95.205C/D
Internet Applications

Assignment 1

This assignment is due on Monday, February 5, 2001, at 4:00 pm

Instructions

Print a copy of the answer sheet and use it to hand in your answers to this assignment.

Question1

Create the web page shown below and post it on your course account, so that the TA can access it.

Where the page says "image 1", place an image that 1) displays an image of flowers, and 2) when clicked, links to the mock-up of a web site that allows the user to order flowers on-line. Image 2 should display an image of candy or chocolates and link to a web site that allows on-line ordering of candy or chocolates. Similarly, images 3 and 4 should display wine and books, respectively, and allow the online ordering of wine and books.

The page should also have a link with the text "Have a special request? Drop us a line".

When the user clicks on this link, an email composition page should open, with your email address entered in the "To:" line, and "Special Request for Valentine's Day" entered in the "Subject:" line.

Note: If the TA cannot access your page from the URL you provide on the answer sheet, you will receive no marks for this question. Test your answer thoroughly and write the URL correctly and legibly on the answer sheet.

Question 2

Example 3.1 on page 48 of the text "CGI Programming with Perl" contains a short CGI script, env.cgi, which produces an alphabetical list of the environment variable names and values. A similar script can also be found on the course slides. Install this script on your course account and test it. Write the URL for the script correctly and legibly on the answer sheet, so that the TA can access the script.

Question 3

As your textbook states, web developers refer to the practice of tracking users as maintaining state. HTTP, however, is a stateless protocol. Explain what is meant by saying that HTTP is stateless. Discuss one advantage that arises from using a stateless protocol. Discuss one disadvantage that arises from using a stateless protocol.