The Web Server Handbook

by Pete Palmer and Adam Schneider, with Anne Chenette

Introduction

The first four chapters of The Web Server Handbook provide an introduction to the Internet and the World Wide Web. The next five chapters describe basic Web server information that is common to all computing platforms, as well as specific instructions for your platform. Finally, the last five chapters will show you how to create an attractive Web site, tell the world about it, and then make it even better.

• Chapter 1 is an overview and history of computer networks, the Internet, and the World Wide Web -- what they are, how they were developed, and how they work.
• Chapter 2 provides a brief introduction to using the World Wide Web, for those who are new to cyberspace.
• Chapter 3 answers the burning question, why should you create a Web server? To give you some ideas, it also shows you some examples of interesting things people have put on the Web.
• Chapter 4 is the "quick start" chapter, with a step-by-step procedure for getting an account on the Internet and learning your way around, plus how to get started creating your own Web pages.
• Chapter 5 covers the fundamentals of Web server hardware and software, and explains some of the terminology used on the Internet.
• Chapter 6 describes the details of data communication services, such as the different types of phone lines and modems. It also explains Internet domain names in detail, tells you why you should get one, and walks you through the process of doing so.
• Chapters 7, 8, & 9 are really the heart of the book. They provide simple yet comprehensive procedures for installing and configuring a Web server on a Macintosh, a PC running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, or any system running the UNIX operating system (including IBM-compatible PCs). They also include pointers to our favorite freeware and shareware programs that will work with your server.
• Chapter 10 covers good Web site design and presentation, to make your Web pages as attractive, useful, and compatible as possible; we'll show you how to tame some oft-abused features of HTML. The most powerful server in the world is useless if nobody wants to look at what's on it.
• Chapter 11 gives you practical and proven advice on publicizing your server throughout the world, and how to find the best audience for your needs.
• Chapter 12 teaches you about CGI: how to install customized applications that work with your server to perform specialized functions such as information gathering, personalized display, and database retrieval. In other words, more than just serving pictures and text.
• Chapter 13 walks you through the basics of creating a few CGI programs from scratch, using the Perl programming language. Chapter 14 gives some basic tips for maintaining your Web server while ensuring its security.

At the end of the book are five appendixes which go into a little more detail about some topics that are touched on in Chapters 1 through 14.

• Appendix A is an HTML quick reference guide. You'll probably need to read a couple of Web pages to learn how to string it all together, but this appendix will come in handy when you need to look something up quickly.
• Appendix B is a UNIX quick reference guide. It contains everything you need to know to get started using UNIX, and tells you how to find more information. When you first get on the Internet, it is likely that you will have a UNIX account.
• Appendix C is a Perl quick reference. Because of its amazing cross-platform compatibility, Perl is the language you'll use to create customized CGI programs. This appendix is not comprehensive, but it contains enough information to get you going, even if you haven't done any serious programming before.
• Appendix D describes the details of networks and the TCP/IP protocols that are used to construct the underpinnings of the Internet. This information is useful and interesting, but not required reading.
• Appendix E tells you exactly how to install and use the software on the CD that comes with this book.

You can use our CD in any Macintosh, IBM-compatible PC, or UNIX system that has a CD-ROM drive. A number of files on the CD are organized into a miniature Web that you can read locally with your favorite Web browser. The complete contents of the CD are as follows:

• Pages with links to all the Web sites mentioned in the book.
• A nice HTML page that you can use as a template for creating your own pages; see Chapter 10 for details.
• All the sample Perl scripts used in Chapters 12 and 13, and Perl software for Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX.
• Dozens of useful shareware and freeware programs, ready for use on your computer.

If you don't have access to a CD-ROM drive, the CD's Web pages are also on our book's companion Web site, which is available to any Internet user at http://www.prenhall.com/~palmer/handbook.html.