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'''Warning: This page is very much work in progress and probably ends quite abruptly. Hope to have the first revision completed by the end of Sunday December 28th.''' | '''Warning: This page is very much work in progress and probably ends quite abruptly. Please write to MortenKromberg if you have questions, comments or suggestions!''' |
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The ''MildServer'' is an experimental framework for simply developing web applications in APL. The main goals of the MildServer project are: | The ''MildServer'' is an experimental framework for simply developing web applications in APL. The design may well change significantly in the first months of 2009 based on feedback from users. |
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1. Provide a framework which makes it possible for anyone who can write an APL function to turn it into a web page without having to learn much. 2. Experiment with the use of APL code in Unicode files to run an "Open Source" project. |
The main goals of the MildServer project are: 1. Make it possible for anyone who can write an APL function to turn it into a web page without having to learn much. 2. Experiment with the use of APL code in Unicode files to run an "Open Source" project. |
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Except for a "bootstrap" workspace, all the code which implements the framework itself and the web applications built upon it are stored in Unicode text files, and the framework is intended to be easy to extend. The project is maintained using [[http://subversion.tigris.org/|SubVersion]]: If it takes off as an open source project, the idea is to expose this subversion server to contributors. | Except for a "bootstrap" workspace which contains standard Dyalog components, all the code which implements the framework itself and the web applications built upon it are stored in Unicode text files, and the framework is designed to be open and easy to extend. The project is maintained using a [[http://subversion.tigris.org/|SubVersion]] which will hopefully become accessible to the public in early 2009. |
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== What IS a Web Server Anyway? == A Web Server is a process running on a machine somewhere, which accepts connections via TCP/IP. Over these connections, the Web Server and its client (typically a "Web Browser") communicate using a protocol called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Http|HyperText Transfer Protocol, or HTTP]]. The incoming '''HTTP''' requests typically contain commands to retrieve a "resource". For example, "GET index.htm" would be a command to retrieve the contents of a named page. If the MildServer is working according to its design, you should not need to learn anything about TCP/IP or HTTP - this should all be handled automatically. |
Follow links below to read more about: |
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HTTP responses generally contain text in a format called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML|HyperText Markup Language - or HTML]]. You WILL need to learn some basic '''HTML''' in order to write Web Applications. Although the MildServer contains functions which will help you generate HTML, you will need to know the basic principles of HTML in order to feel comfortable using them. It is a good idea to spend 20-30 minutes looking at the beginning of one of the many excellent [[http://htmlhelp.com/links/tutorials.htm|HTML tutorials]] available on the internet. Much of the information on the internet is in the form of ''static'' web pages: These are simply text files containing text marked up as HTML. When you request one of these pages from a Web Server, it simply transmits the content of the file to the client. The fact that a web page is static doesn't mean that it never changes: Your application could be updating the HTM files every few seconds with the latest information that you want to make available. However, most Web Servers support some kind of ''scripting'', which means that the page being served up contains embedded code which is executed when the resource is retrieved. This allows you to server up web pages which provide a "user interface", which contains a user interface and changes dynamically in response to input from the user. (Time to go shopping, back soon) |
* [[MildServer/Intro|Introduction to MildServer]] - What '''is''' a ''Web Server'' * [[MIldServer/Parameters|Parameters in Dynamic MildServer Pages]] * [[MildServer/GettingStarted|Getting Started]] - Download and Install the MildServer * [[MildServer/Debugging|Debugging MildServer Applications]] - First Steps * MildServer Samples * [[MildServer/Samples/Index|index.dyalog]] - An Almost Static Page * [[MildServer/Samples/Reverse|Reverse Text]] - Simple Interactive Example * [[MildServer/Samples/LinReg|Linear Regression]] - Graphics, Upload Excel File * [[MildServer/Samples/MMind|Animal Mastermind]] A Game for Kids * [[MildServer/HTMLInputRef|HTMLInput Namespace Reference]] * [[MildServer/HTTPRequest|HTTPRequest Contents]] * [[MildServer/Sessions|How Sessions are Implemented]] * [[MildServer/Authentication|How User Authentication and Access Controls are Handled]] * [[MildServer/JavaScript|About Using JavaScript to Implement Client-Side Functionality]] * [[MildServer/ExtendingMildServer|Extending the MildServer base class]] |
MildServer - A Simple Web Server for APL
Warning: This page is very much work in progress and probably ends quite abruptly. Please write to MortenKromberg if you have questions, comments or suggestions!
The MildServer is an experimental framework for simply developing web applications in APL. The design may well change significantly in the first months of 2009 based on feedback from users.
The main goals of the MildServer project are:
- Make it possible for anyone who can write an APL function to turn it into a web page without having to learn much.
- Experiment with the use of APL code in Unicode files to run an "Open Source" project.
Although the APL code is intended to be "open source", Dyalog APL Version 12.0. is required as the engine for the MildServer - if you don't have it you should be able to get a free or cheap version from the Dyalog Download Zone. Dyalog v12 is the only component required to host your own web server.
Except for a "bootstrap" workspace which contains standard Dyalog components, all the code which implements the framework itself and the web applications built upon it are stored in Unicode text files, and the framework is designed to be open and easy to extend. The project is maintained using a SubVersion which will hopefully become accessible to the public in early 2009.
Follow links below to read more about:
Introduction to MildServer - What is a Web Server
Getting Started - Download and Install the MildServer
Debugging MildServer Applications - First Steps
MildServer Samples
index.dyalog - An Almost Static Page
Reverse Text - Simple Interactive Example
Linear Regression - Graphics, Upload Excel File
Animal Mastermind A Game for Kids
About Using JavaScript to Implement Client-Side Functionality