The document discusses the re-engineering of the Gita Supersite website from using client-side logic to server-side logic. Some of the key reasons for re-engineering included improving speed, managing a large number of objects in the database, and reducing network traffic. PHP was chosen as the server-side scripting language because it is platform independent, interfaces well with MySQL and other databases, and supports dynamic fonts with reduced network traffic. The re-engineered site using server-side PHP logic and a MySQL database provided benefits over the original version using client-side JavaScript and local fonts stored on users' machines.

1. Content-wise categorization
Portal for Indian Languages
Heritage Health
www.bimari-jankari.org
Philosophy Literature
Gita www.gitasupersite.org
Upanishads
Brahmasutra
Ramcharitmanas
Complete works of Adi Sankara
Yogasutra
…

2. Gita Supersite
A Case Study
- Anvita Bajpai

3. Issues
Client-side Vs. Server-side Technology
File System Vs. Databased System
Fonts

4. Gita Supersite
This is an effort to bring the heritage of
Indian Scriptures to the Internet.
The Supersite is the repository of Classical
and Contemporary Commentaries on the
Bhagavadgita, together with translations in
Hindi and English, and many more texts are
on the anvil.

5. Gita Supersite
Features
Current Structure
Re-engineering the site
Reasons
Choices for re-engineering
Reasons for choosing PHP
Comparison for GitaSupersite
Version 1: Business logic on Client
Re-engineered: Logic on the Server

6. Features
Language scripts
The text can be viewed in any one of ten Indian language
scripts (Assamese, Bengali, Devanagari, Gujarati, Kannada,
Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil,Telegu), or in Roman
(English script).
Audio
The chanting of the Bhagavadgita slokas is from the set of 4
audio cassettes Geeta Chanting by Swami Brahmananda

7. Version 1: Business logic on
Client
HTML + JavaScript
Local Font

8. Re-engineering
Reasons:
Speed
Managements of 17,000 objects (likely to
be 100,000)
Fonts must be installed on client’s machine
Higher network traffic
7 hits to the web server to display a page with 6
options.

9. Choices while re-engineering
the site
CGI
Perl
MySQL
Apache
Zope
ASP
PHP
MySQL
Apache
Midgard

10. Re-engineered: Logic on the
Server
PHP Code MySQL DB
HTML
Dynamic Fonts
(PFR)

11. Reasons for choosing PHP
Platform independent
Nice support to MySQL and a no. of databases
Works well with Windows, Unix and Linux and
no. of web servers, including IIS and Apache
Support for PFR
Reduced network traffic
Almost no investment (besides site hosting)
6% of sites worldwide use PHP
Faster to develop
Performance very good

12. Comparison for GitaSupersite
Version 1 : Business logic on Client
File System
Local Fonts
Frames
Re-engineered: Logic on the Server
Databased System
Dynamic Fonts (PFR)
Table

13. Client-side Scripting Vs. Server-side
Scripting

14. Client- Vs. Server-side Scripting
Static Vs. Dynamic content
Client-side Vs. Server-side scripting
Client-side scripting
Technology
Advantages
Disadvantages
Server-side scripting
Technology
Advantages
Disadvantages
Things can be done with server-side scripting only
Which should I use? Client- or Server-side
Content generation components

15. Static Vs. Dynamic Content
Static Content
Traditional HTML pages
Simple text, Images, Hyperlinks to other documents
Change in content requires manual editing
Dynamic Content
Page content generated “on the fly”
Content stored in a database

16. Client-side vs. Server-side
Client Side Scripting
Programming that runs on the PC
Basic input, validation, calculations
No interaction with database
Server Side Scripting
Programming that runs on the server
Complex algorithms

17. Client-side Scripting
Web Server
Http Request Http Response (HTML code with
Script)
Client
Browser interprets HTML and creates the web page
Browser

18. Client-side Scripting Technologies
ActiveX Controls
VC++ / VB
Included in HTML code with <OBJECT> tags
Not supported by Netscape without ActiveX plug-in
Java Applets
Java
Included in HTML in same way as image is included
Client-side Script and Dynamic HTML
JavaScript
VBScript (Microsoft only)

19. Advantages of Client-side Scripting
Move Processing Tasks back to the Client
Extensibility Using ActiveX Controls
Creating Interactive Web Pages
Manipulating the User Interface
Creating Dynamic Forms
Instant Feedback to Users

20. Disadvantages of Client-side Scripting
Browser-Dependent Client-Side Scripts
Secure Source Code of Client-Side Scripts.
Pages Take Longer to Download
Program Scope Is Limited to a Single HTML
Page
ActiveX Objects Must Be Downloaded by
Client
You Must Digitally Sign Your Own ActiveX
Controls

21. Limited Debugging Ability
No Way Accurately to Determine the Users
Screen Mode
No Direct Access to System Objects

22. Server-side Scripting
Web Server Script
Gets page
Http Request Interprets script
Client Server Response
Browser creates the web page
Browser

