Par2: Free CGI templates 1997-12-04 -- Dave Berton I finally came to a point where I could post the freeware CGI template (my apologies for taking so long). Look for C4CGI.ZIP in the icetips INCOMING directory. Below is a copy of the README file. (Please note that, right now, this code has only been tested on Microsoft IIS running on NT4. If folks have access to different servers, and want to do some testing, please let me know how it goes so I can update the code if necessary since I am extremely interested in expanding the templates to cover all the most popular WWW servers. Also note that this has been compiled with C4 BETA3a, but I suspect there will be no problem recompiling with BETA4.) db >>README File CGI Templates for Clarion by Dave Berton This code is freeware. I take no responsibility if it happens to destroy everything. Send all suggestions to 102644.3557@compuserve.com What this is all about: ---------------------- This is about wanting to get your databases on the web quickly and easily using Clarion. If you are looking to build a super-high traffic site with a slick and seamless web interface, you should use Clarion Internet Connect, that's what its there for. If you are looking for a solution for an immediate problem, or you just want to get some tables of data out on the web, then this code should get you started. CGI (common gateway interface) can be utilized directly from Clarion. We basically fool the WWW server into thinking we are a console program, outputting all the HTML we want in the meantime, as easily as writing to a data file. I am not going to go into the details of CGI here (there are plenty of resources available on the web: Tom Hebenstreit's series of articles in ClarionOnline is the best place to start out). Suffice to say that if you know that you want to use CGI, then these templates will let you do it with Clarion. The code included here is by no means completely exhaustive, but it will be enough to get you well on your way. For those of you who have seen the other releases of this template before, there isn't too much new stuff. The good news is, it has been re-written so that writing a CGI app in Clarion is much easier and more flexible, and additional support for other WWW servers can be added (hopefully sooner than later). How to write a CGI app in Clarion (how the template/object works): ----------------------------------------------------------------- Follow the directions below for getting all the files in the right places, the template registered, etc. Start a new application and make it 32-bit. Add the global CGI extension to your application. You can enter many settings from here, including the (required) name of your global CGI object which will basically run the whole show for you. The rest of your application will use this global object to, for example, output some HTML or figure out what button the user pushed on his/her web browser, etc. The 'HTML Setup' tab will allow you to enter some optional prompts that effect the appearance of the HTML pages your program outputs (see the ADVANCED.APP sample app for an example of using these). The 'Tables' tab allows you to specify some default settings when outputting HTML tables. After adding this global extension, your application will generate code that instantiates the cCGI object as a global class. There will be additional Global embed points that you can use to alter the behavior of the global object (for example, you can add code that runs every time your program outputs the Header or Footer of an HTML page). The last thing that a CGI application requires is a first procedure. A PROCEDURE template called 'CGISource' is also included and can be used here (see both sample apps for use of this procedure template). The CGISource procedure template is exactly the same as the 'Source' Clarion procedure template, except CGISource allows you access to the CGI method reference. Once you have defined a first procedure, you are done. The rest is up to you. The best way to see the way the CGI templates 'wrap' themselves around the normal application code is to generate the HELLO.APP and look at the default program source file (HELLO.clw). In there, you will see that the object you named in the CGI global extension template has been derived from cCGI. You will also see that there are some virtual methods in your derived class (you have access to these methods in the global embeds). After the CODE statement, your global object calls its Init() method. This prepares the object and allows it to figure out where to write HTML to. Then the applications first procedure is called (this is where you can place the meat of your CGI code). When that procedure is finished, the Kill() method is called to clean things up. Files included in this zip: -------------------------- README.TXT !- This file cCGI.CLW !- cCGI Class method definition file (goes in LIBSRC dir) cCGI.INC !- cCGI Class include file (goes in LIBSRC dir) CGI.TPL !- CGI Template file (goes in TEMPLATE dir) CGI.TPW !- CGI Template file (goes in TEMPLATE dir) ADVANCED.APP !- Sample app for you to play with HELLO.APP !- Sample app for you to play with ADVANCED.DCT !- Sample dictionary used by ADVANCED.APP ADVANCED.EXE !- Compiled sample program (goes in SCRIPTS dir) HELLO.EXE !- Compiled sample program (goes in SCRIPTS dir) SALES.TPS !- Sample data file used by ADVANCED.EXE CGISAMP.HTM !- HTML file used to run samples (goes in WWWROOT dir) What you need in order to use this stuff: ------------------------------- You will need Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) version 2.0, which means you also have Windows NT, installed and running (confirm this by typing "localhost" as the HTTP address from your web browser). (NOTE: It is true that these templates used to work with O'Reilly's WebSite server, however, I have not had access to WebSite for some time now. If someone can confirm that they still work with WebSite, I would like to hear about it.) You will need Clarion 4 BETA3a. I have not tested on anything higher than this for lack of time. If someone can do a recompile with BETA 4, and everything looks good, let me know. You need a web browser (I have tested this on IE and Netscape). Where everything goes and what to do with it when it gets there: --------------------------------------------------------------- After unzipping, place the template files (CGI.TPL and CGI.TPW) in your CLARION4\TEMPLATE directory. Place the object files (cCGI.INC and cCGI.CLW) in your CLARION4\LIBSRC directory. Open Clarion and register the CGI.TPL template. You are now ready to load and poke around the two sample apps (see below for more on these). Place CGISAMP.HTM in your INETPUB\WWWROOT directory (or wherever you have told IIS to locate your HTML files). Place the compiled sample programs (ADVANCED.EXE and HELLO.EXE) in your INETPUB\SCRIPTS directory (or wherever you told IIS to locate your executables). The sample programs: -------------------- HELLO.EXE - Here are the steps I went through to get this program running on the web. 1. Start a new 32-bit app. 2. Add the CGI global template extension. 3. Filled in the name of my object in the prompt provided. 4. Selected 'CGISource' as the procedure type for the Main(ToDo) procedure. 5. Went into 'CGI Processed Code' embed for the Main procedure and typed one line of code. 6. Checked the 'Declare Globally' check box in the Main procedure. 7. Compiled the program. I moved the executable into my INETPUB\SCRIPTS and called it from my browser by typing "localhost/scripts/HELLO.exe". Alternatively, you can use CGISAMP.HTM to activate the program. ADVANCED.EXE - This app takes advantage of most of the features that the template and cCGI object offer. Your best bet is to poke around and see what I did. (NOTE: ADVANCED.EXE expects to find SALES.TPS in the same directory that it runs from. Therefore, you will need to tell IIS that the INETPUB\SCRIPTS directory has 'execute' -and- 'read' priveledges for this program to run successfully.) Use CGISAMP.HTM to activate this program. General Dos and Don'ts ---------------------- Remember to always compile 32-bit and to always have your applications first procedure defined. Avoid using windows and the MESSAGE() function, since this will hang IIS (CGI programs are not supposed to be windows programs). Although, as you will see, the ADVANCED.APP uses the PROCESS procedure to output some HTML. In that ase, the window opens and then closes, so everything is cool. Just be careful. Dig around the cCGI class files to see what is going on under the hood - its all fairly simple stuff. Making the templates better: --------------------------- I have enjoyed writing and rewriting this code periodically over the past year or so. I have plans in the back of my head to do a good deal more ith them, but have not had the time yet. If anyone is at all interested, I would love to hear suggestions for improvement. Contact me at 102644.3557@compuserve.com. Hope someone gets some use out of this. Printed May 8, 2024, 3:49 am This article has been viewed/printed 35116 times. |