Anyone know about CGI and web pages?

[DavidX]

I have set up a website on a free server. Their condition is that they have an ad banner. This can be either in the page itself or as a Java pop-up. Obviously, I prefer to have the ad integrated in the page itself and avoid pop-ups.

It's simple in normal HTML pages: I just insert "<!--BlahBlahBanner-->" under the BODY tag and their server inserts the banner on those pages. But how do I insert the line into HTML pages generated by CGI? I believe CGI generates HTML pages 'on the fly' so I can't insert the line in advance (or am I wrong?). Do I have to insert a line (command?) into the CGI script itself so that any HTML page it generates will automatically have the "<!--BlahBlahBanner-->" line in it?

Their FAQ states: "CGI generated html pages are treated the same way as regular html pages. You can include the banner tag into your CGI output to avoid the popup."

Fine, but presumably I can't include the tag directly into the HTML pages produced by CGI because I don't know what pages it's going to produce in advance. So, presumably they mean include it in the CGI file somehow?

Please help someone! I'm out of my depth but trying to learn.

[DavidX]

Anyone??

[smunzli]

put it as a pop-up that way if your visitor does not have javascipt turn on they won't be bother and you don't have to waste the space.

but if you have to, try this site its good for java and cgi www.htmlgoodies.com/ (http://www.htmlgoodies.com/)

[This message has been edited by smunzli (edited 07-27-99).]

[DavidX]

Thanks for the link smunzli. I'm ploughing my way through it - a lot of good stuff there.

In the meantime, has anyone got a simple solution (apart from leaving the pop-ups)?

[This message has been edited by DavidX (edited 07-28-99).]

[SysOpt]

Could you be more specific as to what the code is that you are presently inserting into your HTML pages? SysOpt uses SSI tags throughout, and dozens upon dozens of CGI scripts that I've written (front page news, user reviews, survey sumissions, etc.) so I should be able to give you a hand..

In other words, your "<!-- blah blah -->" notation doesn't give me a lot to go on. Is it an SSI tag that they want you to insert, or is it a simple HTML comment? If the latter, all you need to do is stick it into the HTML output of a your CGI script and it should output it just fine. But again, I really would need to see what you're doing and probably what CGI script you are putting it into.

Scott

[This message has been edited by SysOpt (edited 07-28-99).]

[DavidX]

Hi Scott! Many thanks for your offer to help. I feel like I'm drowning and someone's just slung me a lifesaver http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Unfortunately, I don't really know much about the notation either. The host is VirtualAve and they simply say to insert the line "<!--VirtualAvenueBanner-->" below the body tag in HTML pages. It works fine in standard HTML pages and their ad appears on the page instead of as a pop-up, but whether it's an "SSI tag" or a simple "HTML comment" I simply don't know. (Good grief, I hate being so ignorant! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif ) I did check my HTML files on the site to see if their server had replaced the line with their own script but they are unalterred - just the line I put in. Is this a clue?

Re: the CGI scripts. They aren't my own (I'm not that clever! - though maybe I'll get there eventually) but you will probably be very familiar with them. They are the freeware version of the Ultimate BB. I simply want to see if I can get UBB to run on the website. I can - but I want integrated banners, not pop-ups.

If I can stick it into the HTML output of the CGI files, where exactly do I put it and which of the UBB CGI files are the relevant ones? Go easy now, Scott. Remember, I'm a total newbie to all this http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[DavidX]

Done!! I finally figured it out. No more pop-ups! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Cheesh! Maybe it was just too simple. I was looking for something far more complicated. I should have just taken a closer look at those CGI files in the first place instead of panicking. It was simply a matter of just sticking the comment into the HTML output of the CGI script as Scott (and VirtualAvenue in a less direct way) said. Thanks Scott! Guess it was just a "simple HTML comment" after all.

All is well in the DavidX house now http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif