] > Perl training CGI training web site construction webmaster programmer Perl website web server server scripting dynamic web pages Accelerated Technical Training for Webmasters and Site Programmers http://www.keller.com/perlweb 1 Emphasis on practical skills Hands-on This course is for Perl programmers who wish to construct interactive web sites. Perl -- You know how to write Perl scripts. Unix or NT -- You can navigate the filesystem and edit text. HTML -- You have written web pages.

Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is the technical term for the the mechanism by means of which programs are invoked on web servers in response to mouse clicks on hyperlinks by users of browsers. CGI programs perform such tasks as database updates, product ordering, survey form completion, and so on. They also generate new web pages -- termed dynamic web pages because these pages are created on the fly by the CGI programs. From the user's perspective, such pages are indistinguishable from hand-written ("static") ones. But for the owners and builders of web sites, CGI programs open vast new possibilities.

This is a technical course for people with Perl programming experience who wish to apply it to the construction of web sites.

The web as a platform upon which to build and deploy applications has many advantages:

It is machine-independent; your software will run identically on PCs, Macintoshes, and workstations.
It is timely; data and software updates are immediately available.
It is easy to deploy; there is no software to distribute, since your applications run on a server and the client software is standard.
It is geographically dispersed; physical proximity is irrelevant since the web is indeed World Wide.
It is easy for users to learn because browsers are intuitive and already familiar to many.

This course provides the techniques that enable you to gain all these benefits.

&obj; Lincoln Stein, How to Set Up and Maintain a Web Site, Addison Wesley, 1997. $40. A great deal of information is covered in a short amount of time. The format is highly compressed, with a focus on hands-on exercises -- the best way to acquire new skills, learning by doing -- that are carefully designed to rehearse the specific techniques of interest without extraneous effort. Source code files are provided to save time typing. Once you get your solution working, you know you have learned -- and proven you've learned! -- each of the essential techniques for programming web-based applications in Perl. In its method, the course's emphasis is on the practical, with the majority of the classroom time devoted to hands-on activity. You set your own pace, with the instructor acting mainly as a facilitator. Historical and theoretical material is kept to a minimum. The main classroom activity is the step-by-step construction of a web-based work order and invoicing system for a hypothetical business. Each student receives a copy of the sample programs discussed in the course. Review of Prerequisites Course Objectives Related Topics Resources for Perl and CGI Programmers (lots!) Terminology and Mechanisms of the Web Components of the Web: Clients and Servers The HTTP Protocol that Connects Them Programming Features of the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) Environment Variables Request Types HTTP Headers Authentication Lab: a greeting page with a redirect to another URL (Uniform Resource Locator) determined according to the identity of the remote user Redirecting Standard Error Output Watching Log Files Locally Simulating the Remote Client Side Using Perl's Command-Line Switches Lab: samples and practice for each method Use the CGI.pm Object-Oriented Perl Module Lock the Data Files to Prevent Multi-User Update Anomalies Handle File Uploads Lab: add a field to a form, validate the datum entered there, append it to a file Write Programs that Generated Web Pages Maintain State Information CGI.pm HTML Shortcuts Lab: write a Perl script to dynamically generate the form from the previous chapter so that it is one Perl script instead of a Perl script and an HTML form Processing Data in Real Time Lab: a progress indicator in a frame File Locking Sending Mail with Attachments Accessing Databases Lab: retrieve service records, e-mail reminder letters Review Summary Archive File of Source Code classroom a PC or workstation for each student a PC or workstation for the instructor NT or Unix a data projector for the instructor's computer screen connection to the internet a Perl interpreter and a webserver enabled for CGI http://www.keller.com/perlweb/setup.html The course can be taught in your classroom, anywhere in the world. Travel outside the San Francisco Bay Area requires reimbursement of the instructor's travel expense.