Newbie and Page Re-Loading

Fri May 4 17:10:11 EDT 2007

Hello Richard,

> I do not want to run a framework yet.  I would like to understand
> python at script level, before adding more aspects to learn, like
> frameworks.
The way CGI works is that your script is called every time the
corresponding HTML is loaded. You can access all the parameters sent
to the script using cgi.FieldStorage.

> I think I get your idea about hidden fields and how to alter them.
Note that hidden fields are passed in plain text format from/to the
server, don't send anything sensitive in them.

> My single page script should work something like this
>
> DisplayHTMLHeaderandBodyHeader
> Check if this is a Re-Load (HiddenField would not exist first time I
> am assuming)
It could be None: cgi.FieldStorage().getvalue("hidden_attribute") ==
None

> Display SearchSection with previous SearchRequest
> If SearchRequest is True: Get and Display Results
> Display TrailerHTMLandTrailerBody
>
> ......... Wait for NewSearch or NextPage
In CGI you don't wait, the script exists and called again when use
hits a button/refresh ...

> Does the above make sense or is there a better way ?
There are many other ways (AJAX, Web frameworks, FastCGI ...). However
I'd recommend you start with plain CGI which is *simple*.
Here is a small example:
#!/usr/local/bin/python

import cgitb; cgitb.enable() # Show errors in HTML output
from cgi import FieldStorage

FUNNY = [ "mickey", "donald", "daisy", "minnie", "goofy" ]

def main():
    print "Content-Type: text/html"
    print

    form = FieldStorage()
    query = form.getvalue("query", "")

    print '''<html><body>
    <h1>Disney Search</h1>

    <form>
    <input type="text" name="query" value="%s">
    <input type="submit" value="search">
    ''' % query

    if query:
        for someone in FUNNY:
            if query in someone:
                print "<br />%s" % someone

    print "</form></body></html>"

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

> How do I get the directory of my modules into the Python Path
import sys
sys.path.append("/path/to/my/modules")

Note that your script directory is automatically added to the path.

> Is there a lightweight Https Server I could run locally (WINXP), which
> would run .py scripts, without lots of installation modifications ?
http://lighttpd.net.
Make sure "mod_cgi" is uncommented, set your document root and set
right python interpreter in cgi.assign

HTH,
--
Miki <miki.tebeka at gmail.com>
http://pythonwise.blogspot.com