Re: [ALUG] Sort of philosophical question about Web/Client/Server workings

-- David Reynolds david@reynoldsfamily.org.uk On 17 Jun 2012, at 12:23, Chris Green cl@isbd.net wrote: > Every time I try and do some web application programming that involves > forms (i.e. getting data from a user) it ends up being far more > complicated than I expect (and more complicated than it should be I > feel). > > > Anywhere else that one programs something to get some data from a user > it's fairly direct and simple:- > > Output something to ask a question > Wait for user to enter response > Get return with the response > > OK, it's a bit more complex/messier when using a GUI because there isn't > necessarily a simple single thread but it still comes down to the > program waiting for an event and, when the event happens, it gets handed > some data. > > > However when web programming it's nothing like this, one can't simply > ask a question and get the answer. Say one has a PHP script running > server side, it creates a form which is then displayed when the client > requests it and the client fills in the form. The trouble is that > there's no direct way for the PHP script that created the form to get > the result - at least there isn't in any of the environment/frameworks > that I've used. > > What happens is that there is *another* script which gets run (server > side) when the client submits the form duly filled in. This other > script has no direct connection with the script that created the form, > no common environment, nothing. > > It's thus very difficult to write simple form driven applications as one > can't simply display a form and get the data from the form in 'one > place' as it were. > > Am I missing something obvious here? > > -- > Chris Green > > _______________________________________________ > main@lists.alug.org.uk > http://www.alug.org.uk/ > http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/main > Unsubscribe? See message headers or the web site above!