SDK (Software Development Kits)

The software is designed with developer view in mind. Developers can easily create their own functions and integrate it directly to the software using the very powerful and popular language Perl. All the general program variables and functions are available for use in your newly create functions and subroutines.

It is also very easy to integrate directly your current applications into the software using the built in SSI Classes.

If you are a developer and writing an API for this system then these information will help you interface your code with the system easily. If you need more information about others functions, please contact our developers. Please be sure to provide as much information as possible about your application and your needs so we can help you as much as we can.

If you created your custom application and would like to share others for free, please send your application to us with full documentations, all your copyright will be kept on your code.

General Variables

Table (1) shows the general variables available for use in your functions and applications.

Variable	Meaning
$Global{CGI_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to the executables directory.
$Global{CGI_URL}	This is the full URL to the executables directory.
$Global{HTML_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to the non executables (html or docs) directory.
$Global{HTML_URL}	This is the full URL to the non executables (html or docs) directory.
$Global{SSL_URL}	Secure Socket Layer full URL.
$Global{SSL_Status}	Secure Socket Layer status. Value zero means not enabled, else means enabled.
$Global{SSL_Images_URL}	Full URL of the images directory on the Secure Socket Layer server.
$Script_URL	This variable holds the current running program full URL.
$Global{DB_Driver}	SQL driver.
$Global{DB_Host}	SQL hostname.
$Global{DB_Name}	SQL database name.
$Global{DB_UserID}	SQL username.
$Global{DB_Password}	SQL password.
$Global{Language}	Current language selected by the user.
$Global{Admin_UserID}	Admin User ID.
$Global{Admin_Password}	Admin Password.
$Global{Data_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to data directory.
$Global{Lock_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to lock directory.
$Global{Custom_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to lib directory.
$Global{Mail_Lists_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to maillists directory.
$Global{Database_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to database directory.
$Global{Temp_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to temp directory.
$Global{Template_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to templates directory.
$Global{Images_URL}	This is the full URL to images directory.
$Global{Upload_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to upload directory.
$Global{Download_Dir}	This is the full absolute path to download directory.
$Global{Upload_URL}	This is the full URL to upload directory.
%Param	This hash array contains all the arguments passed to the current program runing. For example $Param{action} specifies the action required to be done from the program. To view all the parameters, you can scan the hash with a code like this line: print "Content-type: text/html\n\n"; while (($key, $value)=each(%Param)) {print ("$key = $value<br>");}
$Param{action}	This variable specifies the current action required from the program to execute. This variable is passed to the programs in the following format in the browser: http://www.domain.com/cgi-bin/admin?action=Accounts_Manager. You can check the current action required if you want to execute some functions at specific actions. For example: if ($Param{action} eq "Browse_Categories"){ &My_Browse_Categories_Action; } elsif ($Param{action} eq "Browse"){ &My_Browse_Action; }
%Language	This hash array contains all the language variables of the current user default language required for the current action. With each action, only specific language file are loaded. You can load other files, see the general functions available. Hash keys are the language variables names, and the hash values are the language variables text. For example $Language{Site_Name}="Mewsoft".
%Global	This hash array contains all the program global variables. These are the variables in the files startup.ini and sysconfig.ini. Each line in these files in the form: key~==~value, file sysconfig.ini key=value, file startup.ini for example: Admin_Prog=admin.exe, here the key is $Global{Admin_Prog} and its value is "admin.exe". Category_Teaser_Form~==~<FONT SIZE="1" ><!--Teaser--> <!--Teaser_Category_Count--></FONT> The key here is $Globale{Category_Teaser_Form} and its value is the html string "<FONT SIZE="1" ><!--Teaser--> <!--Teaser_Category_Count--></FONT>". Please view the files startup.ini and sysconfig.ini for any variables you may need in your custom functions.
%Cookies	This hash array contains all the cookies available for the current running program. Hash keys are cookies names and hash values are cookies values. For example: $Cookie{User_User_ID} $Cookie{User_Password} $Cookie{User_Remember_login} are current the user login information.

Table (1) General variables.

General Functions

Table (2) shows the general functions available for use in your functions and applications.

Function	Meaning
@Languages = &Get_Languages();
%User = &Get_User($User_ID);
$Status=&Check_User_Exist($User_ID);	Returns 1 if user exists, 0 if not.
$Status=&Check_Email_Exist($Email);	Returns 1 if email exists, 0 if not.
$Status=&Check_User_Authentication($User_ID, $Password);	Returns 1 if user login correct, 0 if not.
&Exit($Error_Message, $Error_Title, $Go_Back_Level);	Quit the program safely by disconnecting from MySQL server and display the error message $Error_Message with the title $Error_Title. The $Go_Back_Level is an integer variable -x to +x for the go back browser button emulation displayed on the message.
&Quit();	Safely disconnect from MySQL server if connected and exit the program.
&Read_Language_File($Language_Filename);	This will load and parse the language file in the variable $Language_Filename into the general hash array %Language. You can load any number of language files and all will be loaded into the same %Language hash array. You must pass the full path name of the file to the function.
%Lang=&Get_Language_File($Language_Filename);	This function will load and parse the language file in the variable $Language_Filename into the hash array %Lang and not to the general hash array %Language. You must pass the full path name of the file to the function.
$Template_File=&Translate_File($Template_Filename);	This function will translate all the language variables in the file specified in the variable $Template_Filename by replacing the language variables by their text values. You must pass the full path name of the file to the function.
$Text = &Translate($Text);	This function will translate all the language variables in the string variable specified in the variable $Text passed to the function.

