Web Connection User's Guide

Setting up for CGI

The CGI interface enables the Web server to run stand-alone executable programs in response to requests from clients. Most Web servers support CGI, so if you aren't sure which interface to use, CGI is probably a safe choice. However, its performance is typically slower than that of the other, server-specific interfaces.

To install the CGI files, follow these steps:

  1. Copy the CGI adapter, abtwsac.exe, to the directory your Web server uses for CGI programs, typically cgi-bin.
  2. Copy the following shared library files to a directory on your Web server's search path:
  3. (Optional) Edit your operating system configuration file and include the ABTWSI_BASENAME environment variable. This environment variable specifies where WSI looks for configuration and error message files.

    For Intel platforms, use a set statement. For example:

    set ABTWSI_BASENAME=d:\webserver\cgi-bin\abtwsi
    

    For UNIX platforms, use an export statement. For example

    export ABTWSI_BASENAME=/webserver/cgi-bin/abtwsi
    
  4. Copy the following web server interface files to the directory specified by ABTWSI_BASENAME, or to the CGI directory if you have not set ABTWSI_BASENAME:

    When you install Web Connection, these files are installed in the webconn directory. You can copy them to another directory and also rename them. If you do either, you must reflect their new location and name in the ABTWSI_BASENAME environment variable. For example, if you moved the files to d:\wsifiles, and renamed them from abtwsi.* to mywsi.*, you would supply a value d:\wsifiles\mywsi for the ABTWSI_BASENAME field.

    Note:You must use forward slashes (/) when specifying the path information for the ABTWSI_BASENAME field. Java treats backward slashes (/) as escape characters.
  5. Enable the CGI directory for web sharing using the properties settings for the directory. You must then use the alias to this directory in your browser URL.

After you install the files, you must customize the WSI configuration file for your system. See Customizing the WSI configuration file for more information.

If you are running the Netscape server, you can edit your obj.conf file and change the first Init line to set the environment dynamically for each CGI invocation:

Init fn="init-cgi" ABTWSI_BASENAME=d:/cgi-bin/abtwsi

This technique can also be used for setting any other environment variables you need at run time. For example, if you are running under AIX and LIBPATH is not being passed through to the CGI program by the server, you can edit your obj.conf file and set LIBPATH dynamically so that abtwsac can find its shared object files (abtwsc.a, abtwstt.so):

Init fn="init-cgi" ABTWSI_BASENAME=d:/cgi-bin/abtwsi LIBPATH=/usr/mylibs:/otherlibs

Proceed to Testing your installation to setup, test and run the Web Connection interface.


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