FAQ



Q: What I need to install properly this package?
A: The base requirements are:

Perl 5.4 or higher,
Unix/Linux or Windows 9x/NT/XP

Recomended:

Perl 5.6,

Unix/Linux OS,
MySQL

You really need Unix/Linux based OS to enjoy all features in this module. Also you need MySQL to get speed with your session/user support! Of cource you can use our Flat Db driver (based on DBD::Sprite) to enjoy session/user functions.

To run scripts you also may need to install follow standart modules

DBI (for DB access - In all cases!)

MySQL (for MySQL access)

DBD-ODBC (for MS Access)

 

Q: How can I configure this package?
A: The only one configuration file in this package is "config.pl" and you can find it in 'conf' directory. Please configure FIRST! (More info about config.pl you can find in docs directory, please read HELP.doc)
Before you can start any script you 'must' run check test that show your active configuration.
To do this you must have already
configured "config.pl"
To perform check please type follow in browser:

http://yourhost/cgi-bin/webtools/process.cgi

where 'cgi-bin' is your web server cgi directory;
'webtools' is your cgi based package directory;
process.cgi is you sub 'compiler' :-))


After you have passed the 'test' successfully you have to turn 'off' variable $check_module_functions to run your scripts normal (for more information see config.pl)

If rise an error please read INSTALL.txt and/or next FAQ.

 

Q: Why I get "Internel error" in browser?
A: Commonly you get this error when your shebang (path to your perl compiler) is not correctly set. You have to change it only in one place: process.cgi (founed in base directory of your package). On default it's set to: #!/usr/bin/perl
If you don't know where is your Perl, you can use follow Unix command: whereis perl
to find out where is it.
Of cource the reason for that unconfortable error can be hidden in installation!

Please check out for common errors like mode of your process.cgi (is it 755 ?) and/or directories?
Other often error is related to Apache's(your web server) permissions, i.e. Apache run
scripts (!!!) and you must made Apache able to run them properly. More information you can fetch from INSTALL.txt (please read careful).

 

Q: How I can learn more about "WebTools"?
A: Reading this FAQ and you will :-)
The real help actualy is in all the examples that I wrote (with some friends help) placed into docs/examples sub directory. A quick reference of functions you can find in Help.doc (founded into docs directory)

 

Q: Why some SQL queries works and other not?
A: Well, all sql_* functions are able to support sessions and users functions but when you try to use it for your private needs, you must care about what exacly you 'insert', 'update' and so on... i.e. you must be very carefull when use this functions for anything else! Please QUOTE all data and take care about what kind of DB engine you going to use!
(For sessions and users you don't need to care about anything!)

Example:
So best way to insert, update...your data is:

$sth = sql_query("INSERT INTO TABL VALUES($val1,$val2,...)",$dbh);

where: $val1, $val2,... must be quoted using sql_quote() like this way:
$val1 = sql_quote($unquoted_var1,$dbh);

Note: If insert data is numeric then you don't need to quote them!

Using that style you will remove most problems with insert/update!

 

Q: How I can report errors and make comments?
A: Every help, suggessions and reports I will apreciate very high!
I am sorry but I haven't free time, so please ask me for support is
only you have waery out couple of days :-))

Please mail it to: julian@proscriptum.com