[WEB4LIB] Simple script for executable file? Is there such a beast?

[Jim Green]

What may be confusing you is the server versus client issue.

JavaScript and VbScript typically run in the CLIENT -- that is, Netscape and
Internet Explorer have built-in JavaScript interpreters that can execute
JavaScript code that is embedded in an HTML format web page.

What you are talking about is usually done on the web SERVER.  That is, a
program called myprog.exe is located on the web server machine, and an HTML
format web page has a link to the program that executes it when the person
viewing the web page clicks on that link.  Myprog.exe then runs on the
SERVER, and sends any output it produces to the client in HTML format.

In the UNIX world, with which I am much more familiar, the usual way of
accomplishing this is by using CGI (Common Gateway Interface) -- myprog.exe
would be stored in a special directory, called cgi-bin, under my Apache web
server tree, and I would just make a link to
http://myserver.msu.edu/cgi-bin/myprog.exe and that would basically do it,
though myprog.exe would almost certainly need to be modified to accept input
coming from the HTML web page (typically HTML form input), and definitely to
format its output according to CGI/HTML.  Perl is probably the most popular
language for writing these CGI scripts/programs, but they can be written in
any language that is available on the web server machine.

I'm sorry I'm not more familiar with Window web servers -- if I were I could
give you a better answer.  But for starters, are you running a web server on
your standalone machine?  I think that is going to be a requirement.  It
seems to me FrontPage comes with Personal Web Server, so be sure that is up
and running properly.  Then you have to figure out how to do server-side
scripting in that environment.  I believe it is possible to use CGI on a
Windows web server, but I have never done it so I don't know for sure.  You
can even get a version of Perl for Intel machines, though I think a simple
DOS batch file might also be made to work in your situation.  Alternatively,
Active Server Pages is a Microsoft-specific solution to investigate; it is
probably worth the trouble assuming your corporate web server is Windows NT.

HTH -- good luck.

Jim Green
Project Leader -- Library Support Services Group
Michigan State University Computer Laboratory
phone:  (517) 355-4500 ext. 176
fax:  (517)353-9847
e-mail:  jfgreen at pilot.msu.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Iezzi <tiezzi at csl.com.au>
To: Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Date: Thursday, January 07, 1999 6:12 PM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Simple script for executable file? Is there such a beast?


>Hello,
>
>I'm looking for help in working out how to write a script that accesses a
>program on a stand alone computer. The script must work from inside a web
>page and must activate the programs executable file. Eventually we will be
>putting all of this onto a corporate web site, but for now stand alone is
>fine.
>
>
>I'm using Frontpage 98 and manual, and there's much explanation about
>JavaScript and VBScript to do all sorts of fancy things on a web site, but
>nothing about running a program. Maybe I'm missing something here.....
>
>I would be forever grateful if anyone can explain it to me in English.
>
>Thankyou in advance,
>
>Tony Iezzi
>CSL Research librarian
>