Implementing and Using the SIRWEB Interface

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Implementing and Using the SIRWEB Interface

• Setup of the CGI script and web procfile
• Connecting to your database using HTML
• Retrieving data using the CGI interface
• Building HTML using VisualPQL
• Tricks and Toys

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Setup of the CGI Script

• You will need a working web server to run SIRWEB
  (i.e. - Microsoft IIS, Microsoft Peer Web Server,
  Apache Web Server - my testing was done on Apache
  and IIS)
• Place your CGI script in the CGI-BIN directory on
  your web server
• The script is ready to be called !

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Setup of the Web Procfile

• Keep your procfile close to your CGI script -
  store the file in the CGI-BIN directory
• (this location may cause problems in IIS)
• Your procfile can not have a file extension !
• Remember the full path to the location of your
  procfile - this path will be used in your PQL code

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Connecting to Your Database

• Make explicit connections at all times - you can
  not guarantee that your database will be open or
  closed !
• Reusable code can be stored in the procfile to
  connect to and disconnect from the database
• All connections are made through PQL code called
  from the CGI interface

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Example INDEX.HTML ltFORM NAME"login"
ACTION"cgi-bin/sirweb.cgi" METHODPOSTgt ltINPUT
TYPEHIDDEN NAME"sirapp" VALUE"webproc.cgi.defau
lt"gt Username ltINPUT TYPETEXT
NAME"userid"gtltBRgt Password ltINPUT TYPEPASSWORD
NAME"passwd"gtltBRgt ltINPUT TYPESUBMIT
NAME"action" VALUE"Login"gtlt/FORMgtltBRgtltBRgt DEFAU
LT (Procfile Member) program pql connect database
"HEART" prefix "K\ihi\heart\" end
program ... program pql disconnect database
HEART end program
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Retrieving Data Using CGI

• Data retrieval is quick and simple with the help
  of PQL
• Many of your current programs can be easily
  modified to generate HTML output
• Report destination is a web browser rather than a
  file

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Example INCLUDE MEMBER WEBPROC.TOOLS.HTMLCODER
ETRIEVAL NOAUTOCASESTRING 50 FULLNAMECOMPUTE
FULLNAME WRITE (CGI) ltHTMLgtPROCESS
CASESREC IS DEMOGET VARS LNAME FNAME MINTEND
RECCOMPUTE FULLNAME TRIMLR(LNAME) ,
TRIMLR(FNAME) TRIMLR(MINT)WRITE (CGI)
ltH3gt FULLNAME lt/H3gtCOMPUTE FULLNAME END
CASEWRITE (CGI) lt/HTMLgtEND RETRIEVAL
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Building HTML

• Your HTML code can be basic or complex
• Java Script and Java Applets can be used
• Style Sheets can be implemented
• Code reuse is a snap !

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An HTML form is used to validate a user login via
the CGI script. This uses a routine similar to
the one used if a user logs in to the system
through the DBMS. In addition, the page uses a
JavaScript to set a cookie on the users system
to ensure that the user has been properly
authenticated.
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HTML forms can be used to gather user input and
pass it to a PQL program. The buttons on the
forms are set to call the CGI script and include
the data typed into the form.
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Links are created by the PQL program and they
include calls to the CGI and all the necessary
parameters to pull the correct patient
information.
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All tables are created using ifthen structures in
the PQL code. Some information may not be
displayed if certain conditions are not met.
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When the user clicks the logout link, the cookie
is removed from the system and the previous
cached pages are secured from view.
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Tricks and Toys

• Browser Issues
• HTML Frames
• JavaScript code reuse

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Browser Issues

• Testing for the HeartBase system was done using
  Internet Explorer 5.5
• You will experience problems with Internet
  Explorer versions lower than 5.0 if you are
  creating links that call and pass variables to
  the CGI script

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HTML Frames

• Frames can be used, but the CGI script will
  return the results to the frame that called the
  script unless you specify a targetExampleltA
  HREF"http//ind1nt26/cgi-bin/sirweb.cgi?sirappwe
  bproc.cgi.logout" TARGET"main"gt

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JavaScript

• JavaScript adds powerful functionality to your
  web pages
• If you use JavaScript, store it in a common place
  for easy re-use

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Example write (cgi) 'ltHTMLgt' write (cgi)
'ltHEADgtltTITLEgtDemographic Information for
'ptname', 'mnum'lt/TITLEgt' include member
webproc.cgi.chklogin write (cgi) 'lt/HEADgt Since
all JavaScript code is inserted between the
ltHEADgt tags in HTML, a common function was
written to validate the login and placed in a
procfile member called CHKLOGIN. The code is
then included at a common spot in all of the HTML
pages that are created by the PQL code.
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Contact Me Via Email

• Questions ?
• Please feel free to contact me. I will be more
  than happy to share my code.
• atbauer_at_stvincent.org