This Version:
Archived at: https://www.skybuilders.com/Tools/skyPorter.20001007183229.html
Requests
Version: 50741 | Series: 50741
- skyPorter ports various timeLines Server Page formats to one another, e.g., ASP to Perl, ASP to PHP.
- We may make it a web service, paste in or upload a VB/ASP file, we convert?
- first pass = what language is this? Looks like, etc....?
General porting code:
Open a file, get a line ready for substitution rules.
Documentation needed:
How to call
How to batch run a folder of hundreds of page files.
Unix filter program?
Case-Specific Substitution Rules
Note: Rules need intimate familiarity with source and target languages.
Begin with ASP/VBScript to Perl (PSP - Perl Server Pages)
Then do ASP/VBScript to PHP, ASP/VBScript to JSP
Next we should do ASP/VBScript to ASP/JavaScript.
Then perhaps PHP to Perl?
If Perl programs were written in a very simple direct style (C-like), and following a Server Page template standard, we might even be able to port back from Perl to PHP, ASP, and JSP. If dense "obfuscated Perl," this is impractical.
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Phase 0
Convert several pages by hand to develop key transformation and substitution rules. Do ASP to PHP, ASP to Perl. Convert the very complex major (core) pages of timeLines. Provide these as side-by-side to show when and how code can be converted on a line-by-line basis.
Determine when some variables and structures will need to be held in temporary memory until their full use is visible (e.g., Case variables)
Completed 2/10/2000
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Phase 1 Client-side code (server variable interpolation)
- Pipe the lines to a new file without changing server-side code
Identify all client-side lines and pipe them to the new file,
except identify VBScript in-line Response.Write elements (<%= myVar %>)
replace with Perl variable interpolation ($myVar)
surround blocks of client-side lines with a HERE String structure:
print header(); # once only, at first client-side code.
print < # commentary...
Declarations:
Identify Dim myVar, myVar2
=> my ($myVar, $myVar2);
Note: myVar(50) -> @myVar, and myVar(50, 20) needs special handling.
Note: collect all Dims in section near top of page.
Replace dimmed VB arrays with my @arrays, var interpolate var1(num) as $var1[$num]. myArray(num, num2) => $myArray[$num][$num2]
Completed 2/13/2000
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Phase 2b - Request
Identify myVar = Request.QueryString("myVar")
and myVar = Request.Form("myVar")
=> $myVar = param("myVar");
Note: We must handle If Form = "" get QueryString redundancy in ASP.
myVar = Request.ServerVariables("myVar")
=> $myVar = $ENV("myVar");
myVar = Request.Cookies("myVar")
=> $myVar = cookie("myVar");
Completed 02/14/2000
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Phase 2c - Database calls - SQLQuery:
Identify SQLQuery = "..........."
=> $SQLQuery = "..........";
Note: BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALTER THE TEXT OF THE SQL:
SQLQuery = "....."& myVar1 &"......"
=> $SQLQuery = ".....".$myVar1.".....";
Identify Set RSXXXX = ObjdbConnection.Execute(SQLQuery)
=> $sthXXXX = $dbh->prepare($SQLQuery);
$sthXXXX ->execute;
$XXXX = $sthXXXX ->fetchrow_hashref;
Identify structures that move a database recordset into server variables
ScheduleColor = RSGlobals("ScheduleColor")
HomePageURL = RSGlobals("HomePageURL")
OrgName = reQuote(RSGlobals("OrgName"))
Replace with
$ScheduleColor = $$Globals{"ScheduleColor"};
$HomePageURL = $$Globals{"HomePageURL"};
$OrgName = reQuote($$Globals{"OrgName"});
Note dereference of Globals hash ($$).
Identify structures that iterate database recordsets into server-side arrays
numStrings = 0
Do While Not RSStrings.EOF
numStrings = numStrings + 1
StringsName(numStrings) = RSStrings("LanguageCustom")
StringsID(numStrings) = RSStrings("ID")
RSStrings.moveNext
Loop
Replace with
$numStrings = 0;
while ($Strings = $sthStrings->fetchrow_hashref) {
$numStrings = $numStrings + 1;
$StringsName[$numStrings] = $$Strings{"LanguageCustom"};
$StringsName[$numStrings] = $$Strings{"ID"};
}
and of course
If Not RSStrings.EOF Then
End If
=>
if (!EOF) {
$OrgName = reQuote($$Globals{"OrgName"});
}
Completed 02/18/2000
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Phase 3a Server Header
Create a Header template that initializes target code, calls include files (Perl Modules), etc.
Replace the "header" material of original code as a block.
