FAQ's

Hi, I'm new to this online class stuff and I don't know if we are supposed to log on at a certain time on a certain day or is this work at your ownpace, just as long as we turn our homework in. Thank you.

You can log on and work whenever it is convenient for you. You can work at you own pace as long as all work is turned in by the final, however its probably not a good idea to wait till the last minute to do the homework.

What kind of test is the final?

The test will be given on-line. The questions are fill in the blank and true false. There will be about 30 - 40 questions. The questions are similar to those in the book at the end of each chapter. You can take the test any time during the last week of class, but you must reserve a time to do so. You will have about 1 hour to take the test. 

How do I download the sample files?

Double click on them, then click on Save. Save in a folder on your homecomputer where you can find them.

How do I view the sample files after I download them?

For the sample files from my web site you need a copy of pkzip or winzip, free at www.pkzip.com or www.winzip.com. Use file open and extract to unzip them. The contents depend on the chapter. See my updates.

Can I do my homework on a Mac?

Yes, as long as the you can telnet to gblrk. They should be readable by MS-Notepad and a browser like Netscape or Internet Explorer.

Do you want us to keep all our projects and turn them in on the day of the final? Or do you want each project on a weekly basis?

You should turn in homework on a weekly basis if possible. Technically, the last date to turn in work is the last day of the fourth and eighth weeks but waiting till the last minute, is not a good idea. You should e-mail me the homework before then starting on the second week. I will give you credit if its OK, otherwise I'll let you know what changes you should make and you can turn it in later. Be sure you have a backup of all work on your home computer.

I am having the hardest time trying to figure out how to send my work to you. Can you please help me and let me know how I do it?

To send in your homework you attach it to a WebCt e-mail. When you compose a message you should notice two buttons on the bottom of the screen: "Browse" and"Attach File". Browse lets you locate and select the file on your computer that you want to attach. After selecting the file click on "Attach file" to actually attach it. You can only attach one file at a time, so I recomend zipping thefiles when you have more than 2 or 3 to send at one time.

What's the first assignment? How do I do it?

first.cgi is the assignment in chapter 1. Type it in using MS-Notepad as instructed by the book. Test it by uploading it to your account at gblrk.dvc.edu and using the perl command to check for errors. Then try viewing the output using your browser. See the sample files for more information.

I cant see the graphics on my web page! What's wrong?

You could have one of the following problems.
When your web pages and graphics both reside in the same location DO NOT use a pathname to reference the graphics in the SCR= parameter,just use the file name. In other words, if the graphics and web pages aregoing to be in C:\xyz\abc, DO NOT put <IMG SRC=C:\xyz\abc\mypic.gif >just put <IMG SRC=mypic.gif > . On the other hand, if the graphics are going to be in one folder and the web pages in another, you need a path name to the graphics.
Remember that if you have a reference to a graphic like <IMG SRC=mypic.gif > and the file name on the disk is Mypic.gif, this may not work either. They have to be spelled exactly the same.
Finally, make sure you really do have a copy of the graphics file.

I have gotten to where I am supposed to be able to click on the sample link that takes me to the second page to continue in the chapter and I can't get it to come up...Helpppppp

No Problem. Check the spelling on your links. Make sure the file name is exactly the same as the file name on your disk. This includes use of capital letters ( my suggestion: don't use any). Also, if the files are in the same directory or on the same disk DON'T include the drive or directory names( aka: the "Path name"), only the file names.
Finally use "DOS" file names. File names should only be eight characters long with a three character extension, i.e. ".htm" not ".html" and no blanks, dots or other special characters. So called "Long" file names, used in Windows, won't work on many web servers, though they may work while you are testing your pages at home.

How do I Create a zip file?

Zipping a group of files is a two stage process. First you create the zip file, then you add the files. The procedure below is for Pkzip, Winzip is similar.

Open Pkzip then click on File, and New. Enter the name of the zipfile you want to create, for example: ch2files.zip.

You should now see the "Add Files Dialog" box. Select the drive and folder with the file that you want to zip. Select the files to zip using the "Add Files" button. Click on OK when done.

Attach the zipfile to an e-mail in WebCt and send it to me.

You told me I had a bug in my code, but my web page displays OK on my computer.

Internet Explorer users should double check to make sure that you have a "/" on your closing table tags. IE will ignore the error, BUT other browsers ( incuding mine ) won't. Be sure and check your source code before sendingme your assignments.

I was wondering why we use .htm instead of .html?

In "The Old Days" when real programmers used UNIX, the extension was html. Along came MS-DOS and it got shortened to .htm, since DOS and early versions of Windows only allowed three letter extensions on file names. Today you can use either extension. What you should NOT do is use Windows long file names. Most web servers are still UNIX and dont recognize them.

I have a question about my own personal Web site. I do not want "random Joe's" being able to view the details of my life online. I am building a site just for my friends that are up in Seattle to keep in touch with them . How do I get a logon/password incorporated into my opening page, justlike the WebCT site?

There are two ways you can deal with this problem: The hard way and (my preference) the easy way. First the hard way. Take this class, and learn how to set up a database on the server with your friends names and passwords. You can then create a login form that they can fill in and when they click on the forms submit button, the information will be sent to a Java program ( that you have written) which will look up the information in the database and , if there is a match , Download the appropriate web page.

Now, arent you glad you asked?

Oh, the easy way? Upload the page you want your friends to see. DO NOT put any links to it from your homepage, and send your friends the exact webpage name ( and path, if any ) including the "htm" extension. Only people knowing the page name will be able to access it. For example, if I have apage called "hidden.htm", you could access it at my Netcom web site by typing in the url: "www.netcom.com/~rmstewar/hidden.htm" . Since I dont have any links to that page, and I haven't told anyone else the name, only you and I can see it.

Try it.

I have the incredible opportunity to go overseas in just a few weeks, I could RUSH thru the rest of the assignments to finish before I leavewhich would not be the maximum atmosphere for LEARNING. So, I am wondering, if I could repeat the class and use the lessons I have already completed.Please let me know if this is a workable option. Thanks!

Yes we can do that. We want on-line courses to be as flexible as possible. If you feel you cant finish for whatever reason, I will let you resubmit your work the following session for credit. You will have to drop the first session and enroll in the next class.