Setup and First Steps

Installation and Configuration

  1. Log into Windows with administrative rights.
  2. Make sure you have VFP and the web server software installed properly. (Technically it is not absolutely necessary to have VFP installed on the server, but it is simpler to develop and test your scripts this way).
  3. Close and uninstall older versions of FoxWeb -- restart if necessary.
  4. Run the setup program and follow the directions on the screen.
  5. Read the readme file for last minute information.
  6. Run the FoxWeb Control Center to configure FoxWeb.

Configuring your Web Server

You should now start your web server and configure it for FoxWeb operation. The FoxWeb setup program attempts to automatically configure Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and Personal Information Server (PWS). For all other web servers (and for situations where automatic IIS/PWS configuration has failed) you will need to consult the Configuring your Web Server topic, as well as the documentation of your specific server software. If you are using IIS or PWS, you may proceed to the next sections and return here if you are unable to use the script-mapped URL example listed below.

Starting the FoxWeb Server

The are several ways to start the FoxWeb server and they are all listed in the Operating the FoxWeb Server topic. For now, start FoxWeb by simply clicking on the FoxWeb icon in the Start menu. If you are not running FoxWeb as a service, you should be able to see a FoxWeb icon in the tray area of your task bar. Right-click on the icon and select the Show Status option. Verify that your FoxWeb channels have initialized properly and have a "Waiting" status. If this is not the case, consult the Common Problems topic.

Calling your First Script

Once your web server is configured, you should be able to call your first script from a web browser. The format of the URL will depend on whether you configured your server for script-mapped URLs, or for direct addressing of foxweb.exe/foxweb.dll.

Script Mapped URLs:
This URL format is recommended for all servers, because it is simpler, faster to type and makes it easier to mix dynamic (FoxWeb) content with static files, such as images and HTML documents.

From a web browser enter the following URL:

    http://ServerName/show_cgi.fwx

You will need to substitute "ServerName" with your server's host name or IP-address. If the browser is running on the same server as FoxWeb, you may also use "localhost" as the server name. If the installation was done right the server will return all information associated with your request.

To run the ContactMine2 sample application enter the following URL:

    http://ServerName/ContactMine2/Contact.fwx

URLs that explicitly address foxweb.exe/foxweb.dll:
This URL format is longer and is primarily used for backward compatibility with existing FoxWeb applications and for web servers that don't support script mapping.

From a web browser enter the following URL, which points to the CGI module:

    http://ServerName/scripts/foxweb.exe/show_cgi

You will need to substitute "ServerName" with your server's host name or IP-address and "scripts" with the alias of your server's CGI directory. If the browser is running on the same server as FoxWeb, you may also use "localhost" as the server name.

For IIS and PWS users it is recommended that you use the ISAPI module instead:

    http://ServerName/scripts/foxweb.dll/show_cgi

If the installation was done right the server will return all information associated with your request.

To run the ContactMine2 sample application enter the following URL:

    http://ServerName/scripts/foxweb.exe/ContactMine2/Contact

For more information on URL syntax refer to the Locating and Addressing Scripts topic.

© Aegis Group