Transcript Hidden Fields and E-Mail CGI/Perl Programming

10
Hidden Fields
and E-Mail
CGI/Perl
Programming
By Diane Zak
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Objectives
• In this chapter, you will:
• Create a form using a CGI script
• Include a selection list in a form
• Use a hidden field to pass information
from one script to another
• Send an e-mail message using a script
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Introduction
• When a browser connects to a
web server:
– Connection or session is opened
– After the server has fulfilled the
request, the connection is closed
• Server maintains no information about
the session
– Will often need to have the server
remember information about a
session
• Hidden fields
• Cookies
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The Sun Travel
Web Pages
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The Sun Travel
Web Pages
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• Selection list:
– HTML form element
– List box from which
user can select a
value or values.
• Reasons to use:
– Less typing for user
– Helps maintains data
integrity
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Planning the
sun1.cgi Script
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Coding the sun1.cgi Script
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Creating a Hidden Field
in a Script
• Like other form elements, a hidden
field has both a key and a value
– Can be used to save information that
would normally be lost when the
connection to the server is closed
– Not visible on the form
• However visible in form’s source code
– Syntax:
• print “<INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME=name
VALUE=value>\n”;
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Completed
sun1.cgi Script
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Planning and Coding
the sun2.cgi Script
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Using a Script to
Send E-Mail
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• Need the Mail::Sendmail module
installed
– whereis Sendmail.pm (UNIX)
– Start  Search  Sendmail.pm
(Windows)
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Using a Script to
Send E-Mail
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• Procedure for using the Mail::Sendmail
module:
– 1. Enter use Mail::Sendmail;
– 2. Create a hash and assign a value to the
appropriate keys below
– 3. Enter sendmail (hash);
key
value
To
Recipient’s e-mail address
From
Sender’s e-mail address
Subject
Message subject
Smtp
Sender’s SMTP server
Message
Message to send to recipient
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Completed
sun2.cgi Script
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Summary
• A selection list is a list box from which
the user can select a particular value or
set of values.
• You can use a hidden field to pass
information from one CGI script to
another.
• Like other form elements, a hidden key
has a key and value.
– key and value are passed to the server like
any other form element
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Summary
• Unlike other form elements, a hidden
field does not appear on the form.
• You can use the Mail::Sendmail module
to send e-mail from a script.
– Command: use Mail::Sendmail;
• Enter the information you want to send
by e-mail in a hash.
– keys: To, From, Subject, Smtp, and Message
– Send e-mail: sendmail (hash);
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