Learning CGI, PERL, etc.

[Matt Beckwith]

I'd like to learn server-side programming, and have a few questions:

1. Whatever language I choose, will I have to buy a compiler? Or is there a
language which either doesn't require a compiler, or which has a free
compiler available?

2. What database should I learn, to go with the language? My applications
would be quite simple, such as a database of users and passwords so people
could log onto my site, and to maintain a mailing list.

3. What book(s) would you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[David Graham]

You will need a compiler or (more likely) an interpreter. One or both are
available freely for just about every language out there.


Most databases use SQL, so it doesn't make much difference. MySQL is popular
and free.


Learning Perl and Programming Perl from O'Reilly, you might want to go for
The Perl CD Bookshelf which includes both of these.

I found it relatively easy to learn php and mysql and they combine well for
use on the web - handling variables from a from is very easy.

David

 

[dj]

I'd like to learn server-side programming, and have a few questions:

1. Whatever language I choose, will I have to buy a compiler? Or is there a
language which either doesn't require a compiler, or which has a free
compiler available?

2. What database should I learn, to go with the language? My applications
would be quite simple, such as a database of users and passwords so people
could log onto my site, and to maintain a mailing list.

3. What book(s) would you recommend?

Thanks!

Perl is an excellent choice, it is fun to learn, and even more fun to use,
and completely free.
I recommend source edit (www.sourceedit.com) as a free editor.
If you are on a windows platform get the cygwin package www.cygwin.com and
install the perl option. FREE!
cygwin also has apache + mods (inc php)

mysql is fine (free!) but IMHO overkill for what you describe. if you are
learning perl, you could use DB files, XML or even plain old text: with perl
the world is your mollusc.

the lama book and the camel book (as the 2 o'reilly books are commonly
called) are an excellent start for anyone learning perl (but alas, not
free). pay special attention to the section on pattern matching, it is the
best skill you can learn.

dj

 

[Mr. Clean]

I'd like to learn server-side programming, and have a few questions:

1. Whatever language I choose, will I have to buy a compiler? Or is there a
language which either doesn't require a compiler, or which has a free
compiler available?

2. What database should I learn, to go with the language? My applications
would be quite simple, such as a database of users and passwords so people
could log onto my site, and to maintain a mailing list.

3. What book(s) would you recommend?

Hey, Doc,
I second D. Graham's post. PHP is MUCH easier to learn than Perl.
It includes a lot of functionality built-in that Perl requires
extra modules for.

If you've ever done any other kind of programming, I'd suggest PHP
over Perl because Perl makes you think very differently.

 

[Matt Beckwith]

I second D. Graham's post. PHP is MUCH easier to learn than Perl.
It includes a lot of functionality built-in that Perl requires
extra modules for.

If you've ever done any other kind of programming, I'd suggest PHP
over Perl because Perl makes you think very differently.

Thank-you, everyone, for the suggestions.

I found an online tutorial for PHP/MYSQL and, just reading the first
chapter, it looks pretty cool.

I checked out my server, and it has both PHP and MYSQL capabilities, so I'm
all set.

I'm going to get a book on PHP/MYSQL though, just because I'd prefer to read
a book than read something online (even though it's free online).

One question: The tutorial talks about populating the database using a
database dump, and this looks pretty complicated. Can't I just create the
database and its fields using my server's interactive utility, and then
create records (data) using the PHP in my web pages?

Thanks.

 

[Jacqui or (maybe) Pete]

....
I found an online tutorial for PHP/MYSQL and, just reading the first
chapter, it looks pretty cool.
....
One question: The tutorial talks about populating the database using a
database dump, and this looks pretty complicated. Can't I just create the
database and its fields using my server's interactive utility, and then
create records (data) using the PHP in my web pages?

Sure, no problem.

 

[Daniel Conderman]

All I ever needed has been

1. PHP for the World Wide Web Visual Quickstart Guide
and

3. MySQL: Visual QuickStart Guide

Both rock, and will show you exactly what you need to do for user accounts,
Etc.

--dan

 

[Jacqui or (maybe) Pete]

. learning mySql / PHP

I did have a shorter link somewhere for this post (it may wrap) ....
http://www.google.com/groups?q=php+resource+author:brian&hl=en&lr=&ie=
UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=r&selm=ehod0uk2s7onnft1qs6oh605s7akuvha2n%404ax.com&rnum=1

FWIW, the 'selm' parameter is the only one you really need - it's just
the message id:

http://www.google.com/groups?&selm=ehod0uk2s7onnft1qs6oh605s7akuvha2n%
404ax.com

Still wraps, though... One could use makeashorterlink, or snurl, or
link.to or one of those, but some of them will go away in time (probably
before google groups does). It would be useful to be able to give links
to newsgroup items in a form like eg :

http://ggrps.com/[email protected]

So if ggrps.com goes away the message id is retained. Is there such a
service? It wouldn't be hard to write. Or am I just rambling
pointlessly?

