Web Programming in Python : Techniques for Integrating Linux, Apache, and My SQL

by Thiruvathukal, George K.; Christopher, Thomas W.; Shafaee, John P.

• ISBN13: 9780130410658
• ISBN10: 0130410659
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR

Summary

Python is 100% enterprise ready, with powerful database and XML support, and even a full CORBA implementation. But it's virtually impossible to find a book that shows you Python at work in a real enterprise environment. Web Programming in Python fills that gap, demonstrating exactly how to build robust, Web-based systems that integrate Python with other key open source technologies, including Linux, Apache, and MySQL. The book begins with a quick introduction and self-standing reference to Web programming in Linux environments using Python and Apache. You'll then review Python CGI programming from the ground up, discovering how to generate clean HTML code without adding unnecessary complexity to your code. Once you've mastered the fundamentals of Python Web development, the authors introduce threading, Linux networking, and other advanced techniques for maximizing the program robustness and scalability in. Finally, using a start-to-finish case study, you'll push web technology to its limits, as you build a powerful XML-based, database-driven application that utilizes CORBA distributed components.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xvii
Part 1 Foundations	1	(430)
Introduction	3	(16)
Linux	4	(2)
Python	6	(4)
Interpreted Environment	6	(1)
Rapid Prototyping	7	(1)
Object-Oriented Optional	8	(1)
Dignified Access to Legacy Code	9	(1)
True Portability and Write-Once Run Everywhere	9	(1)
Ready for the Enterprise	10	(1)
Why Apache?	10	(2)
What About MySQL?	11	(1)
Book Contents	12	(7)
Foundations	13	(2)
Modules	15	(2)
Applications	17	(2)
Introduction to Python	19	(58)
Characteristics of Python	19	(2)
Executing Programs	21	(1)
Interactive Use	21	(1)
Scripts in Files	21	(1)
Arithmetic Expressions	22	(2)
Arithmetic Types	22	(2)
Operators	24	(2)
Built-In Arithmetic Functions	26	(2)
Assignments and Variables	28	(1)
Creating Functions	29	(1)
Modules	30	(3)
Files	33	(1)
print Statement	34	(1)
while Loops	35	(3)
while	35	(1)
Example: listfile	35	(1)
Relational Expressions	36	(1)
Logical Expressions	37	(1)
Lists	38	(7)
for loops	45	(1)
continue	45	(1)
break and else in Loops	46	(1)
if Statements	47	(1)
if else	47	(1)
elif	47	(1)
pass and One-Line Code Blocks	48	(1)
Tuples	48	(3)
List Comprehensions	51	(1)
None	52	(1)
More on Assignment	52	(4)
Multiple Assignments	53	(1)
Unpacking Sequences	53	(1)
Operate and Becomes	54	(1)
Evaluation Order	55	(1)
Assignment to Local Scope	56	(1)
Dictionaries	56	(6)
Strings	62	(13)
String Literals	62	(3)
String Operators	65	(5)
The String Module and String Methods	70	(3)
Built-In String Functions	73	(2)
Summary	75	(2)
More Advanced Python	77	(66)
Functions	77	(8)
Database-Like Operations Using Functions	85	(8)
Classes	93	(2)
Methods	95	(3)
Special Methods: Operator Declarations	98	(9)
Object-Oriented Programming	107	(11)
Metaprogramming: Analyzing Scopes	118	(8)
eval and exec	126	(5)
Exceptions	131	(11)
Summary	142	(1)
Introduction to GNU/Linux	143	(72)
Linux Basics	144	(5)
File System	149	(42)
Text Files in bash	151	(8)
Text Files in Python	159	(6)
Directories and File Access	165	(17)
File Examination and File Name Manipulation in Python	182	(4)
File Examination in bash	186	(5)
Processes	191	(24)
Essentials	191	(3)