23. Server-side Scripting Technologies
CGI
Programming can be done in any language (mainly in Perl)
Biggest disadvantage – doesn’t scale well
Separate process for each request
Solutions:
FastCGI
Apache’s mod_perl
Proprietary Web Servers API (ISAPI, NSAPI)
Platform specific
Need to be thread safe
Potential of crashing web server

24. Java Servlets and JSP
Java
Servlets:
Very similar to CGI
Like a non-visual applet that runs on web server
Runs inside JVM
JSP:
Like ASP
HTML, Java code and JavaBean components
Active Server Pages (ASP)
HTML, Jscript, VBScript
Stuck with Microsoft web server (IIS, PWS) & OS (Win9x,
WinNT)

25. Server-Side Java Script (SSJS)
Netscape’s answer to ASP
JavaScript
Must be compiled before run
Supported only by Netscape’s Enterprise Server
PHP
Works in similar way to JSP and ASP
Platform independent
Nice support to a no of databases
Works well with Windows, Unix and Linux and
A no of web servers, including IIS and Apache

26. Other Server-side Scripting
ColdFusion
ASP
PHP
ZOPE
MySQL
MivaScript
Perl
C++
SSI/XSSI

27. Advantages of Server-side Scripting
Server-Side Scripts are Browser-Independent
Global Variables are Available with Server-
Side Scripting.
Dynamically Building HTML Pages Based on
User Input
Provide improved security measures, since we
can code the things that can never viewed by
the client
Server-Side Scripts Interface with Server
Databases

28. HTTP Server Variables with Server-Side
scripts.
Identify Browser Properties
Can provide the client with the data that
doesn’t resides at the client
Reduces network traffic
Quicker loading

29. Disadvantages of Server-side
Scripting
No Direct Control over the User Interface
No Debugging Tools Available
All Server Script Processing is Done Before
Anything is Sent to the Browser.
Its Hard to Know when a Session Ends

30. Things can be done with server side
scripting only
Editing the contents of web page, by keeping
it in DB
Pages can be displayed as per demand
Displaying and Updating of DB contents
Creating page that rotate through a series of
different graphics.
Getting user feedback / returning information
to user as per feedback

31. Which Should I Use? Client- or
Server-Side?
Use client-side scripting if you want:
dynamic client forms with client-side validation
your site to have highly interactive pages
provide your client with advanced functionality that
can be created only using ActiveX controls
to control the user's browser

32. Use server-side scripting if you want:
Web site must work with every browser on the
market
to protect your source code
need to track user information across several Web
pages to create a quot;Web applicationquot;
need to interact with server-side databases
need to use HTTP server variables or check the
capabilities of the user's browser

33. Content Generation Components
Application generator/Programming language
Database engine
ODBC
Native drivers
Web server
Operating System

34. Web Content Management
From File System to Databased System
Biggest problem with file system:
Management as contents grow rapidly (say 100
Thorny problem
thousand or so)
Concurrency
Version
Access control
Search S-L-O-W-E-R applications

35. File System vs. Databased
System
Flat File System Databased
System
Concurrency No Yes
Management
Version Control Very difficult Yes
(manual)
Consistent L&F Have to edit code Provides template
based system
Access control Manual Access Privilege
Fast, effective Not always Yes
searches

36. Some other Points..
Moving content into the database also makes it
easier to add features:
Interactivity
Personalized presentation
CMS enables you to:
Save time and money
Improve communications
Strengthen business relationship
Increase revenues
Scalability
Flexibility
Enterprise system Interoperability (necessary to meet
future site requirements)

37. Comparison for GitaSupersite
Version 1 : Business logic on Client
File System
Local Fonts
Frames
Re-engineered: Logic on the Server
Databased System
Dynamic Fonts (PFR)
Table

38. Version 1 : Business logic on
Client
HTML + JavaScript
Total size of
85 KB Code for
data objects is
2148 LOC around 24 MB
text display (frames)
Local Font

39. Re-engineered: Logic on the
Server
PHP Code MySQL DB
HTML
21 KB Code for
Dynamic Fonts
814 LOC text display (table)
(PFR)
Total size of DB files is around 25 MB

40. Major functions in both the
scripts (for text display)
PHP
JavaScript
get_max($chap)
get_max(chap)
validity()
detect_options()
count_m()
selected_options()
collect_information()
code_for_proceeding($ch
show_window() ap, $sloka)
display() text($ch, $slk, $txt)
change(code,c,s) change($code, $c, $s)
go(c,s) go($c, $s)
play_audio($c, $s)
play_audio(tc,ts)
stop_audio()
stop_audio()

41. Lang_frame_generation(fram open_db_connection()
e_no,chap,slk) close_db_connection()
table_h()
table_m()
table_b()
navigation()

42. Future Plans
On the fly Font Conversion (transliteration)
Adding more audio
Choice to select the audio
Integration of this Supersite with the ISCII
Search Engine, developed at IIT Kanpur

43. On the fly Transliteration
Query
PHP Code MySQL DB
ISCII Data
ISFOC Data
ISCII Data
Font
Conversion

44. Next stage…
Many more major commentaries on Gita
Upanishads
Brahmasutra
Ramcharitmanas
Complete Works of Adi Sankara
Yogasutra
Cultural site
Hindi literature