From: Neale Pickett <neale-news@lanl.gov>
Subject: ANN: CGI forms tool (pre-release) and indented HTML generator
Date: 22 Sep 1998 11:17:42 -0600

Abstract:

    Web-based forms applications are inherently difficult to create and
    maintain, because of their stateless nature and the desire on the
    part of most for web-based applications to appear more interactive
    than they really are.  In designing a forms tool, programmers should
    be presented with an interface which is as close to a completely
    interactive application as possible.

    whiz presents the programmer with a interface of /states/, which
    appear to preserve variables across the entire duration of a user's
    session.  Because of its modular nature, programming different
    sections of an application can be done with little or no interaction
    between section programmers.  In addition, whiz attempts to seperate
    the job of programmer and designer by using /templates/, which can
    be designed in most HTML editors.


whiz consists of two distinct components, whiz proper, and an indented
HTML generator.  The HTML module is much like HTMLgen, but provides the
following additional benefits:

o  Indents your HTML like emacs would do it
o  Allows you to do "stupid" things, like putting a <p> inside an <em>
o  Allows arbitrary attributes
o  Easier (for me, at least) to understand



Whiz itself is very poorly documented.  Documentation (describing the
tool from a technical standpoint, as well as a seperate document
describing how to use it, *and* doc strings on all methods and objects)
is about halfway done.  I should have something useful before the end of
the week.  I'm providing a pre-release for two reasons:

  1. Release early, release often (peer review)
  2. The included html module is very usable (and useful!)


I'll probably be following up to this message soon with pointers to
documentation.

-- 
Neale Pickett, propellerhead       Contact information in headers
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Network Engineering Group (CIC-5)