Creating New Processes in bash	194	(9)
Creating Processes in Python	203	(6)
Executing New Programs	209	(6)
Introduction to Internetworking and HTTP	215	(44)
In the Beginning	215	(1)
The Network Foundation: The Data Communication Model	216	(2)
From OSI to TCP/IP	218	(13)
IP Layer	219	(6)
Domain Names and the DNS	225	(2)
Transport Layer	227	(4)
Ports and Sockets	231	(2)
HTTP and the World Wide Web	233	(25)
A Walk Down Memory Lane	233	(3)
HTTP Basics	236	(1)
More Advanced HTTP	237	(13)
Using lynx and httplib Instead of TELNET	250	(1)
Differences between HTTP 1.0 and 1.1	251	(1)
Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)	252	(6)
Summary	258	(1)
Network Setup and Apache Configuration	259	(54)
Introduction	259	(1)
Assumptions	260	(1)
Use Cases	261	(2)
Stand-Alone	262	(1)
The Intranet	262	(1)
The Internet	263	(1)
Networking and the DNS Setup	263	(22)
Host File Configuration	263	(2)
Caching the DNS Setup	265	(7)
Configuring Your Intranet	272	(7)
Using DNS to Maintain Your Intranet Host Information	279	(6)
Apache Web Server Configuration	285	(26)
Unconfiguring Preinstalled Apache	285	(1)
Reinstalling Apache	286	(12)
Postinstallation Configuration Options	298	(8)
Sanity-Checking Your Setup	306	(5)
Summary	311	(2)
CGI Programming in Python	313	(48)
Overview	313	(1)
Installing CGI Programs	314	(2)
GET Method	316	(20)
Running CGI Programs	316	(5)
Passing Information to a CGI Program	321	(5)
Image Maps	326	(2)
Data Entry Forms	328	(3)
URL Encoding	331	(1)
Example: CGI Program to Send an Image	332	(1)
Selections	332	(4)
Example: Pizza Orders	336	(1)
POST Method	336	(8)
What POST Method Does	336	(6)
File Input	342	(2)
Text Areas	344	(1)
Processing the Input Stream	344	(10)
Do It Yourself	345	(1)
Module cgi's Parsing Functions	345	(2)
Module cgi's FieldStorage Objects	347	(2)
Example: File Submissions	349	(5)
Maintaining Context	354	(4)
Cookies	355	(3)
More Notes on Debugging	358	(2)
Summary	360	(1)
Database Essentials Featuring MySQL	361	(70)
Entities and Relationships	361	(3)
Getting Started with MySQL	364	(16)
Checking Your Installation and/or Installing MySQL	365	(1)
Starting the Server	365	(2)
Basic Administration	367	(1)
Creating Your Own Account	367	(2)
Creating Your Own Database	369	(1)
Creating Some Sample Tables	369	(4)
More Advanced Access Control	373	(7)
SQL Basics	380	(9)
Database Management Operations	380	(1)
Table Management Operations	380	(2)
Basic Data Types	382	(6)
Date and Time	388	(1)
Essential Table Operations in SQL	389	(33)
Creating Tables (CREATE)	390	(4)
Populating Tables with Data (INSERT)	394	(2)
Selecting Rows	396	(3)
Grouping and Ordering	399	(2)
Updating Rows in a Table	401	(2)
Functions	403	(4)
Performing a Basic Join on Two Tables	407	(2)
Distinct Clause	409	(1)
Column Aliasing	410	(1)
Creating Temporary Tables	410	(2)
Deleting Rows from a Table	412	(3)
Null Testing in the WHERE Clause	415	(1)
Altering Table Structure	416	(6)
The WPL Database Classes	422	(8)
The Record Class	422	(3)
DataAccess	425	(5)
Summary	430	(1)
Part 2 WPL Modules	431	(166)
Template Processing with the WriteProcessor	433	(64)
String Interpolation	434	(8)
Analysis of Python String Interpolation with Respect to the Web	442	(1)
SimpleWriter	443	(17)
Syntax	444	(2)
Basic Design	446	(1)
SimpleWriter: The Details	447	(13)
The Emitter Strategy Classes	460	(4)
The WriteProcessor	464	(32)
Principles	465	(1)
Basic Template Processing	466	(1)
File Inclusion	467	(1)
Input from Files or String I/O Objects	468	(1)
