Attention: Place in your CGI-BIN on FIRST Inc's server in the exact format as it was extracted.

Using the Eva tm CGI Language

Eva is an open-ended language letting you program your own script for advanced features. But who really wants to program? This distribution contains quick-start fill-in-the-template features: If you need more advanced features than these (i.e., database access), you can try programming Eva script on your own

This page contains simple information on installing Eva and gives examples to test Eva once it has been installed.

Installing Eva

You should install all these files (keeping their directory structure) in your accounts "cgi-bin" directory.
After installation, your server should look something like this:
        '---cgi-bin
            |---eva.exe              (this is the CGI itself)
            '---evafiles             (Eva can only access files in this folder)
                |---counter
                |   |---example.cnt  (example hit counter file)
                |   '---lcd          (font used by one or more hit counters)
                |       |---0.gif
                |       |---...
                |       |---9.gif
                |       '---_.gif    (graphic for leading zero in counter)
                |---imagemap
                |   '---example.map  (example image map in NCSA format)
                |---post
                |   |---example      (example for form posting)
                |   |   |---in
                |   |   |---list
                |   |   |---out
                |   |   |---posts
                |   |   |---readers
                |   |   |---readhead
                |   |   '---readtail
                |   '---guests       (example for guestbook)
                |       |---in
                |       |---list
                |       |---out
                |       |---posts
                |       |---readers
                |       |---readhead
                |       '---readtail
                '---script.eva       (the Eva script that does it all!)

Testing Eva

It's ready to test! Copy this file (readme.html) to your server if you haven't done so already. It can be anywhere your browser software can reach. Now open it again using your browser software (or reload).

The following tests below should work properly. To create your own counters, imagemaps, forms, guestbooks, or outlinks, simply duplicate and rename the example and modify the text files.

Outlinks

Click here to link out to another web site. It works the same way as if you link directly, except that your server software will record the outlink in its access log. This is important for traffic flow analysis.

Hit Counters

The number of people that have visited this web site is

Information about a single web page counter is stored in its own file, i.e., example.cnt. This file contains 3 values separated by commas:

Example:
counter/example.cnt,counter/lcd/,1

Image Maps

You can create your own image maps by placing a file mapname.map into the directory cgi-bin/evafiles/imagemap. This map has NCSA format and may be created using commonly available tools.

Form Posting

 Visitors can post forms at the public web site, and you can retrieve a list of posted forms at your private web site (by password). Each time you check your private web site, you see the new forms that have been posted since your last check. You can also see both new and old forms. What's more, you can have several readers, each with his or her own password, and Eva will keep track of which forms are old or new for each reader.

Submit the form below as a test and then privately check your forms list.

Please fill out the form below and then click "Send completed form".

About You

           Name: 
   Organization: 
        Address: 
    City, State:  
ZIP/Postal Code: 
        Country: 
         E-mail: 
          Phone: 
            Fax:
Comments

You can create your own forms and posting directories by duplicating and modifying the example directory:
example      (example for form posting)
|---in       (the template for information saved in the posts directory)
|---list     (a comma separated list of files in the posts directory)
|---out      (the HTML template for response to user after posting)
|---posts    (the directory containing a file per each post, named by time)
|---readers  (the file containing ,password1=oldReadCount1,...,)
|---readhead (the HTML top that prepends to list of posts when reading)
'---readtail (the HTML bottom that appends to list of posts when reading)

Guestbooks

Guestbooks work the same way as form posting, except that the private web page is now public (visitors can see other visitors' forms). This is done by using the password "guest". This has the added effect that all forms (old and new) are displayed on the guest list unless specifically changed in the file "guests/list".

Visit the Guestbook

You can create your own guestbooks the same way as you'd create your own form posting.

What Now?

Now that you've tested Eva, start developing. In most cases, you can simply duplicate the example and modify. Don't modify the example itself, so it will remain a template for your new usages.

Eva is a full language, and these basic CGIs are simply scripts written in the file evafiles/script. If you're interested, look at this file. You can add your own script at the end of this file.

ATTENTION: THIS IS ONLY TO BE USED ON FIRST Inc's servers. If you for any reason discontinue your account with FIRST Inc. you cannot legally use EVA anywhere else. It is lincensed to FIRST Inc ONLY.
Thank You for your Support!