A little non-poll poll about CGI scripts and installation

MadCat · 02-24-2003, 10:04 AM

Okay folks, I want to pick your brains for a bit; as a few of you might know I'm a perl hacker - this means I write nifty scripts for people (and usually get paid for em too! imagine that).

Anyway, a lot of people -hate- having to install CGI scripts since often the instructions aren't exactly clear on what to do, and there can be many many exceptions that could cause a script not to work.

What I want to know is, what is YOUR pet peeve when it comes to CGI scripts and installing them?

And alternatively, suppose there was an installation process for CGI scripts like there was for Windows applications (you know, the funky lil wizards) - would that make you happy or would that be just another "eh. who cares" type deal?

AcidMaX · 02-24-2003, 10:41 AM

Being a programmer myself, I think you need to make things "idiot proof". Now i'm not calling anyone here an idiot, but I believe most people are impatient like myself. If you can make it easy to install and install on their own within a few minutes or with a minimal amount of work I think the process would be great.

Obviously you cannot do this in every instance, but the faster the better and the easier the better, I say.

Andy

StacyCat · 02-24-2003, 02:17 PM

Its doing everything that the script tells me to do, and it still not working!

Pidgin · 02-24-2003, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by StacyCat
Its doing everything that the script tells me to do, and it still not working!

MUHAHAHA
Statcy - you are not alone. You are actually a majority

Linux/Unix installation is one of the most painful issues with it. never mind the reason now.
Even I sometimes say "WTF! I did EXACTLY what they said!!!"

"idiot proof" is cool but very hard to pull with big systems.

AcidMaX · 02-24-2003, 10:05 PM

Then it's not quite "idiot proof" if you are still having problems. I think the biggest thing is people rush software to market or customers who want custom software want it yesterday and rush the process.

I think most programmers are too analytical because we do it on a daily basis. So I quite often hand the script off to a novice to install and see what their feedback is.

Granted you can not do this on some projects/applications, but I think you can do it on most. Installing software does not have to be that hard IF the programmer takes the time to sit in the customers shoes and understand what they might be going through. If a programmer can come up with a web interface for software installation, test it, then test it again to make sure the install works, you will solve a large majority of installation issues.

Nothing is ever 100%, but by taking a little time up front it will save time in the future and ultimately make a happier customer.

Andy

Panky · 02-24-2003, 10:07 PM

For small, easy applications, create a "wizard". For something that is above beginner/intermediate level, right the complete instructions. So many times I have worked scripts for "advanced" levels and the instructions left key elements out. Don't assume that even the most experienced user/installer will know that this file needs this permission and installed with this particular file in order for it to work for this particular element of the script, for example.

When you visit msg. boards/help forums and you post, "I did everything by the instructions and still will not run." and you receive replies like, "I had the same problem...and they give you the fix." Then they tell you it took them hours or days to figure out the missing link. Write the instructions as if you never wrote the script.

Panky

_ED · 02-24-2003, 10:53 PM

I install my script for people myself so there are no mistakes.
i'n some cases i've even edited html myself for them because explaining would of taken longer.

Mister X · 02-25-2003, 12:41 AM

My pet peeve with installing scripts is when they say a script will/should work on NT/2k but they tell you absolutely nothing about what might need to be hacked or changed to make it work. I didn't care when I was on apache servers of course, lol.
My second peeve is when they give good clear instructions for installing the script but assume that you know everything there is to know about something like databases, etc. I've installed quite a few scripts now but I recently gave up on one that used am msql database and used one that had a flatfile db instead, because I just could not understand the stuff they referenced.

wsjb78 · 02-25-2003, 03:38 AM

Well,

I guess the most problem with CGIs and auto-install would be the following: FILE PERMISSIONS!

There are several hosts that let CGI scripts run only if they are chmodded to 755. However in the installation script it is being told files must be chmodded to 777.

So which one is correct?

Normally you have to go for the one that is told by the host. ProTGP does it. You have to chmod scripts to 755 or otherwise they won't run. They will somehow emulate them as 777.

Anyway, I think PHP is a lot more easier to comprehend and install than CGI!