Dynamic Web Pages with Perl and CGI

Course description

Tap into the real power of the World Wide Web with dynamic, interactive web pages. Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is one of the most popular and stable standards for web applications development. Every serious commercial web site has some type of dynamic content, and Perl is regarded as a leading language for creating this content. Learn to create interactive web pages and serve instant information from databases, worked up into colorful graphics. Topics include working with forms, cookies, graphics and simple animation. You will also learn about gateways, SQL processing and Internet communications.

Logistics

Prerequisites

Mandatory

1. Intro to Perl
2. Intro to Programming

   Unix introduction

3. ability to use a text editor
4. navigate in unix
5. minimal job control
6. shells
7. very light scripting
8. manipulate environment
9. redirection and pipes
   PREREQUISITES: General computer literacy and familiarity with the keyboard

10. basic understanding of html
11. Intro to the Internet - history of the net, ISP selection, getting online with a modem or network connection, email, Netscape browser, researching through a search engine.
    Requirements: Intro to WinXX

    Highly Recommended

12. practical experience with perl or other programming language
13. 12 months experience on the net, as a curious user
14. HTML / web page design - word processing, markup, links, colors, graphic display.
    Requirements: Intro to the Internet

Teaching Environment

Interaction: I request and encourage student participation, questions, and farfetched guessing in the classroom. If your input is topical we'll integrate it into our class; if it's not topical I'll point you to resources so you can pursue your interest independently.

Watch for the Big Ideas: Big ideas, patterns, attitudes and methods, are more important than details (which are sure to change daily). I suggest you rely on reference works rather than try to memorize anything. Only rarely will I ask you to memorize anything.

Mistakes: if you're not making mistakes you're probably not far out enough on that particular limb. S-t-r-e-t-c-h!
Dare to share your mistakes, broken scripts, and haywire output with the rest of us; a class learns fastest when they can troubleshoot the most common mistakes. We benefit from the experience of others:

"Bernard of Chartres used to say that we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness of sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size." Metalogicon. John of Salisbury.

Physical environment: the temperature of the unix lab varies wildly. I advise dressing very lightly for the usual extreme heat and bringing layers (sweater, windbreaker, etc) in case it is very cold.

Break Periods: Because of the rapid pace of the classes and the huge amount of information to integrate, I usually offer the class a 5-min break each hour rather than longer breaks every two. Please return on time so we may keep on schedule.

Please turn your phones and pagers to the silent mode.

Homework: I assign a short reading assignment for the next class period. This work should take a very short time, 20 minutes or less. The assignment will enhance your understanding up the upcoming session. I want you to get good value for your time and money investment.

Contact Information

Remember, your login is based on your machine's hostname, not on any other number.
~/[initials] refers to the subdirectory under your homedir, named after your initials. Everything except for .dotfiles will be stored in your ~/[initials] directory.

© 1995-2001 jason carr
Distributed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.