Yellow Pages

[timgoat]

Hi all.

I need to make a yellow pages type site for lawyers.

Any suggestions for languages? I would like to use CGI/Perl...but if theres sumpin better....

It will also have rotating ads...is javascript the best way to do that?

[Jona]

CGI/Perl is the best way to go in my opinion. Yellow pages? Yah, Perl is probably really great for that. For ad rotation, you can do it with Javascript but I suggest a server side language like Perl as well. That way you don't allow clients or other people steal your code, or see all of the sites you link to; whereas with a server-side language, no one will see anything but the image (which of course, links to the corresponding site).

In Perl, this is simple, create a random loop through two arrays, and make sure they correspond, then write it wherever you want the banner to appear.

Pyro, I know you're gonna say PHP is better :D

[PeOfEo]

Its going to use server side scripting of some description. This can be done with cgi, php, asp, asp.net. I personally reccomend asp.net because it is the newest thing out there and it is fairly easy to use and can be done with many different languages. I use visual basic 6 code to do mine. Yes it can be done with cgi. Also yes you can make a slide show or random image on site load with java script but if you want to track the impressions I reccomend you do this with the server side langauge of your preference as well.

[pyro]

Originally posted by Jona
Pyro, I know you're gonna say PHP is better :D Actually, for a random banner, I'd use javascript... :D But for the yellowpages, yes, I'd use PHP. lol

[PeOfEo]

But can you think of any good way to track your banner impressions with java script

[pyro]

Ahh..Didn't see you wanted to track them. Nope, that would have to be done server side as well...

[timgoat]

Thanks for all the replies.

Where can I find scripts to start me off?

I like CGI/Perl and PHP, but I'm not sure which one I'm going to use.

[PeOfEo]

Well obviously I whould say use asp.net because it is the newest thing out there and its my personal favorite but if you don't know the language you might just want to go out and buy a book on whichever you decide you want to use. You can make your ads random with java script but It is also easy to do it server side. One of the activities from the asp.net book I use uses an XML file to preset the impressions. Like say you want this add to be displayed 40 times for ever 100 times this add is displayed. Thats how you set it. Its not nearly as random this way but it gives you some controll and this can be done in similar fashion with other server side languages, Also you can use an I frame and make the page random and track the hits to that I frame, Or even do click tracking by having when the visitors click a link it take them to another page where the hit is recorded then have them redirected to the advertiser. It helps to get advertisors if you can show them what they are actually getting from my experience.

[timgoat]

ok..putting the ad rotation aside for the moment...

where can i find good scripts to actually make the directory?

[Jona]

http://cgi.resourceindex.com/ or http://php.resourceindex.com/ are good.

[PeOfEo]

I would get a book and actually learn it. This way you know what you are doing in future projects

[Jona]

Books are also great to buy because you can use them for reference--and you know that they work! :p

[pyro]

Originally posted by Jona
and you know that they work!Not necessarily true... And, even if the example do work (which the don't always), sometimes the example are coded wrong. Just some things to keep in mind... :D Oh, and just for the record, books are how I do all my learning, so I'm not just dissing books here...

[Jona]

Yah, I learn from books too.. when I can get my hands on some. :p I normally have to figure out a lot of it on my own, or look at some site that gives tutorials. So I can do JavaScript, but I don't necessarily know all of the "proper" stuff like Doctypes.

[PeOfEo]

LOL I have an exaple of a book coded wrong, In my book on asp.net the authro leaves off quotes in several places which can cause serious complications. The guy new what he was doing but he decided not to proof read his work. runat=server is incorrect its runat="server"

[bajro]

Please visit: http://www.petricsoftware.com/database-publishing-software-yellow-pages.htm