Completed 02/19/2000
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Phase 3b Server Code
Convert VBScript code to Perl (also to PHP, Java, and JavaScript)
Control Structures (If Then, Do While, For Next, Foreach, Select Case)
Note: Select Case => if {} elsif {} elsif {} else {}
VB Functions - InStr(), InStrRev(), Left(), Right(), Mid()
Include files... (Done by hand, insert standard header)
QuoteSQL.inc > QuoteSQL.pm
DBConnect.inc > DBConnect.pm
Completed 02/24/2000
Custom Subs and Functions
Completed 02/25/2000
Replace CInt(myVar) with $myVar
SQL UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE may be special??
File handling (open, write, close, etc.)
Still in process at 02/25
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Phase 4 Response
Response.Write
Response.Clear
Response.Redirect
Response.Buffer
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Things we may need to do by hand. Do not attempt to convert?
Just flag them in the Notesfile and do by hand?
We may only need to do some once, if page unlikely to change.
Various Date functions, DateDiff(), DateAdd(), DateSerial()
Remove redundancy in ASP
If Form = "", get QueryString.
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We should impose certain style conventions on our ASP versions of timeLines Server Pages (to facilitate translation to other languages)
Preparation of pages for conversion
- check that source (ASP) page does the following:
Gather Dims at the top, subroutines next, etc.
Run with OPTION EXPLICIT to insure that all vars are Dimmed.
Include description block, credits block
Perhaps add some structures that simplify conversion,
e.g., If (var = var1) Then ' put parens around condition.
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Specific examples for ASP/Javascript, ASP/VBScript, JSP, Perl, PHP
(later other scripting languages - 4D, etc.?)
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Cross-program glossary, property/method names, core techniques
Needed to convert/port our timeLines Server Pages
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Major Parts of a timeLines Server Page
Directives/Header
ASP/JS <%@ Language = JavaScript %>
ASP/VB <%@ Language = VBScript %>
JSP <%@ Language = Java? %>
Perl #!D:\Perl\bin\perl5.00503.exe -w
PHP <? ?>
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Declaratives
ASP/JS <% Response.Buffer = True %>
ASP/VB <% Response.Buffer = True %>
JSP <% %>
Perl ;
PHP <? ?>
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Include files
ASP/JS %>
<!-- #include filename.inc -->
<%
ASP/VB %>
<!-- #include filename.inc -->
<%
JSP %>
<!-- #include filename.inc -->
<%
Perl use filename.pm;
PHP %>
<!-- #include filename.inc -->
<%
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Declarations and Initialization
ASP/JS var myVar
var myArray = new Array;
ASP/VB Dim myVar, myArray(50)
JSP ?
Perl my ($myVar, @myArray, %myHash);
PHP ? variables come into existence as you use them
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Request Variables (round trip client-side variables)
ASP myVar = Request.QueryString("myVar")
myVar = Request.Form("myVar")
JSP
Perl $myVar = param("myVar");
PHP $myVar=$HTTP_GET_VARS["myVar"];
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Database connections
ASP/JS OBJdbConnection = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection");
OBJdbConnection.Open "DTVGroup";
ASP/VB Set OBJdbConnection = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
OBJdbConnection.Open "DTVGroup" (assuming DSN name)
or
OBJdbConnection.Open("Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};DBQ="D:\InetPub\DTVGroup.mdb")
JSP
Perl $DSN = "Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};DBQ=D:\\InetPub\\DTVGroup.mdb";
$dbh = DBI->connect("dbi:ODBC:$DSN", '','', {PrintError => 1, RaiseError => 1} ) or die 'Ouch!';
PHP $OBJdbConnection=odbc_connect("DTVGroup","","");
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SQL Queries (database recordset to server variables)
ASP/JS SQLQuery = "SELECT ScheduleColor FROM Globals;"
Set RSGlobals = OBJdbConnection.Execute(SQLQuery)
if (!(RSGlobals.EOF)) {
ScheduleColor = RSGlobals("ScheduleColor")
}
ASP/VB SQLQuery = "SELECT ScheduleColor FROM Globals;"
RSGlobals = OBJdbConnection.Execute(SQLQuery)
If Not RSGlobals.EOF Then
ScheduleColor = RSGlobals("ScheduleColor")
End If
JSP
Perl $SQLQuery = "SELECT ScheduleColor FROM Globals;";
$sthGlobals = $dbh->prepare($SQLQuery);
$sthGlobals->execute;
# $Globals = $sthGlobals->fetchrow_hashref;
while ($Globals = $sthGlobals->fetchrow_hashref) {
$ScheduleColor = $$Globals{"ScheduleColor"};
};
PHP $SQLQuery="SELECT ScheduleColor, SmallIconURL, BGImageURL, OrgName, LogoColor, TimeLinesDarkColor, Debug, balloonsOn FROM Globals;";
$RSGlobals_query=odbc_exec($OBJdbConnection,($SQLQuery));
$RSGlobals_ptr=1;
$RSGlobals=odbc_fetch_row($RSGlobals_query,$RSGlobals_ptr++);
$ScheduleColor=odbc_result($RSGlobals_query,"ScheduleColor");
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Iterate database recordsets into server-side arrays. DO the database query as above, then...
