Learn To Use Cgi In Two Hours Resale Rights Ebook

Table Of Contents

Copyright and Legal Information.1
Chapter 1: Overview………….2
About the author……………2
Purpose of this book………..2
What you will learn…………2
What this book is NOT……….3
How to use this book………..4
Notations used in this book:…6
Chapter 2: WHAT IS CGI?……..7
Definitions………………..7
How CGI works………9
Programming languages………9
What can I do with CGI?……………………..10
Chapter 3: What Is PERL?……11
Definitions……………….11
Why use Perl?………………11
What version do I need?……..12
DO try this at home…………12
Chapter 4: Getting Free Scripts……………….14
This is child’s play!……..14
Compressed files……………15
Chapter 5: System Requirements.16
The Root path………………17
The mail program……………18
CGI?BIN access……………..19
Chapter 6: Installing CGI Scripts……………………20
Using FTP……………….20
Setting file permissions…….23
Chapter 7: Writing and Editing………………..25
Text Editors……………..25
How can I learn to write Perl scripts?……………………26
Initializing variables……………………..27
Comments: documenting your code……………………..28
The main body…………………..28
Subroutines………………………29
Filename conventions………………30
Debugging………………………..30
Common errors and how to avoid them…………………31
Anatomy of a simple Perl script………………………33
Chapter 8: Working With Forms……………………….35
Designing forms in HTML………………………..35
EXAMPLE ORDER FORM:………………………..36
Asking for user input………………………..40
Sending the data somewhere…………………..41
Chapter 9: Processing Input……………………….42
One good way ? ReadParse (from cgi?lib.pl)………..42
A slightly different way ? using CGI.pm………………46
Chapter 10: Query Strings48
What is a query string?..48
Tracking traffic with a query string………………..48
Controlling a process…..48
A round trip ticket……51
Chapter 11: Security Issues……………………………….52
Keeping it private……..52
Restricting access……..52
Why worry about the inputs?………………………..53
Filtering string data……………………………54
Filtering numeric data…………………………..55
Filtering street addresses………………………56
Filtering email addresses………………………56
Test your filters……………….57
More security ideas…………………………..57
Chapter 12: Using Subroutines……………………..58
What IS a subroutine, anyway?…………………………58
Why use subroutines?……..58
Where do I get them?…………………………..58
How do I use them?…………………………..59
Chapter 13: Getting Subscribers……………………..60
List server basics………………60
Manual subscription…..61
Automatic subscription.61
Tracking subscribers.62
Dealing with spammers: advanced filtering…………..62
Chapter 14: Sending Email……………..64
Using sendmail (Unix systems)……………………………64
Using qmail .65
Using iMail (NT systems)………………………….65
Using autoresponders…………………….67
Coping with spam……………………………..68
Chapter 15: Working With Databases…………………………69
Definitions:………………………69
Database types…………………………….69
Requirements………………………70
Database parameters………..71
Methods of access……………71
Chapter 16: Accepting Payments..74
Payment methods…………….74
PayPal……………………………74
ClickBank………………………75
Instabill………………………….75
Verza/Verotel………………….76
Revecom………………………..77
Merchant accounts…………..77
Doing the math………………..80
Giving a receipt……………….81
Chapter 17: Where To Now?………82
Returning the user to another page……………………….82
Serving up a custom Web page…………………………….83
Chapter 18: Creating Web Pages With Scripts……………..84
How to create a page………..84
Error pages……………………..86
Thank?You pages……………87
Why make dynamic pages?.88
Custom pages………………….88
Appendix A: Recommended Reading……………………………90
Perl90
MySQL and SQL…………….91
Miscellaneous Topics……….92
Appendix B: Resources………………93
Email consulting……………..93
Web Resources………………..93
Script installers……………….94
Custom programming………94
Web Hosting…………………..95
Appendix C: Subroutines…………..96
verify_email……………………96
test_banned…………………….99
bad_address…………………..100
SendEmail_Unix……………101
SendEmail_NT………………102
SendEmail…………………….103
dollar……………………………104
get_data………………………..105
incomplete_page…………………106
create_record…………107
record_found……..108
update_record………………..109
no_id……………………………110
check_url………………………110
error1……………………………111
error_multi……………………112
Appendix D: Complete Scripts and Other Files……………113
Scripts………………………….113
Other Files…………………….168

Sample Content Preview

Copyright and Legal Information

I’ll keep this simple and to the point. You are allowed to install this software on one computer. You may move it to another computer any time you like, but you are only licensed to run one copy. You may make one backup on a floppy disk, Zip Drive, etc., for archival purposes ? in case your computer’s hard disk fails.

You are not licensed to sell, to give away copies or to distribute this software by any means: digital, mechanical or otherwise. Doing any of these things, except as allowed by Sections 107 and 108, is a violation of federal copyright law (title 17, U.S. code).