Table (2) General functions.

API Example

To create your own functions. From your admin center, click on "Custom Functions" link in the navigation. This will open the function editor. First, create a filename for your function or functions. Enter a filename in the box "Create new file" and click the "submit" button. Now the editor will create a new empty file and open it in the editor so you can enter your code. You can also edit any existing files.

Write your functions in the normal way as you write your own Perl programs. You can used inside your functions any general variable or function available for your applications from the system. You easily have full access to the system configuration and setup also.

This way you can create your own applications that is independent in operation, or special Classes that can be used inside the program itself.

The general format for calling custom classes or functions in the templates and language files as follows:

For example, if you created a custom functions file with the name "jokes", and you want to use the function "get_today_joke" inside this file, then you need to insert the class in your templates or language files as follows:

You can use unlimited functions inside the same custom functions file. This means each file is a library for functions but you have to specify the filename of the function in the class so the program only will load the required library files.

The simple layout for your custom functions is:

sub My_Function{
my($Param) = @_;
my ($Out);

$Out = "This is My_Function output";

return $Out;
}

Save this to a custom file name "test"

Now inserting the class  in your templates or language files, will result in replacing this class with the function return value "This is My_Function output" at the program run time.

By default custom functions files have the extension ".pm". You can create your own file and test the code in your debugger, then place the files in the "data/lib" directory.

The code below is saved in the file "url_grab.pm" in the "data/lib" directory. This file is a good example for creating your custom functions and libraries. The file contain more than one function.

=Copyright Infomation
==========================================================
Mewsoft
Program Author : Elsheshtawy, A. A.
Home Page : http://www.mewsoft.com
Copyrights © 2001-2002 Mewsoft. All rights reserved.
==========================================================
This software license prohibits selling, giving away, or otherwise distributing
the source code for any of the scripts contained in this SOFTWARE PRODUCT,
either in full or any subpart thereof. Nor may you use this source code, in full or
any subpart thereof, to create derivative works or as part of another program
that you either sell, give away, or otherwise distribute via any method. You must
not (a) reverse assemble, reverse compile, decode the Software or attempt to
ascertain the source code by any means, to create derivative works by modifying
the source code to include as part of another program that you either sell, give
away, or otherwise distribute via any method, or modify the source code in a way
that the Software looks and performs other functions that it was not designed to;
(b) remove, change or bypass any copyright or Software protection statements
embedded in the Software; or (c) provide bureau services or use the Software in
or for any other company or other legal entity. For more details please read the
full software ID agreement file distributed with this software.
==========================================================
___ ___ ___ ____ _______
|\ /| | \ /\ / | / \ | |
| \ / | | \ / \ / | | | | |
| \ / | |-| \ / \ / |___ | | |-| |
| \/ | | \ / \ / | | | | |
| | |___ \/ \/ ___| \___/ | |

==========================================================
=cut
#==========================================================
# To use this class in your templates, insert the class like this:
# 
sub URL_Include {
my ($URL) = @_;
my($UA);
my($Parse, $Response, $Base, $Result);

undef @HREFs;
use HTML::LinkExtor;
use URI::URL;

$UA = new LWP::UserAgent;
$UA->agent('Mewsoft Search Engine mewsoft.com');

$Parse = HTML::LinkExtor->new(\&Call_Back);
$Response = $UA->request(HTTP::Request->new(GET => $URL));
$Base = $Response->base;
$Result = $Response->content;

$Parse->parse($Result);

@HREFs = map { [$_->[0], $_->[1], url($_->[1], $Base)->abs] } @HREFs;

foreach my $HRef (@HREFs){
my $Name = $HRef->[0];
my $Value = $HRef->[1];
my $All = $HRef->[2];
$Result =~ s|$Name\s*=\s*"?$Value"?|$Name="$All"|igs;
}

return $Result;
}
#==========================================================
# To use this class in your templates, insert the class like this:
# 
sub URL_Clip_Include{
my ($Input_Line) = @_;
my ($URL, $Start, $End, $UA, $Full_HRef);
my($Result);

undef @HREFs;
undef $Result;
use HTML::LinkExtor;
use URI::URL;

($URL, $Start, $End)= split (/\s*\,\s*/, $Input_Line);

$UA = new LWP::UserAgent;
$UA->agent('Mewsoft Search Engine mewsoft.com');

my $Parse = HTML::LinkExtor->new(\&Call_Back);
my $Response = $UA->request(HTTP::Request->new(GET => $URL));
my $Base = $Response->base;
$Result = $Response->content;
$Parse->parse($Result);

@HREFs = map { [$_->[0], $_->[1], url($_->[1], $Base)->abs] } @HREFs;

if ($Result =~ m|($Start.*$End)|s) {
$Result = $1;
}
else{
return "";
}

for my $HRef (@HREFs){
my $Name = $HRef->[0];
my $Value = $HRef->[1];
my $Full_HRef = $HRef->[2];
$Result =~ s|$Name\s*=\s*"?$Value"?|$Name="$Full_HRef"|igs;
}

return $Result;

}
#==========================================================
sub Call_Back {
my($Tag, %Attr) = @_;

while (my ($K, $V) = each %Attr) {
next if $K eq 'usemap';
push(@HREFs, [$K, $V]);
}
}
#==========================================================
1;