ASP/JS
numStrings = 0
while (! RSStrings.EOF) {
numStrings = numStrings + 1
StringsID(numStrings) = RSStrings("ID")
RSStrings.moveNext
}
ASP/VB
numStrings = 0
Do While Not RSStrings.EOF
numStrings = numStrings + 1
StringsID(numStrings) = RSStrings("ID")
RSStrings.moveNext
Loop
JSP
Perl
$numStrings = 0;
while ($Strings = $sthStrings->fetchrow_hashref) {
$StringsID[$numStrings] = $$Dates{"ID"};
$numStrings += 1;
}
PHP
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Pass server-side variables, arrays, etc. to client in embedded HTML and client-side script. Use variable interpolation (server variable substitution)
ASP/JS %>
<HTML>
<TITLE>The Title = <%= sJSserverTitle %></TITLE>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
var myJSvar = <%= myJSservervar %>;
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR="<%= sScheduleColor %>">
</BODY>
</HTML>
<% 'End ASP %>
ASP/VB %>
<HTML><HEAD>
<TITLE>The Title = <%= VBserverTitle %>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
var myJSvar = <%= myVBservervar %>;
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR="<%= sScheduleColor %>">
</BODY>
</HTML>
<% 'End ASP %>
JSP
Perl print header();
print <<END_HTML; # herestring
<HTML><HEAD>
<TITLE>The Title = $PerlServerTitle</TITLE>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
var myJSvar = $myPERLvar
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR="$ScheduleColor">
</BODY>
</HTML>
END_HTML # at start of line
# needs empty line
N.B. herestrings are treated like double-quoted strings (variable interpolated), so all \ chars must be carefully escaped -> \\
PHP
<HTML><HEAD>
<TITLE>The Title = <? echo $PHPServerTitle; ?></TITLE>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
var myJSvar =
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR="<? echo $ScheduleColor; ?>">
</BODY>
</HTML>
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Multidimensional arrays
ASP/JS var myArray = new Array;
for (i=0, i<20,i++) {
var myArray[i] = new Array;
}
myArray[n][m] =
ASP/VB Dim myVar, myArray(50, 20)
myArray(n,m) =
JSP
Perl my ($myVar, @myArray, %myHash);
PHP ?
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$ENV - Environment Variables
(subtle differences from CGI standard? )
ASP/JS see ASP in a Nutshell, p. 372
ASP/VB see ASP in a Nutshell, p. 372
Perl
PHP
Java
JavaScript
Time functions/methods
ASP Now()
Perl ($sec,$min,$hour,$day,$mon,$yr,$wday,$yday,$isdst) = localtime();
($day,$mon,$yr) = (localtime)[3,4,5];
$yr returns years since 1900
PHP
Java
JavaScript date(), time()
VBScript
URL escape method
ASP/VB Server.URLEncode()
Perl URI::Escape module uri_escape uri,[regexp]
PHP
Java
JavaScript escape()
Porting problems
Sometimes a .pl page invokes "Save As.."
VB to Perl
JavaScript "strings" with \ needs \\ to run in Perl
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Date handling (especially differences)
ASP/JS
ASP/VB DateDiff
Java
JavaScript
Perl Use Date-Calc.pm
PHP
Can we get GMT (TZ Offset) of Server?
ASP/JS ?? What kind of server doesn't know what time it is?
ASP/VB ??
Java ?
JavaScript -
Perl Yes (isdst)
PHP Yes
Date Notes
Date format in db (YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS)
(MM/DD/YYYY US vs. DD/MM/YYYY Europe problem)
(use our standard? yyyymmddhhmmss)
POSIX 21-second problem (Perl)
Daylight Savings Time problem (locale dependent)
Calendar code licenses?
iCal standards
locale issues - get local time, including DST? (Admin enter?)
Can we query time over the Internet?
Server always GMT? - not bad - can we inhibit DST? Yes.
Administrator enters TZ (will work)
Get Server time zone (= diff GMT - local time)
Get Browser Time Zone Offset (= diff GMT - browser time)
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