webSERVER software

[Tom Schweich]

For the Carl Purpus website at
http://ucjeps.herb.berkeley.edu/Purpus/index.html we have used a slightly
different approach.  This site contains articles written by and about him,
letters he wrote, photographs, a gazetteer, a list of U. S. types collected by
Purpus, a partial list of his U. S. collections, and a bibliography.  We also
provide links to CalFlora, SMASCH, and the USGS Geographic Names Information
Service.

Faced with maintaining many links within what should be an evolving web site, I
chose to store all the web site data elements in a Microsoft Access data base,
and to generate static HTML with Visual Basic code.  Some the appearance of the
web site, and the links, are a bit clunky, and there is a lot (5500 lines) of
Visual Basic code, but the whole thing works.  There is some documentation under
"Site Administration" at the Purpus site but, since I'm a volunteer there, the
realized documentation lags the concept a bit.

I also create my own personal web site (http://www.schweich.com) with the same
Visual Basic code, just a different set of data tables, and I have yet another
project in the works that, again, will use the same Access/Visual Basic code.

Ultimately, it would be my desire to generate the HTML dynamically, when
requested by the reader; however, I see more concept development time, followed
by period of converting the Visual Basic code to serving dynamic HTML to
accomplish that objective.

Mark Mayfield wrote:

> The incidental thread on web server software was actually quite interesting.
> I'd like to continue it if possible to know what software people are using
> and on what platform, to serve what kind of data.  I've been using WebStar
> now for about 3 years and find it works great but I haven't used its more
> elaborate features that probably contribute to its cost.  It would be nice
> to know what additional public domain or less expensive software works well.
>
> Mark H. Mayfield
> Collections Manager
> Herbarium, Dept. of Biological Sciences
> Louisiana State University
> Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808

--
Tom Schweich   tom at schweich.com
http://www.schweich.com