J. Blustein

Web-centric Computing

Some Example Code

SSI Test Page

This page looks different on

• torch.cs.dal.ca (which you should use), and
• users.cs.dal.ca

What works (and what doesn't)

1. <!--#echo var="DATE_LOCAL" -->
   
2. <!--#echo var="document_name" -->
   
3. <!--#exec cmd="/usr/bin/echo exec works" -->
   
4. Include virtual works on torch (see below)

Sometimes small differences matter...

1. <!--#echo var="DATE_LOCAL" -->
   
2. <!-- #echo var="DATE_LOCAL" -->
   
   Because of the extra space in the second example, the directive is not recognized

A whole lot of testing goin' on

1. Date & Time

   1. <!--#echo var="DATE_LOCAL" -->
      
   2. <!--#echo var="Date_GMT" -->
      

2. About this document

   1. <!--#echo var="DOCUMENT_NAME" -->
      
   2. <!--#echo var="DOCUMENT_URI" -->
      
   3. <!--#echo var="last_modified" -->
      

3. About this server

   1. <!--#echo var="server_name" -->
      
   2. <!--#echo var="server_software" -->
      

4. About the user/browser

   1. <!--# echo var="HTTP_USER_AGENT" -->
      
   2. <!--# echo var="GATEWAY_INTERFACE" -->
      
   3. <!--#echo var="remote_addr" -->
      

5. Files on the server (executables and data files)

   1. <!--#exec cmd="/usr/bin/echo exec works" -->
      
   2. <!--#exec cmd="/usr/bin/id" -->
      
   3. <!--#exec cmd="/usr/bin/cat /etc/passwd" -->
      

6. If

        <pre>
         <!--#if expr="apple=orange" -->
          If is not working
         <!--#else -->
          If *is* working
         <!--#endif -->
        </pre>
        

         
          If is not working
         
          If *is* working
         
        

7. CGI executables within SSI

   1. CGI directive

                 <!--#exec cgi="/~maxwell/cgi-bin/test-cgi.cgi" -->
               

   2. Include virtual directive

                 <pre>
      
                   <!--#include virtual="/~maxwell/cgi-bin/test-cgi.cgi" -->
      
                 </pre>
                

Important Notes

• filename ends with .shtml not .html
• must not be in or beneath your cgi-bin directory
• must run on http://torch.cs.dal.ca not http://www.cs.dal.ca
• note the difference between echo var and exec
• spaces matter for some directives
• case might matter for some directives
• You must experiment with the server that you will be using
• See the Apache HTTP Server mod_include documentation for detailed specifications

http://www.cs.dal.ca/~jamie/course/CS/3172/examples/SSI/test1.shtml

Version:

23 October 2001

Based on

ssitest.shtml from Chris Maxwell

Prof:

J. Blustein <jamie@cs.dal.ca>