Building a website using FrontPage as the front-end and C++ as the back-end.

[David F]

I am total new to FrontPage (of any version).
I am using Win2K+SP4 and considering using FrontPage 2003.
Would like to build a website, using FrontPage 2003 as front-end and (pure)
C++ (and ONLY C++) as back-end (for accessing data, etc.).
By "pure" C++ I mean ANSI C++, not "MS C++", not VBA, not C#, not J#, not
Visual "C++".NET 2003, not JScript, etc.

Is that practically possible and even reasonable goal and if so, is there
one (or two) normal document(s) defining the interface between them and
where to find it?
Or is like the .NET framework where MS does everything it can to preclude
using C++ and I "should not even think about it" (because I am not going to
switch to one of those MS proprietary "languages" anytime soon).

I will appreciate a lot if someone who knows the subject in-depth will
potentially save from me what I went through when tried at the time using
Visual "C++" .NET 2003.

Thanks,
David

 

[Kevin Spencer]

Hi David,

First, when one begins a job by deciding what tools one is going to use, and
after that how to go about the job, one is putting the proverbial cart
before the horse. Form follows function. What tools you decide to use should
be based upon what you are planning to build, and what tools are most
appropriate for the job.

While it is certainly possible to write your own custom ISAPI or CGI program
using C++, it is not practical to do so, unless you are writing something
really small and simple. You're not writing a desktop application. You're
writing a web application. Web applications are much more complex.

If you're having issues with learning a new language, you'd better steel
yourself, because in order to write a web application you're going to have
to be familiar with (at least) HTML and JavaScript, not to mention whatever
language and technology you plan to use on the back end. A web application
is a client-server app, with HTML and JavaScript on the client, and some
HTTP handler technology on the back end. HTTP is stateless, meaning that no
memory is shared between server and client, and both server and client have
no persistent memory between page requests. This means that you have to
develop some means of passing data back and forth between client and server.

There is a very good reason why technologies such as ASP, ASP.Net and PHP
(if you dislike MS) have been developed for this type of application.
Re-inventing the wheel can be highly costly and time-consuming.

Bottom line? IMHO, you "should not even think about it."

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Neither a follower
nor a lender be.

 

[David F]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks a lot for the fast and detailed response.

OK, so I'll elaborate a little bit more.

It is not an accident that in the no-no list I did not mentioned JavaScript
and HTML - I have learned Java in the past and to a lesser degree HTML too
(please note that these are not MS proprietary stuff...) and even with my
little knowledge about web applications, I know that I will need to use
these and have no problem with that and most other stuff you mentioned. The
only exception I would take about your response is the issue of
"complexity". Firstly, what is complicated for one is simple for someone
else. Secondly, the comparison with desktop application can't be simplified
like that - it depends what is the desktop application and what is the web
application. By the way, the proof is simple - even someone with my trivial
knowledge can create a "Hello, world" kind of website...

More specifically, my case is as follows. I already have a proprietary
database written in C++. It is extremely powerful in performance, especially
when it is very large and/or when many users want to access it concurrently,
and in many other aspects too. So naturally I would like to use it and allow
the clients to access it. Accordingly, I would like to avoid the use of
"established" DBs such as MySQL, Access, etc.

So back to my original point, can't I interact between my web pages and
forms and my website in general (designed by FP), with my C++ based DB? And,
as I and you mentioned it - in practical / reasonable manner?

And, if for practical reasons, I need to throw in between my web pages and
my C++ DB yet another language (say PHP or whatever) as a "go in between"
broker (that is, as an interface ONLY) that is fine with me too. I don't
mine to learn yet another language (such as PHP) for such a limited use and
purpose. So I am looking for an interface between my web site (designed by
FP) and my C++ based DB.

I hope this makes my point more specific and clear.

Thanks again,

David

 

[clintonG]

As I know very little about PHP's capabilities with regard to extensibility
I would suggest you have one and only one reasonable option, that being the
use of C++.NET to develop an ASP.NET application. Using the .NET Framework
to write your own data provider meets your requirements David.

Google: "custom data provider"+".net framework"

Despite its pseudo functionality that lures so many who don't know any
better, in the hands of a competent developer, FrontPage is nothing more
than a push button HTML generator as that's all its really useful for with
considerations regarding the scope of the term 'useful.' See these pages
[1],[2],[3] regarding the use of FrontPage to develop ASP.NET applications
noting the articles are intended for use with Visual Studio.NET without
which you will have to write ASP.NET code inline which I can assure you is
painful drudgery. Thus, without Visual Studio.NET the only other reasonable
choice would be Visual C++ 2005 Express [4].

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher, "Twice the Results -- Half the Cost"
Architectural & e-Business Consulting -- Software Development
NET (e-mail address removed)
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/


[1] http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;871217
[2]
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...a/html/odc_FPUsingASPNETWithFrontPage2003.asp
[3]
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...en-us/odc_fp2003_bk/html/odc_fp_c43615101.asp
[4] http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/express/default.aspx

..

 

[Kevin Spencer]

So back to my original point, can't I interact between my web pages and

forms and my website in general (designed by FP), with my C++ based DB? And,
as I and you mentioned it - in practical / reasonable manner?

It isn't interfacing with your proprietary database that is the problem. It
is the technology you use on the server to create the web application. .Net,
for example, includes support for "unsafe" code. C# is not a replacement for
C++, any more than C++ is a replacement for C. It is an extension.

In any case, it's the back-end HTTP-Handler technology which you will have a
hard time with if you choose to go with C++ entirely.

--
HTH,
Kevin Spencer
..Net Developer
Microsoft MVP
Neither a follower
nor a lender be.

 

[Dennis]

I've got a web site (www.woodscreeknursery.com) that is FP generated. It
uses ASP for Server side stuff including interfacing with my Access Database
via ADO. I'm wondering if David shouldn't think about giving his Database
an ADO interface so the rest of the world's software can 'talk' to it.

Dennis