ITIS 1210 Introduction to Web-Based Information Systems

1
ITIS 1210Introduction to Web-Based Information
Systems

• Chapter 24
• How Websites Work with Databases

2
Databases

• Enables Web sites to search for information
• Not part of the visible Web!
• Web site becomes front end for a database
  application
• Usually involves entering search terms and
  viewing results

3
Databases

• Example www.yahoo.com
• Yahoos Web page includes
• Search dialog box
• Enter keyword
• Search button
• Enable search
• What is returned is an HTML-formatted page with
  data from Yahoos database relevant to the keyword

4
Databases

• Interaction can be two-way
• Users asked to register
• Provide identifying information
• Site stores this in their database
• For future reference
• For data collection

5
Databases

• Database can be simple or complex
• Excel spreadsheet
• Access database
• Oracle SQL database
• CGI Common Gateway Interface
• Bridges Web site (using HTML) and
• Database (using Excel, Access, SQL, etc.)
• PERL .NET also provide bridges

6
How the Web Works with Databases
http//search.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/search?ppublicre
lationslnEn
7
How the Web Works with Databases

• Server
• Folder where CGI executables are stored
• bin is short for binary meaning a program
  that can be executed
• Name of CGI script to be run
• Parameters to control what script does
• Space ()
• Delimiter between different terms of string

8
How the Web Works with Databases

• User enters search term in form on browser
• Initiates search
• Presses WEB SEARCH
• Presses ENTER
• Client formats a query string and sends it to Web
  server
• The search? part calls a CGI script

9
How the Web Works with Databases

• The rest are parameters that control what happens
• Might see /cgi-bin to indicate directory where
  executable can be found
• Delimiters
• separates search terms and other parameters
• takes place of space
• Query string arrives at the Web server

10
How the Web Works with Databases

• CGI processes is
• Sends query to database
• Database processes query and returns results to
  CGI
• CGI returns results to the Web server
• Web server creates a new HTML page and sends it
  back to the client
• Client displays results

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)