Re: Re:CGI programming

["Roger Pence" <rp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Please further clarify What the programs conforming to CGI specifications
mean. How to use this concept in RPG ?

Vishnu-

CGI is an interface between a browser and a back-end server.

For AS/400 purposes, let's be more narrow and think of CGI as simply a way
to call an RPG or COBOL program using a URL. The called program then returns
data to the browser by generating, on the fly, HTML. For example, the called
RPG program (which can be passed parameters from the URL as well) may fetch
AS/400 data in some fashion (say based on an index limit passed as a
parameter) and then output that data to HTML

browser--->URL calling program (with parameters)--->called program--->HTML
(to standard out data stream)--->back to browser

Although it's a bit grungy, you'd be surprised how nicely you can write ILE
RPG routines to write the HTML using RPG's newer string handling
capabilities.

For more, see this site
http://www.as400.ibm.com/developer/ebiz/cgi/index.html

In a very much related matter, if CGI is on your radar, Net.Data should be
too.

Net.Data is a scripting language that couples HTML with SQL. If you’re
familiar with Microsoft’s Active Server Page technology, Net.Data is a
somewhat similar technology.  When a Web page containing a Net.Data script
is requested, the Net.Data script is passed to the  AS/400, the data is
fetched per the SQL in the script, and HTML is generated and automatically
handed back to the browser.

Dabbling with Net.Data, CGI and the AS/400’s HTTP server is a great way to
gain exposure to dynamic AS/400 Web server techniques.

For more, see
www.as400.ibm.com/netdata or
www.ignite400.org (a highly recommended skunkworks site)

rp



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