Oracle WebServer User's Guide

Preface

Purpose

The Oracle WebServer User's Guide describes the Oracle WebServer and explains how to use and administer its various components.

Audience

This manual is designed for two distinct audiences: the programmer writing applications that publish Oracle data over the World Wide Web, and the administrator managing a commercial Web site that has deployed the Oracle WebServer.

How This Book is Organized

The following is a list of chapters, and the contents of each chapter:

Chapter 1 Overview

This chapter introduces the components of the Oracle WebServer, and explains how they work together.

Chapter 2 Introduction to HTML

This chapter provides basic information about HTML. The chapter also provides step by step instructions for creating an HTML file to be viewed on a Web browser.

Chapter 3 The Oracle Web Listener

This chapter explains how to use and administer the Oracle Web Listener. The chapter shows how the Oracle Web Listener handles requests for static and dynamic documents, and how it returns documents to the client.

Chapter 4 Introduction to the Oracle7 Server and to PL/SQL

This chapter provides a brief overview of how to use the Oracle7 Server, and how to use PL/SQL, a language for developing applications for an Oracle database.

Chapter 5 Oracle Web Agent

This chapter describes the Oracle Web Agent, the main differentiating factor between the Oracle WebServer and other Web servers with database backends. The chapter also describes how to set up and manage the Oracle Web Agent.

Chapter 6 Oracle WebServer Developer's Toolkit

This chapter explains how to use special utilities that generate HTML tags within PL/SQL procedures, thereby easing the development of dynamic HTML pages with PL/SQL.

Chapter 7 The Oracle WebServer Administration Utility

This chapter explains how to use the Administration Utility, which is a set of Web pages that make it easy for you to create and configure Oracle Web Listeners and Oracle Web Agent services.

Appendix A Oracle WebServer Messages

This appendix describes the messages generated by the components ofthe Oracle WebServer. Foreach message that is caused by an error, it offers a cause and a suggested action.

Note: If you are reading this manual on-line on the Web, you will notice a number of hypertext links to help you navigate through the document. However, be aware that HTML does not support a return to the origin of a link within a document. If you use a link to move to a different section of the document, you do not return to the anchor, but to the previous target that you reached through a link.

Conventions Used in This Manual

The notational conventions used in this document are described in the following table:

Feature Explanation
monospace text Text to be enterd by the user. Type text exactly as shown. Text typed on a PC is not case-sensitive, unless noted otherwise; text typed on a UNIX system is case sensitive. Monospace is also used when referring to text in syntax statements or example code.
italics Italics represent a variable. Substitute an appropriate value. Italics are also used for emphasis, to draw attention to the first use of a technical term, and for names of documents.
[ ] Brackets enclose optional items or indicate a function key. Do not type the brackets.
| A vertical bar represents an "or" option among several options. You must enter one, and only one, of the options separated by the vertical bar. Do not enter the vertical bars themselves.
punctuation Punctuation other than brackets and vertical bars must be entered in commands exactly as shown.
UPPERCASE UPPERCASE characters within the text represent command names and HTML tags and attributes.

How to Use this Manual

Every reader of this manual should read Chapter 1, "Overview". This chapter gives a brief description of the Oracle WebServer and how it works.

If you are unfamiliar with HyperText Markup Language, see Chapter 2, "Introduction to HTML".

Administrators should read Chapter 3, "Oracle Web Listener," Chapter 5, "Oracle Web Agent," and Chapter 7 "The Oracle WebServer Administration Utility" to understand how these components work together, and how to administer them.

Programmers will be particularly interested "Oracle Web Agent," as well as Chapter 6, "Oracle WebServer Developer's Toolkit," which explains how to generate dynamic HTML documents in PL/SQL. It lists all the functions and procedures provided by the Oracle WebServer Developer's Toolkit to simplify the task of generating dynamic documents.

If you are unfamiliar with the Oracle7 Server and PL/SQL, read the introduction to these two subjects, "Introduction to the Oracle7 Server and to PL/SQL".

Related Publications

The following books contain more information on the Oracle7 Server and PL/SQL programming language:

Oracle7 Server Concepts Manual

This manual provides general information about the Oracle7 Server and how it works.

Oracle7 Server Administrator's Guide

This manual tells you how to administer the Oracle7 Server.

Oracle7 Server Application Developer's Guide

This manual tells you how to develop applications for the Oracle7 Server.

Oracle7 Server Utilities User's Guide

This manual tells you how to use SQL*DBA, Export, Import, and SQL*Loader, the utilities bundled with the Oracle7 Server.

PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference Manual

This manual gives you information about PL/SQL, the Oracle7 procedural language extension to SQL.

Oracle7 Server SQL Reference

This manual gives you reference information about Oracle SQL commands and functions.

Your Comments Are Welcome

We value and appreciate your comments as an Oracle user and reader of the manuals. As we write, revise, and evaluate our documentation, your opinions are the most important input we receive. At the back of our printed manuals is a Reader's Comment Form, which we encourage you to use to tell us what you like and dislike about this manual or other Oracle manuals. If the form is not available, please use the following address or FAX number.

Oracle Internet Products Documentation Manager

Oracle Corporation

500 Oracle Parkway

Redwood City, CA  94065

U.S.A.

FAX: 415-506-7200

*Feature*	*Explanation*
`monospace text`	Text to be enterd by the user. Type text exactly as shown. Text typed on a PC is not case-sensitive, unless noted otherwise; text typed on a UNIX system is case sensitive. Monospace is also used when referring to text in syntax statements or example code.
italics	Italics represent a variable. Substitute an appropriate value. Italics are also used for emphasis, to draw attention to the first use of a technical term, and for names of documents.
[ ]	Brackets enclose optional items or indicate a function key. Do not type the brackets.
\|	A vertical bar represents an "or" option among several options. You must enter one, and only one, of the options separated by the vertical bar. Do not enter the vertical bars themselves.
punctuation	Punctuation other than brackets and vertical bars must be entered in commands exactly as shown.
UPPERCASE	UPPERCASE characters within the text represent command names and HTML tags and attributes.