy to set up a site and climb aboard the Web. However, building an attractive Web site, one that people will want to visit again and again, entails more than heaping good-looking graphics into an HTML document and hanging out your shingle on the Net. A good Web site is one that interacts with visitors dynamically, taking whatever they send to it and responding accordingly. Thats where this book comes in. Tapping into the Power of Perl and CGI Through the Common Gateway Interface (CGI), you can hook your Web pages up to Perl programs that process the information visitors send to you and tailor responses accordingly. The Perl programming language is a lovely tool for writing CGI applications; there are several reasons its been the vehicle of choice among Webmasters almost since it was introduced:
Through Perl and CGI, you can make your Web site truly dynamic. Your pages will do things, rather than simply displaying pretty pictures. Also, because CGI is an Internet standard and Perl is available for so many platforms, you encounter virtually no issues of system dependency, as you would with many of the proprietary Web page-processing tools. Every Web server understands CGI, and every popular computer system runs Perl programs. How This Book Is Organized The purpose of this book is to teach you the fundamentals of Perl-CGI programming and how you can use these tools to build a better Web site. Its pretty difficult to learn programming without programming, so youll find copious examples of Perl code, with a special emphasis on how you hook the code up to a Web server through CGI. Well approach every task incrementally, building from simple concepts and examples up to complete projects that you can use in your Web site. The incremental approach will allow you to learn the basics of a concept easily; then you can flesh out the basics without having too many questions about what youre doing. Youll finish with a fundamental understanding of Perl and CGI, and enough knowledge to begin using your imagination to conjure up more complex tasks. The topics well cover include:
You wont find much dry programming theory in this book. Instead, well use a practical approach. Perl can be fun all by itself, but its more fun when you work with it to useful advantage. Thats precisely what youll do by following the examples presented in each skill; the result will be a nice bag of tricks for your Web site. Code Examples and a Free Web Server Copious code examples are instructive, but typing them can be copiously tedious. Not to worry, though: You can download all of the Perl programs and HTML documents youll encounter in the book from Sybexs Internet site. Just go to www.sybex.com, click the NER series button and then the button for this book. A download button will appear. Youll also find a free Web server package at this site. Sambars fully functional freeware packagewhich is almost too good to be true, let alone freeis there for the taking along with the code examples. The Sambar server runs on Windows 95 and Windows NT. At the end of each of this books skills youll find a special exercises for the Sambar server. The exercises are aimed at helping you apply what youve learned to your own Web projects. What Are the Prerequisites? As the books title explicitly states, theres no experience required here. If youve never even seen a line of Perl code, you have nothing to worry about. Youll learn about the language from the ground up; and when youre finished, if youve been diligent, youll have a intermediate-level familiarity with Perl and understand how it can be used with CGI and your Web server to make a dynamic Web site. You dont need to be a programmer to benefit from this book. Obviously, any programming experience you have will add to your immediate understanding of the topics covered; C-language programmers especially will have very little trouble with Perl. But the assumption in the book is that you havent done a lot of actual programming. You have enough experience with the World Wide Web to be interested in starting your own site, you know HTML well enough to have created some pages, and you know your way around the Web pretty well. Now youre ready to take on something more meaty. This book will provide the meat. The hardware and software requirements for the topics covered in the book are fairly loose. Even if you plan to run your Web site on your Internet service providers computer, you can use the Sambar server to run all of the examples presented in the book on your home computer. You can also use it to test any CGI applications you create on your own. (You must have Windows 95 or Windows NT installed on your computer to use the Sambar server.) If you need more information, the Internet is a rich source. The Usenet newsgroups are a good place to start, notably at comp.lang.perlPerls creator, Larry Wall, even shows up there from time to time. Conventions Used in This Book In each skill, youll find Notes, Tips, and Warnings that provide additional information about the topic being discussed. For example, these are used to point out something incidental to the discussion or to warn you about a potential programming pitfall.
As you read through the book youll also encounter sidebars that offer information related to the topic at hand that might be too lengthy to fit in a note. Youll find sidebars that cover topics such as the use of specific Perl functions and the logic behind hexadecimal numbering. The Webs a fun place (at least most of it is), and you can use this book to have even more fun with it. Who knows? Along with the skills you pick up here, you might even figure out how to do something that no ones done yet. Anything goes on the Web. Use your imagination!
|
![]() |
Products | Contact Us | About Us | Privacy | Ad Info | Home
Use of this site is subject to certain Terms & Conditions, Copyright © 1996-2000 EarthWeb Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of EarthWeb is prohibited. |