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[MacPerl-Scribes] http://tyrosine.biomedcomp.com/MacPerl/cgi_prog.html

The following is a rather picky and detailed set of copy editing notes
regarding David's draft.  Unless you're David (or making up your own
set of editing notes for him), you probably won't find it interesting.

NOTE:  I received no response to my original posting of editing notes,
        posted on 2000.03.13.  It is now 2000.03.20; I got no response
        to my edit notes and I see many of the same problems in the web
        version.  Did my first message get lost or what?

-r

...under the MacOS, however, ...
          ^^^^^^^^^
...different versions of the MacOS, ...

   Apple used to call it "the Macintosh Operating system", but then, Apple
   use to be called "Apple Computer, Inc.  It is now "Mac OS", not "MacOS"
   or "the MacOS".  Fix throughout article.

>  Nonetheless, there are a number of reasons you might want...
---
>  Nonetheless, there are a number of reasons why you might want...

In my experience, MacPerl works excellently ...

   This is a run-on sentence.

To run a Perl script as a CGI on a Mac, ...

   This is a run-on paragraph.  I would break it at "There are some...".

As a Web server, I have personally used MacHTTP/WebSTAR, ...

   So now you're a Web server?

...different versions of the MacOS, ...
                          ^^^^^^^^^

...experience is with Quid Pro Quo running under MacOS 8.0.
                                                  ^^^^^

You must save your script as CGI to run it on a Mac.
---
You must save your script as CGI to run it as a CGI script on a Mac.


... the CGI form will be useless to a *nix-based Perl.
                                                  ^^^^

   Perl is the language; perl is the interpreter.

Your Web server may have to be configured to use CGIs, ...

   This is a run-on paragraph.  I would break it at "One of the
   parameters that..." and (perhaps) at "By default, you need...".

Normally MacPerl executes a plain text file just like *nix Perl.
---
Normally MacPerl executes a plain text file, just like *nix perl does.
                                            ^                ^

... makes use of the Pipes and Environmental Variables of the ...
---
... makes use of the Pipes and Environment Variables of the ...

   NOBODY calls them "Environmental Variables".  Fix throughout.

Because the MacOS IPC is completely different ...
         ^^^^^^^^^

Chuck Shotton, when he wrote MacHTTP (one of the first Macintosh
HTTP servers and the predecessor to WebSTAR), defined a standard
for how HTTP servers should communicate with CGIs on the Mac based
on AppleEvents, and as best I can tell, all Macintosh HTTP servers
adhere to this standard.
---
Chuck Shotton wrote MacHTTP, one of the first Macintosh HTTP servers
and the predecessor to WebSTAR.  In doing so, he defined a standard
(based on Apple Events) for how HTTP servers should communicate with
CGIs on the Mac.  As best I can tell, all Macintosh HTTP servers
adhere to this standard.

   Apple Events is two words, not one.  Fix throughout.

... we don't use this native MacOS model ...
                              ^^^^^

... MacPerl creates a small, stand alone application.
---
... MacPerl creates a small, stand-alone application.

This application can do nothing useful in the absence of the MacPerl 
application; it accepts AppleEvents from a Macintosh Web server,
reformats them to make MacPerl work like *nix Perl, launches MacPerl if
necessary and passes the Perl script and the reformatted data from the
Web server to the MacPerl interpreter.
---
This application can do nothing useful in the absence of the MacPerl 
application. It accepts Apple Events from a Macintosh Web server,
reformats them to make MacPerl work like *nix Perl, launches MacPerl if
necessary, and passes the Perl script and the reformatted data from the
Web server to the MacPerl interpreter.

  This CGI application appears in the application list ...
^

A feature of the MacPerl CGI mini-application is that ...

   This is a run-on paragraph.  I would break it at "Similarly, a
   feature of MacPerl is that...".

... it can be varied between 1 minute 127 minutes, ...
---
... it can be varied between 1 minute and 127 minutes, ...

... differences between MacOS and *nix ...
                         ^^^^^

... communication (IPC) models used by MacOS and *nix, ...
                                        ^^^^^

... but the MacOS can only run one copy of a given program.
         ^^^^^^^^^

... the difference in MacOS and *nix IPC models has little ...
                       ^^^^^

Unfortunately the inability of the MacOS to run ...
---
Unfortunately, the inability of Mac OS to run ...
              ^                  ^^^^^^

The Mac interprocess communication model is based on AppleEvents whereas
---
The Mac interprocess communication model is based on Apple Events, whereas
                                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Problems resulting from the inability of the MacOS to run ...
                                          ^^^^^^^^^

   Also, this is waaaaay too long for a section header.

Unlike *nix, the Macintosh OS can only run one ...
              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Under MacOS, you can only have ...
       ^^^^^

... vary depending on your version of MacOS and/or your Web ...
                                       ^^^^^

... the bottom line is don't let it happen.
---
... the bottom line is: don't let it happen.

The second way is to make it impossible, which with the help of your
Web server, you may be able to do.
---
The second way is to make it impossible.  With the help of your
Web server, you may be able to do this.

... what it does my an HTML or environmental variable.
---
... what it does by an HTML or environment variable.
                  ^^            ^^^^^^^^^^^

... passed to the CGI in environmental variables.
---
... passed to the CGI in environment variables.

&quotUnfortunately, most Mac OS web servers

   broken HTML...

If you need to go back and forth between the MacOS and *nix, ...
                                          ^^^^^^^^^

... avoid passing arguments in the PATH_INFO environmental variable.
... avoid passing arguments in the PATH_INFO environment variable.

The MacOS keeps track of what case you use when you name a file but then
ignores it.  ...
---
Mac OS file names are case preserving, but not case sensitive.
So, Mac OS keeps track of what case you use when you name a file,
but then ignores it for most purposes.  ...

The MacOS is totally indifferent to spaces ...
^^^^^^^^^

Consider the different file naming requirements of MacOS and ...
                                                    ^^^^^

... are considerably more stable than the MacOS.
                                       ^^^^^^^^^
--
Rich Morin:          rdm@cfcl.com, +1 650-873-7841, http://www.ptf.com/~rdm
Prime Time Freeware: info@ptf.com, +1 408-433-9662, http://www.ptf.com
MacPerl: http://www.macperl.com,       http://www.ptf.com/ptf/products/MPPE
MkLinux: http://www.mklinux.apple.com, http://www.ptf.com/ptf/products/MKLP

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