URLier Features

The Perl You Need to Know: Part 7 - Dabbling in Live Databases: MySQL Aaron Weiss October 11, 1999	The Perl You Need to Know, Part 7 focuses on setting up MySQL and understanding its various management complexities. Learn how to create a MySQL database and populate a table with data.
Introduction to Server-Side Processing Selena Sol October 4, 1999	In the previous sections of this tutorial, you saw how user requests are gathered by the GUI Layer and how they are sent across the wire to a web server by the Communication and GUI Layers. So now what happens? In this section of the tutorial, we will investigate the resources of the MiddleWare Layer.
Build Traffic Through Good Site Design Charlie Morris September 27, 1999	Everybody knows about web site promotion; submitting to search engines, creating reciprocol links, banner swaps and mailing lists are necessary steps to building web site traffic. But when all is said and done, the most important traffic-building technique of all may be site design.
Intro to Web Application Development Environment: Parts of an HTTP Transaction: The Request Selena Sol September 20, 1999	In Part 5 of the "Web Application Transmission, or How the Web Works" Selena continues his look at the Communication Layer covering such topics as the parts of an HTTP transaction, encryption, and secured transmissions.
The Perl You Need to Know: Part 6 "Dabbling in Live Databases: Microsoft Access" Aaron Weiss September 13, 1999	The Perl You Need to Know, Part 6 introduces the use of Perl for live database interaction. Learn how to construct an SQL statement, pass it to your database, and receive the results-- all using Perl.
Doing It With SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), Part 1 Ken Sall September 6, 1999	SVG is positioned to have a major impact on Web graphics because it enables resolution independent graphic rendering either from static text files or when generated from databases, and because it leverages many of the useful features of the XML family of specifications.
Using a flat-file database in Perl Jason Shindler August 30, 1999	Web developers often need ways of speeding up the development process, without spending thousands of dollars for software. Here's how to build an easy to use database in Perl and access it via a web page.
Email-based Public Relations, or Mailing Lists for Web Sites Charlie Morris August 23, 1999	Email may be the most useful invention since the telephone. Email-based mailing lists are very useful on their own merits, and they can also be great companions to a Web site. In this article, we'll explain the basics of setting up both announcement and discussion lists, and share some tips for building lists into valuable resources. We'll also look at some ways that mailing lists can complement a Web site by increasing visitor traffic and extending the usefulness of the site.
Part 4 of Intro to WAD: Transmission, or How the Web Works Selena Sol August 16, 1999	After the user has submitted whatever information they need to submit into whatever GUI you have designed, it is time to get that information from the web browser to the web server. This is where "transmission" takes place; find out how the web really works!
The Perl You Need to Know: Part 5 - "Processing and Parsing Web Pages" Aaron Weiss August 9, 1999	In The Perl You Need to Know we've explored a variety of means to add content to web pages, but we've yet to see how to retrieve information from a web page using Perl. Last month's exploits featured the use of templates to easily insert dynamic information into pre-structured pages such as the Smallville Gazette. This month we extend this concept, retrieving information from the web which will then be dynamically included in a template-based output page. Our partner in this scheme is Perl library LWP which, like a Swiss army knife, provides a number of tools for carving, slicing, dicing and parsing web pages.
The Dastardly "favicon.ico not found" Error Linda Cole August 3, 1999	There have been two burning questions among developers recently: "What is that favicon.ico not found error that is filling my Error_log?" and "How do I get a custom icon next to my bookmark link in Internet Explorer?" These may sound like unrelated questions, yet both can be answered at the same time. This article explains how to create the icon, where to place it on your server and how to add it to your html files.
There's gold in them there log files! Charlie Morris August 2, 1999	Every Web site has a different set of goals, but there's one thing we all have in common: We want more traffic! Although a sure-fire way to build Web site traffic quickly remains as elusive as a sure-fire way to predict stock prices, there are some tried-and-true methods that can help you build your Web site traffic slowly but surely. This article is not about any one traffic-building technique. It's about using your Web server log files to direct your efforts and measure your success.
Intro to Web Application Development Environment: Extending the Browser with Plug-ins Selena Sol July 26, 1999	In part three of Intro to Web Application Development Environment, Sol completes the survey of GUI Layer technologies covering Plug-ins, client side java, client side scripting, and the DOM and dHTML.
Doing It With XML, Part 2 Ken Sall July 19, 1999	Focuses on several inexpensive tools for editing XML: XML Pro, XML Spy, Xeena, and XML EditorMaker. How to use CSS (cascading Style Sheets) or XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) to control both the presentation and processing of your XML (especially in IE 5) is also covered. A more complete WDVL treatment of XSL will follow later this summer and fall when the XSL Working Draft becomes a full W3C Recommendation.
