API tools to talk to webserver(s) ?

[jerryk]

A colleague and I are contemplating an ultra-basic server-based cgi engine.

You can tell most webservers what *.exe to run for a particular file extension (jsp,asp,cfm,etc)

So If I wrote such an executable, what can I expect the webserver to send?
-The file's ascii data directly in a stream?
-a filename of the file requested?
-(ugh) a pointer to the file requested?

...Then, once I've parsed out the html and "interpreted" my tags, how do I send the "new" html back to the client "through" the webserver?

I think these 2 tasks are relatively simple, but I just don't know how cgi engines rcv/send via a webserver process.

Many, Many thanks for any insight you can offer.

-Jerry

 

[palbano]

>> CGI engine

is that correct? i am confused by ur post but it sounds more like u are talking about a filter. If so filter interfaces are proprietary.

-pete

 

[jerryk]

Sorry. I might have been vague.

In IIS, under properties of a website, you can set up "Application Mappings". e.g.

.asp -> c:\winnt\system32\inetsrv\asp.dll

..and you can set "exclusions" for events like PUT,DELETE,etc.

So, if I want to write a dll to interface with a particulare file extension, where might I find specs on how IIS will send the *.asp file to the dll?

...and once asp.dll processes a page, swapping out vbscript and inserting html, how does it push the new html to the client thru the server?

I'd be happy with a book on this subject, but I'm having a problem coming up with search criteria to bring up such a text.

Maybe it's an undocumented "secret process" that the folks at Allaire (coldfusion), MS (asp), etc dont want us to know. That's ok too. I'm just inquiring.

As always, many thanks for your willingness to assist.

 

[palbano]

>> where might I find specs

u want to research ISAPI extensions and filters on MSDN
-There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't-

-pete

 

[topher0303]

If you are going to use ISAPI, MS C++ has a wizard to create the structure of an ISAPI filter/Extension. I don't know what tools you are using. Thought I would throw that out there.