Web Server Programming

Neil Gray9780470850978, 0-470-85097-3

When the web transitioned from a publishing to an interactive e-commerce medium, standardised web-browsers entered widespread use and developers were able to rely on a relatively stable client component. Since then, server-side developments have blossomed and resulted in considerable ease of programming, efficiency and increasing sophistication of the server-side environment. Focusing on various technologies that support the server-side processing of data from web-based forms, principally CGI style programs, scripting and Java solutions, this is a book tailored to the technical and computational components of running a commercial and successful website. To benefit most from this approach, you will have a working knowledge of HTML, some programming experience in Java or C++, and limited experience with databases. Its concentration on server-side to the exclusion of web-page design and client-side concerns will be welcomed by practitioners and students who want hands-on and in-depth guidance on: Setting up and running an Apache serverUse of Perl for web CGI programming and support administrative tasksPHP Scripting – ideal for prototyping small web servicesServlet technologiesJSP – separating the issues of business programming and presentationXML – a few of its applicationsAdvanced services with EJBsNET’s new world order – a better model for client/server interaction The unified presentation allows for evaluation and comparison and cuts down on tedious duplication of content. Use it as a map to navigate the strengths and niches of each of the tools to help judge which best suits your environment and requirements. Realistic examples help to ground this broad coverage of server technologies and will prove invaluable for web masters, systems administrators and students looking for careers requiring web programming skills.

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Contents……Page 6
Preface……Page 12
1 Introduction……Page 16
1.1 Servers on the Internet……Page 17
1.2 Serving static hypertext……Page 21
1.3 Serving dynamically generated hypertext……Page 23
1.4 Forms and CGI……Page 26
1.5 A CGI program and examples……Page 33
1.6 Client-side scripting……Page 44
Short answer questions……Page 47
Explorations……Page 48
2 HTTP……Page 50
2.1 Requests and responses……Page 51
2.1.1 Requests……Page 53
2.1.2 Responses……Page 55
2.2 Authorization……Page 56
2.3 Negotiated content……Page 58
2.4 State in a stateless protocol……Page 59
Explorations……Page 60
3 Apache……Page 62
3.1 Apache’s processes……Page 63
3.2 Apache’s modules……Page 66
3.3 Access controls……Page 69
3.4 Logs……Page 73
3.5 Generation of dynamic pages……Page 76
3.6.1 Basic installation and testing……Page 79
3.6.2 The httpd.conf configuration file……Page 82
Practical……Page 86
Short answer questions……Page 90
Explorations……Page 91
4 IP and DNS……Page 92
4.1 IP addresses……Page 93
4.2 IP addresses and names……Page 96
4.3 Name resolution……Page 99
4.4 BIND……Page 101
Practical……Page 104
Explorations……Page 105
5 Perl……Page 106
5.1 Perl’s origins……Page 107
5.2 Running Perl, and the inevitable ‘Hello World’ program……Page 108
5.3 Perl language……Page 109
5.3.1 Scalar variables……Page 110
5.3.2 Control structures……Page 113
5.4 Perl core functions……Page 116
5.5.1 Burgers……Page 118
5.5.2 ls -l……Page 120
5.6.1 Basics of lists……Page 123
5.6.2 Two simple list examples……Page 127
5.7 Subroutines……Page 133
5.8 Hashes……Page 135
5.9 An example using a hash and a list……Page 137
5.10 Files and formatting……Page 138
5.11 Regular expression matching……Page 141
5.11.1 Basics of regex patterns……Page 143
5.11.2 Finding ‘what matched?’ and other advanced features……Page 146
5.12 Perl and the OS……Page 151
5.12.1 Manipulating files and directories……Page 152
5.12.2 Perl: processes……Page 155
5.12.3 A ‘systems programming’ example……Page 158
5.13 Networking……Page 165
5.14 Modules……Page 168
5.15.1 Basics……Page 169
5.15.2 Database example……Page 173
5.16 Perl: CGI……Page 178
5.16.1 ‘Roll your own’ CGI code……Page 179
5.16.2 Perl: CGI module(s)……Page 186
5.16.3 Security issues and CGI……Page 188
Practical……Page 189
Short answer questions……Page 195
Explorations……Page 196
6.1 PHP4’s origins……Page 198
6.2.1 Simple variables and data types……Page 202
6.2.3 Program structure and flow control……Page 206
6.2.4 Functions……Page 208
6.3 Simple examples……Page 209
6.4 Multi-page forms……Page 213
6.5 File uploads……Page 222
6.6 Databases……Page 231
6.7 GD graphics library……Page 242
6.8 State……Page 253
Practical……Page 263
Explorations……Page 272
7.1 Servlet overview……Page 274
7.2 A first servlet example……Page 276
7.2.1 Form and servlet code……Page 278
7.2.2 Installation, Compilation, Deployment……Page 280
7.2.3 web.xml deployment files……Page 283
7.3 Sun’s servlet-related classes……Page 284
7.4 Web application example: ‘Membership’……Page 291
7.5 Client state and sessions……Page 305
7.6 Images……Page 319
7.7 Security features……Page 321
Practical……Page 343
Explorations……Page 351
8.1 JSP overview……Page 352
8.2.1 The scriptlet Guru……Page 355
8.2.2 The tagged Guru……Page 358
8.3 Membership example……Page 359
8.4 JSP: page contents……Page 367
8.4.1 JSP directives……Page 369
8.4.2 jsp: tag library……Page 370
8.5 Servlet, bean and JSP examples……Page 371
8.6 Tag libraries……Page 383
8.6.1 Defining a simple customized action tag……Page 384
8.6.2 Using tag libraries……Page 388
Practical……Page 390
Short answer questions……Page 394
Explorations……Page 395
9.1 XML overview……Page 396
9.2 XML and friends……Page 399
9.3 XSL, XSLT and XML display……Page 406
9.4 XML and XSL generating WML……Page 418
9.5 Simple API for XML……Page 427
9.6 DOM – the Document Object Model……Page 437
Practical……Page 443
Short answer questions……Page 447
Explorations……Page 448
10 Enterprise Java……Page 450
10.1.1 Smart beans in smarter containers……Page 452
10.1.2 Distributed objects……Page 453
10.2.1 Servers, containers and beans……Page 456
10.2.3 Classes and interfaces……Page 459
10.2.4 EJB clients and EJB deployment……Page 461
10.3.1 Stateless server……Page 462
10.3.2 Stateful server……Page 468
10.4 An Entity bean……Page 471
10.5 Real-world EJB……Page 485
Explorations……Page 500
11.1 (Lack of) Speed kills……Page 502
11.2 Personal internet presence……Page 504
11.3 Peer-to-peer……Page 505
11.4.1 The existing world of distributed objects……Page 507
11.4.2 Steps towards a future world of distributed objects……Page 510
11.4.3 UDDI, WSDL and SOAP……Page 513
11.4.4 Web service promises……Page 524
Explorations……Page 527
A Minimalist guide to HTML and JavaScript……Page 530
B Active Server Pages: ASP (scripting)……Page 564
C .NET……Page 588
Index……Page 616