Perl for the Web, Part 4 Aaron Weiss July 12, 1999	Despite the old cooking adage, not everything is better when made from scratch. In last month's "The Perl You Need to Know Part 3: Maintaining State," we touched on creating on-the-fly HTML using Perl and the CGI module, though not the main focus of that article. Typically, we use Perl to generate HTML when Web pages need to be constructed live because they incorporate information relevant to or provided by a particular visitor. This month our focus swings squarely towards HTML output and the use of Web templates in generating Web pages on-the-fly with Perl scripts and the CGI module. This article assumes at least a familiarity with Perl and the CGI module and, ideally, time spent with the previous three parts of "The Perl You Need to Know" series.
Writing for the Web Charlie Morris July 5, 1999	The Web has spawned a tidal wave of writing, and many who never thought of themselves as writers before are sharpening up the old cyberpencils for fun and profit. Writing for the Web is not the same as writing for print, however, and there are a few concepts that it's good to keep in mind in order to get the most out of the medium. Here are some guidelines for writing articles, tutorials, white or green papers and other ruminations for online magazines, corporate and educational Web sites, and other online content.
Introduction to the Web Application Development Environment (Tools) The Display (GUI) Layer Selena Sol June 28, 1999	In this 2nd part of the Intro to Web Application Develpoment Environment Series, Selena Sol takes a more in depth look at the GUI Layer with particular focus on the browser itself as well as HTML forms which serve as the base for most web applications.
Caching Tutorial for Web Authors and Webmasters Mark Nottingham June 21, 1999	Web caches are becoming more common throughout the Internet; they can make your Web site perform better, but they can also cause problems with sites that don't prepare for them. This tutorial helps you understand them, and make your site more cache-friendly.
The Perl You Need to Know:Part 3 "Maintaining State" Aaron Weiss June 14, 1999	Despite the jargony jingle, maintaining state is a process in which we engage daily in our own lives, from building a ham and turkey triple-decker sandwich to reading a book. This article will focus on techniques for maintaining state across Web pages, thus allowing the Web site to "remember" information across a series of steps.
Domain Game News Scott Clark June 11, 1999	The buying and selling of domain names has become more than just a way to market your Web site; it has become a business on its own. This section will cover the latest developments in the world of domains, including registrant news, domain-related events, legal precedents and more.
Designing Winning Ad Banners Charlie Morris June 7, 1999	For your online ad campaign to be succesful, you need attractive, appropriate, attention-getting banners. In this tutorial, we explain how to design banners using graphic tools like Photoshop or Paintshop Pro, along with animated GIFs, Java, Shockwave and HTML banners.
Introduction to the Web Application Development Environment (Tools) Selena Sol May 31, 1999	In this tutorial, Selena Sol steps back from the realm of specific technologies and focuses on a general survey of web application development tools.
WWWhat Happened at WWW8? Ken Sall May 24, 1999	The 8th International World Wide Web Conference. This conference marks the 10th anniversary of the World Wide Web, as measured from the original proposal from 1989. This report is the next best thing to attending the conference, and covers XML, Signed XML, RDF, XHTML, DOM, DOM2, XSL, XSLT, XSL-FO, CSS1, CSS2, CSS3 and more.
Introduction to XHTML, with eXamples Alan Richmond May 17, 1999	XHTML? Find out how the proposed successor to HTML4 can help you prepare your site for the Web of the future with this article by WDVL's founder, Alan Richmond. Learn what XHTML is all about, why you will want to learn to use it, and where it's going to take the Web!
Is It Valid, or Is It Not? Scott Clark May 13, 1999	This article explains why you may be getting an "invalid" report from the W3C Validator on pages from the WDVL recently.
The Perl You Need to Know, Part 2 Aaron Weiss May 10, 1999	In this article, we'll complete our look at Perl fundamentals and then jump right into using Perl to interact directly with web pages using the CGI module. This article assumes that you have a knowledge of Perl language fundamentals.
Introduction to XML For Web Developers Selena Sol May 3, 1999	There are many rules you must follow in order to assure that your XML document is well-formed. But even when you write well-formed XML documents, you're not quite out of the woods! Making your document well-formed is only half the battle. You must also make sure that the document is valid. This third and final section deals with making your well-formed XML document valid by using a DTD.
Accepting Credit Cards: Getting a Merchant Account Charlie Morris April 29, 1999	This article explains how a credit card merchant account works, with a few hints on creating good order forms and choosing a payment processing system.
The Perl You Need to Know Aaron Weiss April 26, 1999	This article begins a series on using Perl in web development scenarios. To start, we ease in with a general introduction to Perl itself.
RealVideo - Waiting on Broadband Jeff Rule April 19, 1999	In this article we'll see how to create video optimized for the web, how to encode it and how to incorporate it with SMIL.
Doing It With XML, Part 1 Ken Sall April 12, 1999	In this XML tutorial, Ken Sall turns to some of the practical considerations facing Web developers of every level. How can you get started with XML now? How can you go from an XML document instance to a DTD? How can you view the results? How can Internet Explorer 5 and other free or inexpensive tools help? How can you edit the XML in a way that guarantees it will match the DTD? How can you use CSS or XSL to control both the presentation and processing of your XML?
