Re: Setup Apache/CGIDEV2 vs private RPG based server

I'm pretty sure I've never posted an example of code for an HTTP server! In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever written one in RPG.

If you write your own HTTP server, then you're going to have to make sure it's compatible with all of the different clients (browsers and web services clients, for the most part) including workarounds for the various bugs. Then, when you add SSL, it'll add even more complexity and more compatibility issues you'll have to work around.

Oh yeah, and you'll need to be very careful about the potential security issues. Write your code perfectly so that there aren't any :)

I sure wouldn't try to code your program logic directly into the HTTP server! I'd separate them out, so that the web server uses some type of connection method to the other programs, and passes the data to them. Essentially, you'll be writing you own Apache with your own CGI-like interface to RPG programs.

Seems silly when Apache is free, but... it might be fun :) It's the sort of project I'd enjoy.

I think it makes more "business sense" to just use Apache like everyone else.

Douglas Handy wrote:

I need to make an informed choice between two alternatives. Here is the
basic scenario:

- Client website (hosted offsite) needs to request a XML return data set
- Corporate 520 is not currently running Apache
- Initially only plans for two different simple DTDs/Schemas

I figure my basic two choices are:

1) Code my own small server (e.g., based on Scott K's examples)
2) Setup Apache and either CGIDEV2 or eRPG SDK or whatever

Both of the initially planned DTDs to be requested are relatively simple,
and parsing out the one or two query string variables needed should not be
hard even with the benefit of CVIDEV2 and various other APIs.

Setting up Apache seems like overkill, when all it does it listen for the
couple of different planned requests and call a CGI program to return the
data. But is is a better precedent to set for unknown future plans? If I
go the Apache route, can I utilize a SSL connection by just using https: and
the requisite certificates?

If I don't use Apache, is there an easy way to use SSL (or SSL-like)
encryption from my own server listening on a given port?