Looping Rules	468	(1)
List Looping Rules	469	(5)
List of Dictionary Looping Rules	474	(3)
Dictionary Looping Rules	477	(4)
Emitters Again	481	(1)
Triple-Quote Syntax to Group Input Lines	482	(1)
WriteProcessor Design and Implementation	483	(7)
WriteProcessor Methods	490	(4)
List Looping Rules	494	(2)
Summary	496	(1)
Form Processing with WebForm	497	(28)
Preamble	498	(2)
The Design	500	(6)
The Overall Approach	500	(1)
Form Inputs Organized As Directories	501	(3)
File Inputs	504	(1)
Support for Handling Undefined Variables	505	(1)
Emitter Revisited	505	(1)
Cookie Processing	505	(1)
Encoders	506	(1)
The Code	506	(18)
Overview of WebForm Class Structure	506	(1)
The Constructor	507	(11)
Using WebForm	518	(6)
Summary	524	(1)
Debugging and Logging Techniques and Tools	525	(40)
Python CGI Bugs	525	(6)
Goodbye Core Dumps, Hello Stack Trace	526	(2)
Dealing with Big Brother: The Web Server	528	(1)
Snapshot of the Error without Any State Information	529	(2)
Usual Suspects: Resolving Common Python CGI Errors	531	(13)
Overoptimized Browsers: Problems with Caches	531	(1)
Premature End of Script Error and Friends	532	(5)
Lights Are On, but No One Is Home: Browser Hangs	537	(1)
Python-Specific CGI Errors	538	(6)
Logging	544	(20)
Writing Activity to the Standard Streams: stdout and stderr	544	(2)
Working with Raw Text Files	546	(1)
Writing and Managing Logs:wpl.logger.Logger	547	(17)
Summary	564	(1)
Miscellaneous Utility Modules and Classes	565	(32)
Path	565	(3)
Directory	568	(18)
Scoped Dictionaries for Python	568	(4)
Design and Implementation	572	(4)
Interface Methods	576	(3)
Using the Directory Class	579	(7)
Trace	586	(9)
KeyGen	591	(4)
Summary	595	(2)
Part 3 Applications	597	(102)
The Slither Application Development Framework	599	(46)
Facilities and Features Common to All Portal Frameworks	600	(10)
Factoring Out Repeated Programming Tasks	602	(2)
Accessing Server-Side Facilities	604	(2)
Structured Processing of Business Logic	606	(3)
Working with Dynamic Content	609	(1)
Currently Available Frameworks	610	(10)
PHP	610	(2)
Active Server Pages (ASP)	612	(1)
ColdFusion	613	(2)
Java Servlets and JSP	615	(2)
Zope	617	(3)
Slither: A Python-Based Portal Development Platform	620	(24)
Bird's-Eye View of Slither	621	(3)
Design Philosophy	624	(20)
Summary	644	(1)
Slither Applications	645	(54)
Your First Application: the NumberGame	646	(11)
Requirements and Use Cases	646	(1)
Design	646	(3)
Implementation	649	(8)
NumberGame Summary	657	(1)
SlyWiki: A Capability-Based Text Collaboration System	657	(27)
Functional Requirements	658	(1)
Design and Implementation	659	(24)
SlyWiki Summary	683	(1)
SlyShopping: Selling with Slither	684	(14)
Requirements	684	(1)
Design and Implementation	685	(6)
SlyShopping Logical State Design	691	(7)
Summary	698	(1)
Appendix A Setting Up Apache and Secure Sockets Layer	699	(10)
Configuring Secure HTTP	699	(10)
Certificates and Certificate Authorities	700	(1)
What Will You Need?	700	(1)
Building Secure HTTP	701	(2)
Certification	703	(6)
Appendix B Modules and Packages	709	(14)
Importing Modules	710	(1)
Importing Names from Modules	711	(1)
Avoiding Namespace Pollution	712	(1)
Reloading Modules	713	(1)
Search Paths	714	(2)
Packages	716	(2)
Example Stack Module	718	(2)
Critique of Modules	720	(1)
Wrap-Up	720	(1)
Exercises	721	(2)
Bibliography	723	(2)
Python	723	(1)
Linux	724	(1)
Networking	724	(1)
HTML	725	(1)
Apache Web Server	725	(1)
MYSQL	725	(1)
Other Web Frameworks	725	(1)
Index	725