Content Management Tips and Tricks Charlie Morris April 5, 1999	Some quick and dirty ways to streamline your content management without taking the plunge into a truly dynamic site. The tedium of site maintenance can be greatly reduced with a couple of simple tools, without spending a penny on complex and cranky dynamic "solutions".
Introduction to XML For Web Developers Selena Sol March 29, 1999	Part two of a three part Introduction to XML for Web Developers.
RealAudio Jeff Rule March 22, 1999	Find out how RealAudio enables audio to be streamed over web and synchronized with other Real media types in the G2 Player from RealNetworks.
Creating Portable and Modular Client-Side Scripts Aaron Weiss March 15, 1999	In this article, Aaron examines the few methods available today for externalizing your Web scripts in attempting to keep them modular, portable, and outside HTML.
Introduction to XML For Web Developers Selena Sol March 8, 1999	In this tutorial, Selena Sol walks you through XML and the sister XSL style sheet language. Using simple, well-explained examples, Sol shows you how to get up to speed with the syntax of XML.
Designing Attractive Web Pages Charlie Morris February 28, 1999	A well-designed Web page is a thing of beauty. Your readers may know nothing about fonts, leading, justification or kerning, but can subconsciously sense when a page is well laid out.
If Content is King, The User is God Alan and Lucy Richmond, Linda Cole, Edward Grossman February 28, 1999	This article explains why we decided to redesign the 'look and feel' of The WDVL, what design principles we adhered to, and how we implemented and tested the new design. As a case study in web design, it should be useful not only to those who are upgrading existing sites, but also those who are building new sites.
RealText--Text Synchronization with Digital Media Jeff Rule February 22, 1999	RealText is the new text format developed by Real Networks. It allows text to be streamed over web as part of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) and synchronized with other Real media types in the G2 Player from RealNetworks.
Events in JavaScript: An Inside Look Aaron Weiss February 15,1999	In this article we look closely at using JavaScript to handle events, in all their many permutations. We also look at how event differ between the fourth generation "Big Two" browsers.
The Latest from the Browser Trenches Charlie Morris February 8, 1999	The browser war plods on, with Netscape and Microsoft continuing to make steady improvements. Explorer 5.0 and Communicator 4.5 offer no revolutionary changes from their predecessors, but with a likely lizard called Gecko coming up strong, big things are definitely to be expected soon. Explorer and Communicator both now implement basic HTML and Javascript with few problems, but when it comes to Cascading Style Sheets, dynamic HTML and other advanced features of HTML 4.0, both browsers come up wanting. We'll look at the newest features, drop some hints and air some pet peeves concerning the major browsers, and have a brief squint at the 3 major email clients, too.
RealPix: The SMIL Graphics Format Jeff Rule February 1, 1999	RealPix is the graphics format developed by Real Networks. It allows graphics to be streamed over web as part of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL). RealPix is one of the many media types that can be played back in the G2 Player from RealNetworks. Rule will discuss other media types such as RealText, RealVideo and RealAudio in later articles. SMIL is a recommendation from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that allows for the creation of time-based multimedia delivery over the web.
Towards a New Application Development Framework for Server-Side Web-Based Applications in Perl and Java Selena Sol January 25, 1999	This article focuses on how application development changes within the environment of the Open Source movement. Using the example of CGI/Perl development, Selena Sol discusses such concepts as interface-driver architecture, object oriented design, and API development which are central to the open source development model
DHTML Pop-Up Menus: A Parable of Triumph and Loss (Based on a True Story) Aaron Weiss January 19, 1999	Web development in the real world is often a far cry from the 1-2-3 sing song of tutorials. Outside the ivory tower of the tutorial reality becomes quite a bit more slippery, especially when confounded by client wishes and development environment constraints (a.k.a. "browser bugs"). Here we follow along in the development journey of a Dynamic HTML technique for a client -- namely, pop-up menus -- as a microcosm of the pain, woe, and triumph of birthing an idea from "sure that sounds easy" to actual implementation.
XML and Java: The Perfect Pair: Part 3 Ken Sall January 12, 1999	This month, we'll examine XML editors and parsers written in Java. We'll also look at a few specialized Java applications for use with XML. (You are encouraged to read Part 1 first, if you haven't done so already).
Audio for the Worldwide Web Charlie Morris January 4, 1999	All major browsers can handle a variety of audio (and video) formats with ease, and including audio on a Web site is theoretically no more complicated than including graphics. Web audio is booming in certain areas such as Internet radio stations and online music distribution, but few mainstream Web sites include sound. Why is the Web still mainly a silent world? This article explains the basics of adding sound to a Web site, discusses the pros and cons of various formats, and takes a look ahead at some really world-shaking things to come.