RE: Mixing GET and POST Methods

Good summary...thanks.

The check from Jon Paris should be on its way!

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-web400@midrange.com [mailto:owner-web400@midrange.com]On Behalf
Of Goodbar, Loyd (AFS-Water Valley)
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 3:03 PM
To: 'WEB400@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: Mixing GET and POST Methods

There are several neat things in CGIDEV2 (I browsed the source last week).

A combination of the following make it very fast:
* dynamically allocated storage (ALLOC/DEALLOC) so all work occurs in
memory, not file system objects
* named activation groups to reduce program startup
* strategically placed STATIC variables in subprocedures reduce workfile
loads and subprocedure initialization

Combine this with:
* externally described HTML output with replacement variables and named
sections
* option to write HTML to standard output or the IFS
* skeleton program creation with common CGI items pre-placed
* easier program maintenance (comparable to DDS)
* tightly wrappered calls to the messy CGI APIs

All of these make CGIDEV2 a quick, easy-to-use, and robust CGI development
tool.

And this from a person who's used it less than 3 weeks. I tried writing my
own tools. They worked well most of the time, but there were a couple of
bugs to eradicate, and it was noticeably slower than CGIDEV2. However, for
certain types of web pages, less effort was needed to use my own programs. I
also tried the SPECIAL file method, seen in Midrange Computing and in Jon
Paris' et al web paper. It is neat, and externalizes the HTML, but it is
cumbersome to use. CGIDEV2 accomplishes most of the goals I tried to program
myself, and offers many items I had not considered.

As to your specific questions, no it does not help SQL or JavaScript
generation directly. IMO, SQL is just file access, and for some programs
might be more convenient than native access. However, I have thrown in some
fairly demanding file access to the program, and it's very quick, all things
considered.

Knowledge of the underlying APIs are not required, just how to call RPG
subprocedures. All of the APIs are tightly wrappered, and the skeleton
program generators ensure the resulting program has everything needed to
find the service program.

You don't even really need to know how to compile the program. There is a
COMPILE command with the toolset. You must modify a CL program, but
essentially all it involves is copying a section and modifying it. One quirk
it has is it wants to compile everything, however. I did change the
command/cpp to allow for a specific program.

Essentially, the CGIDEV2 library allows you to create CGI programs almost a
quickly as you could create standard DDS programs. Most of the messy work is
already done.

It's well worth a few hours' exploration time.

Loyd

-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Stone [mailto:brad@bvstools.com]
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 9:33 PM
To: WEB400@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Mixing GET and POST Methods


Well, my book was written two years ago as well.  #2 is on
the way.  So yes, I was comaring to the original.  (It takes
a little longer for a book to get out.. which is why I keep
my source updated on my source page, and no signups either!
And one click downloads!).

What, in your eyes Jon, is extra special about CGIDEV2?
What is in it that couldn't be done by knowing the APIs,
SQL, HTML, Javascript, etc?  Which is exactly what the
message said that I replied to.

Would knowing how to do these things be more valuable, or
are the tools?

I'm not trying to take away from CGIDEVx either, I guess
it's the programmer in me that would rather know how to do
it than to have it done for me.

Brad
www.bvstools.com

On Wed, 1 Aug 2001 12:05:52 -0400
 jon.paris@e400.com wrote:
>
>  >> My book explains how to do it too.  using APIs.
> CGIDEV isn't anything
> that special.
>
> If you're referring to CGIDEV Brad (i.e. the original
> version) then I
> wouldn't take issue with you.  If you're talking about
> CGIDEV2 (the current
> version) then I have to disagree.  I don't want to
> detract from your book -
> you've done a great job in kick-starting interest in the
> topic but the
> coding techniques and facilities offered in CGIDEV2 go
> way beyond those
> presented in the book.
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Bradley V. Stone
BVS.Tools
www.bvstools.com
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