 

[Ernest Cline]

(Original thread on alt.html, crossposted to news.software.readers)

UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=r&selm=ehod0uk2s7onnft1qs6oh605s7akuvha2n%404ax.com&r
num=1
FWIW, the 'selm' parameter is the only one you really need - it's just
the message id:

http://www.google.com/groups?&selm=ehod0uk2s7onnft1qs6oh605s7akuvha2n%
404ax.com

Still wraps, though... One could use makeashorterlink, or snurl, or
link.to or one of those, but some of them will go away in time (probably
before google groups does). It would be useful to be able to give links
to newsgroup items in a form like eg :

http://ggrps.com/[email protected]

So if ggrps.com goes away the message id is retained. Is there such a
service? It wouldn't be hard to write. Or am I just rambling
pointlessly?

There does exist a URL format for news articles, i.e.:
What would be needed of course, would be a news reader that would go to
Google (or some other repository) if it couldn't find the article on the
user's news spool. I don't know if there exists a news reader that does
that, but I don't think that it would be hard to code. Since the logical
place to ask if there exists a reader that has a particular feature is
news.software.readers, I've crossposted this reply there so that the
regulars there can give an answer if they so desire.

 

[MartinS]

There does exist a URL format for news articles, i.e.:
What would be needed of course, would be a news reader that would go
to Google (or some other repository) if it couldn't find the article
on the user's news spool. I don't know if there exists a news
reader that does that, but I don't think that it would be hard to
code. Since the logical place to ask if there exists a reader that
has a particular feature is news.software.readers, I've crossposted
this reply there so that the regulars there can give an answer if
they so desire.

Xnews.

 

[Thomas Schultz]

["Followup-To:" set to news.software.readers]

* Ernest Cline [2003-07-31 16:45] :
[...]

What would be needed of course, would be a news reader that would go to
Google (or some other repository) if it couldn't find the article on the
user's news spool. [...]

Thore Tams wrote a macro for slrn that does this:
<http://thore-tams.de/files/get-by-mid.sl>

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

There does exist a URL format for news articles, i.e.:
What would be needed of course, would be a news reader that would
go to Google (or some other repository) if it couldn't find the
article on the user's news spool. I don't know if there exists a
news reader that does that, but I don't think that it would be
hard to code. Since the logical place to ask if there exists a
reader that has a particular feature is news.software.readers,
I've crossposted this reply there so that the regulars there can
give an answer if they so desire.

Xnews and Dialog both have the option of automatically sending a
Google Groups URL to the browser. I believe SuperGravity does as
well, but am not sure.

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?Mal=F9?=]

Ernest Cline, upon reaching Nirvana, postulated:


40tude Dialog( http://www.40tude.com/dialog )

I din't know that. Is this thing authomatic or do I have to do some tweak
to activate it?

 

[Isofarro]

Xnews and Dialog both have the option of automatically sending a
Google Groups URL to the browser.

KNode offers it when the article isn't available on the current newsserver.

 

[Whiskers]

In news.software.readers on Thursday 31 Jul 2003 5:45 pm, Ernest Cline

snip

What would be needed of course, would be a news reader that would go to
Google (or some other repository) if it couldn't find the article on the
user's news spool. I don't know if there exists a news reader that does
that, but I don't think that it would be hard to code.

snip

Is there a newsreader that doesn't?

I can confirm that Xnews (Windows) and Knode (Linux) both do it nicely.

 

[MartinS]

snip


snip

Is there a newsreader that doesn't?

I can confirm that Xnews (Windows) and Knode (Linux) both do it
nicely.

Is there a well-known newsreader that can't do anything right?
Do ursine mammals defecate in the forest?

 

[Keith]

There does exist a URL format for news articles, i.e.:
What would be needed of course, would be a news reader that would go to
Google (or some other repository) if it couldn't find the article on the
user's news spool. I don't know if there exists a news reader that does
that, but I don't think that it would be hard to code. Since the logical
place to ask if there exists a reader that has a particular feature is
news.software.readers, I've crossposted this reply there so that the
regulars there can give an answer if they so desire.

The Agent news reader can do it with a program that called NewsDDE. All a
person has to do is look at the headers message-id or references and double
click it to bring up the program and launch the web browser.

--
The Radio Page Ham, Police Scanner, Shortwave and more.
http://www.kilowatt-radio.org/
...it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an
irate, tireless minority to set brush fires in people's
minds. --Samuel Adams

 

[brucie]

What would be needed of course, would be a news reader that would go to
Google (or some other repository) if it couldn't find the article on the
user's news spool. I don't know if there exists a news reader that does
that,

brucies direct neural uplink 3.4b

 

[Tom B.]

(e-mail address removed) says...
[...]

Try clicking

Yes, that works fine, thanks. Gravity thinks it's an email address.

Not Gravity 2.6 2056

 

[Jacqui or (maybe) Pete]

(e-mail address removed) says...
[...]

Try clicking

Yes, that works fine, thanks. Gravity thinks it's an email address.

Not Gravity 2.6 2056

Upgraded - and works! Superb - thanks for your help.