CGI Programming 101: Programming Perl for the World Wide Web,...

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 300 pages
• Published by: CGI101.com
• Edition: 2nd Edition March 1, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0966942612
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0966942613
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

Product Review
CGI Programming 101: Programming Perl for the World Wide Web is a concise presentation of the key elements of Perl CGI, which makes it perfect for programmers who are under the gun. If you need to get up to speed on text strings, for example, you can read that chapter and be a pro within about ten minutes.

Form processing is addressed early on, followed by searching and sorting techniques, illustrations of how to use server-side includes (SSI), and other critical issues. There's also a chapter on using MySQL--an open-source SQL database. In general, if you want to get the most out of this book, you'll be better off having some programming experience, be it in BASIC or C++.

The only element missing from this introductory course is an appendix containing Perl's reserved characters, operators, and functions; instead, this material is presented throughout the book. But CGI Programming 101 is still one of the most efficient ways to get up to speed with Perl CGI. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: Perl variables, CGI environment variables, form processing, data file I/O, searching/sorting, server-side includes (SSI), random number generation, strings, date and time manipulation, HTTP cookies, e-mail processing, securing scripts, Perl modules, database programming, and custom Perl modules.

Product Description
If you build web pages you may eventually want to add a guestbook, order form, page counter, or other interactive elements to your website. CGI Programming 101 explains how to do this in simple, easy-to-understand terms. The book shows you how to write useful, real-world web programs, starting with simple guestbook forms and building up to more advanced applications.

You'll learn:

* The Basics: where to write your CGI programs; how to upload them and set file permissions; how to run them, and how to debug them when things go wrong

* How to decode form data and save it to a file or e-mail it to yourself

* How to create, read, write, and search data files

* How to use Server-Side Includes to add dynamic content to your web site, plus a complete list of Apache SSI directives

* How to use random numbers for displaying banner ads and random images

* How to redirect visitors to another site

* How to extend your programs by using modules

* How to create a MySQL database, and write programs that interact with databases using the DBI section

* How to build an online shopping cart program

* How to e-mail attachments using a CGI program

* How to write secure programs, and protect your programs against hackers and spammers

* How to password-protect an area of your website

and more.

The second edition has been substantially revised, with 100 pages of new material. It teaches good programming practices from the beginning, including use of the industry-standard CGI.pm Perl module. You'll learn how to protect your form-to-mail programs from being hijacked by spammers, how to build a cookie-based shopping cart, and how to develop a password-protected website. Quick-reference pages and an improved index help you find information easily.

There are also several online tutorials to help you set up your own web server and write CGI programs on any computer system - including Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix.

Reader Reviews
One of the nicest (and at times, accursed) aspects of perl is that with a small amount of knowledge, you can do anything. If you have an informal background in programming (so that you have the analytical mindset), you can spend a weekend reading about Perl, then go build anything your heart desires. It'll take more time and be messier than the accomplished programmer's works, but you can do it. That is exactly what I did with this book. I read the first edition, some six, maybe seven years ago, and then went on to build whatever I wanted. A year or so after reading it, I made a content management system replete with a gui interface that my employers could use. This book was the inspiration for years of Perl code creation, and employment. Now, you won't learn as much as you would with any of the standard Perl books (such as Programming Perl, by the O'Reilly publishing world), as it's a project based approach to Perl learning. You aren't inundated with theoretics and syntax that you could then apply; instead, you receive the fundamentals, with some useful code snippets that you can put into your own code, and go forth to create. In short, it is a delightful read, and I highly recommend it to any user who prefers a practical approach to learning, versus a theoretical one. If your aim is to go directly into a Perl programming job, then you may want to look elsewhere, but if you want to be able to build web applications, this is a quick easy read that will provide you with the tools to create all that you might want.