Server Side Scripting

Dawn Pedersen

What is Server-Side Scripting?Client-side scripting is about "programming"

the behavior of the browser. Server-side scripting is about "programming"

the behavior of the server.

What is Server-Side Scripting?Normally when a browser requests an HTML

file, the server immediately returns the file.However, if the file contains a server-side

script, the script inside the HTML file is executed by the server before the file is returned to the browser as plain HTML.

What Can Server Scripts Do?Dynamically edit, change or add any content

to a Web page

What Can Server Scripts Do?Respond to user queries or data submitted

from HTML forms

What Can Server Scripts Do?Access any data or databases and return the

results to a browser

What Can Server Scripts Do?Customize a Web page to make it more useful

for individual users

What Can Server Scripts Do?Allow you to use and reuse code snippets

called “includes”. The includes are saved and edited in another

file.

Types of Server ScriptsActive Server Pages (ASP) was developed my

Microsoft for creating dynamically-generated web pages. First released in 1998.Runs on Windows Server.Succeeded by ASP.NET in

2002.Files end in .asp (for ASP)

or .aspx (for ASP.NET).

Types of Server ScriptsPHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is a widely

used, general-purpose scripting language.Created in 1995 and originally stood for personal

home page.Can be interpreted by

any web server with a PHP processor module.

Most commonly run on Apache web server software.

Files typically end in .php.

Types of Server ScriptsPerlJSPRubyColdFusionPythonCGI

Advantages of Server-Side ScriptsDoes not require the user to download

plugins.Load times are generally faster than client-

side scripting.

Advantages of Server-Side ScriptsYou can create a single website template for

the entire website; each new dynamic page you create will automatically use it.

You can configure a site to use a content management system, which simplifies the editing, publishing, adding of images, and creation of web applications.

Advantages of Server-Side ScriptsYour scripts are hidden from view. Users only

see the HTML output, even when they view the source.

Disadvantage of Server-Side ScriptsServer-side scripts can be used by attackers to

gain access to the server. Because the scripts often respond to URL input,

changing the URL to something that exploits a security hole can give the user server access.

To combat such attacks, system administrators need to keep all server-side scripts updated to their latest secure versions and use a firewall.

Example URL:http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Kitty-Harness-Medium-Royal/dp/B000OBFI0M/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1297049088&sr=1-3

Who Creates the Scripts?Both client-side and server-side scripts are

generally written by web developers rather than web designers.

However, a solid understanding of the basics of both can make a web designer more powerful and able to generate a larger income.