JavaScript Application Cookbook

Getting Perl

You’ll need to have Perl installed on your web server. Most web server hosts do. If you need to install Perl yourself, you can get the latest Perl distribution free at ftp://ftp.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/ports/index.html.

Just click the link associated with your operating system. If you are running WinNT/98/95, you can get the latest Perl binaries and info at http://www.activestate.com/pw32/. If you want more power and features, check out ActivePerl, a significant advance in the Win32 distribution of Perl, at http://www.activestate.com/ActivePerl/.

Both web sites provide documentation for installing and configuring Perl. If you have Windows, though, it’s pretty simple. Whether you install the regular Win32 binaries or the ActivePerl package, the install takes only a few steps and will even configure your web server (such as Microsoft’s Internet Information Server, Peer Web Services, or Personal Web Server) to execute Perl scripts. Installing and configuring Perl for Unix and other operating systems is generally more involved. Be sure to check the included documentation.

Once Perl is installed, the web server needs to be configured to execute Perl scripts. If your web server host is running Perl, this is likely taken care of. Contact your web site administrator to find out. If you’re doing this yourself, you’ll probably have to configure the web server. Popular web servers such as Microsoft’s Internet Information Server, Netscape’s Enterprise Server, O’Reilly’s ...