SLOBYTES Internet Special Interest Group

CGI Scripts - Prowler Poll

This is an exercise in setting up a Perl script. For this demonstration, I chose Prowler Poll, a survey program that I have found useful on my own site.

Here is what the Power Poll author, Mike Snyder, said of his script:

"Simply put, Prowler Poll is a Perl CGI “web-based” product which you can download and install on your web site (like a hit counter or guest book) to provide cool polling/voting features to your vistors. Prowler Poll features a slick look, easy-to-use interface, and a web-based configuration that makes it easy to add, delete, and manage many different poll/voting topics."

Prowler Poll web site

Demonstration of the script

Download program

Readme file: Read this file thoroughly before attempting to set up the program.

Setup

Using Notepad or another text editor, open the setup.cfg file. Read the comments in this file as well as the Readme file mentioned above before you proceed further. Configure the program by entering the appropriate variables in the places indicated. If you run into problems, the author also provides a FAQ (geared toward customization questions) and Message Board which he actively monitors.

You should check all of the .cgi files to make sure that they begin with the proper path to your cgi-bin file. It is preconfigured as #!/usr/bin/perl. Check with your ISP to see if this needs to be changed.

Create a sub-directory in your cgi-bin directory and call it survey. CHMOD the survey subdirectory to 777 (rwx rwx rwx). (read-write-execute). FTP the .cfi files to the survey subdirectory of the cgi-bin directory and CHMOD them to 755 (rwx r-x r-x). The .cgi files are

setup.cgi
cgivars.cgi
get_html.cgi
ppoll.cgi
ppolladm.cgi
setup.cgi

Make sure that you transfer the .cgi files as ASCII files, not as binary files.

Additionally, FTP the following .html files to the survey subdirectory of your cgi-bin directory:

castvote.html
dupevote.html
novote.html
results.html

Make sure that you transfer the .html files as binary files, not as ASCII files. CHMOD them to 644 (rw- r-- r--)

Create a survey page called index.html. Place it in a separate directory called survey. Create a subdirectory called graphics and FTP all of the .gif files to that subdirectory. Note that the survey directory referred to here is not the same as the subdirectory of the cgi-bin directory which is also called survey.

Point your web browser to the location of the survey subdirectory of your cgi-bin directory and open the setup.cfg file. It will allow you to create a survey by filling in boxes. When you are finished, click on the button that shows the html code needed to paste into your index.html file. Paste it into that file and then FTP the index.html file to the survey directory of your web site. Click on index.html to test the survey.

See sampleindex.html file; Click on view source to see the HTML code.