Basic Web Server Technology and HTML Forms

Agenda

• Quick Top to Bottom HTML Review

• Information for Setting Up Your Own Web Site

• Web Site Management Tool Demo

• Web Server Technology (HTTP, Request, Response)

• Firewall Technology

• Lab

Quick Top to Bottom HTML Review

Creating your own working space

• Windows Explorer: File->New->Folder ... type folder name
• MS-DOS prompt: mkdir <folder name>

 

Create and Edit your own HTML file

• Windows Explorer: (Find the newly created folder) ... File->New->Text Document ... type new file name
• MS-DOS prompt: cd <folder name> ... notepad <file name>

 

Editing the file you already have

• Windows Explorer: (Find the file) ... Shift + Right Mouse ... Open with ... notepad
• MS-DOS prompt: cd <folder name> ... notepad <file name>
• Start->Programs->Accessories->notepad ... then File->Open from notepad

 

Browse the HTML file you created

• Open a web browser (netscape, IE, etc): File -> "Open" -> "Browse" -> "Choose file"
• Remember to reload when you make changes

 

Basic HTML Tag

Information for Setting Up Your Own Web Site

 

Example of "Internet Service" Company

Get your own Domain Name
(Example of Domain Registration Form)

Find someone for hosting your web servers

Get Your Dial Up Access (AOL, MSN, School/University)

Basic Marketing

Web Site Management Tool Demo

 

Personal Web Server

FrontPage Explorer

FrontPage Editor

Hyperlinks, Pictures, Table

WebBots (Server-side include, Schedule include, Counter, etc)

To-Do list

Integrated with Image Editor, Browser

Verify Hyperlinks

Recalculate Hyperlinks

Set Access Control

Advantages vs Disadvantages

Books (Frontpage for Dummies, http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/ )

And much more, etc.

 

Web Server Technology (HTTP, Request, Response)

Overview

A Web script is a program tha tcan be executed by the Web server in response to Web requests

Script are used to access information from non-Web sources, such as databases.

Scripts allow interaction between the user and the server. This allows the user to search databases, make purchases, and many other possibilities.

Scripts can construct custom documents dynamically at the time they are requested. Scripts create "intelligent" documents that reflect the user's circumstances.

Form and Script

Forms and Script goes into pairs (Forms is used to capture the input for the script, and Script is used to run the request)

Example 1: Server Form

Example 2: Sample Form

Actually, the input parameter of the form will be used as part of the Path Information:
Example: After the information is filled in Sample Form 2, the url input to the web server will be:

http://sunsite.unc.edu/cgi-bin/mailer?username=Richard&usermail=sinn@itlabs.umn.edu&subject=test

What is Actually Going On With The Web Server

• A Request is generated from the client (The request will be in the form of a URL, it can be a URL appear anywhere, but usually appears as the ACTION to a form). The browser (client) contacts the server with that URL.

• The Web server receives the request, parses it and note that it is a script

• The Web server read other information from network. For example, what forms (text, images) can be used by the browsers, network load, etc.

• The Web Server passes control to the script to process the request. It could be a database query, reading a file, writing a file, running a program.

• Success: The script is executed and result sent back to Web server

• Failure: An Error is Sent back to Web server

• (Success and Failure will be sent using the HTTP protocol)

• The Web Server receives the output from the script and passes it back to the browser

• The script is done and tells the Web server (httpd) that the request is completed, and the server will close all files and network connections

• Form Example in OpenLoop.com

A Little Warning In Using Forms and Scripts

• Web Server Performance

• Web Site Security

Firewall Technology

Packet fillering router

Flame relay gateway

Application Gateway

Lab

The <PRE> ... </PRE> tag will display preformatted text in a HTML file. For example, if we use:
<pre>         A line with space in the front</pre>

The line will actually show up as:

A line with space in the front

Instead of:

A line with space in the front

a. Using the <pre> tag, create a web page that has this kind of look and feel.

b. Can you use the <TABLE> tag to create a web page with the same look ? What will be the trade off ?