WWW Homepage Access Counter
[Count Release 2.0b] Release Date: December 6, 1995
NOTE: This simple counter script is available for use to all SnowCrest users. The script will not run if called from any web page not hosted on SnowCrest. Because of this security check, any users on SnowCrest that have their own custom domain must e-mail the Web Design department and request that their domain be added to the list of allowed domains before the counter will work properly.
How to call the program?
You can refer to the program from your web page simply like this:
<img src="/cgi-bin/Count.cgi?df=user/page.count" align="absmiddle" />
The string between ? and " is called the QUERY_STRING. Make sure there are no newlines in the <img src= line and no spaces in the QUERY_STRING. "user" is the page user's name, and "page.count" is the counter datafile. The counter stores the hits in this file. i (This file may be any name. That is, you could use "index.count" or "page3.count", etc. If you use the same name for more than one page, the same counter will be displayed and incremented by each of those pages. If you use unique names for each of your pages, then the counter will count just the accesses of that page.)
The counter program has lots of options, you can make it work and look the way you desire. In the query string, you can use the options described in the table below. The options can be separated by a | or a &. You can use either one or both. Here is an example:
<img src="/cgi-bin/Count.cgi?ft=6&frgb=255;215;0|df=sample/doc.count" align="absmiddle" />
Here is what the sample creates: ![counter](/cgi-bin/Count.cgi?ft=6&frgb=255;215;0|df=sample/doc.count)
The options can be in any order and not case sensitive.
Parameter |
Name |
Description |
Default |
ft=X |
Frame Thickness |
You can wrap the counter in an ornamental frame of X pixels thick. Use 0 for no frame. Values over 5 make a nice 3-D effect. |
ft=6 |
frgb=R;G;B |
Frame Color |
Specifies the color of the frame in RGB (red/green/blue) format. Each color component, R, G, and B is specified as a value between 0 and 255. If you use ft=# without a frgb= param, the default color is used. If you specify a frgb= without a ft=#, then the frame thickness defaults to 5. All the examples show ft=5. The RGB sequence for a given color is not always very intuitive, but Count.cgi does provide a way to find the values for a given color. Refer to the rgb.txt paragraph in the Additional Tricks section below. |
frgb=x;x;x |
tr=B |
Transparency On/Off |
You can specify if your counter image will have a transparent color with the Boolean B. So tr=Y means there will be a transparent color; and tr=N means there will not. It does not matter if the GIF files used for the digits are "transparent"; you must specify explicitly which color to make transparent. If you specify a trgb=, then you do not need to specify tr=Y. Valid values for B are Y, N, T, F, 1, or 0. |
tr=N No Transparency |
md=X |
Max Digits |
Defines maximum number of digits to display. Any value between 5 and 10 inclusive are permitted. Padding with leading zeros is automatically done for you; longer counts are truncated to the given X. |
md=6 Without padding |
pad=B |
Padding with 0's |
Turn padding on/off in conjunction with md= setting. Valid values for the Boolean parameter B are Y, N, T, F, 1, or 0. |
pad=N Without specification of a md=value pad=Y With specification of a md=value |
dd=A |
Digit Directory |
Denotes directory of a specific styles of digits. Four styles of digits are suppiled. They are kept at the directories A,B,C and D respectively. Visit the digit mania page for other styles of digits. |
dd=A My green led digits |
st=X |
Start Count |
Used to set the initial value of the counter to some number X. This is only valid if you decided to allow automatic datafile creation. This is a bad practice to compile with this option, however it makes it easier to maintain the site. |
st=1 Count starts at 1 |
sh=B |
Show digits |
Used to turn display of digits on or off according to the Boolean B. When sh=T, counter will be displayed and incremented, this is the default behavior. If sh=F no digits will show, but the counter will still increment; instead of digits a transparent 1x1 GIF is displayed. Valid values for the Boolean parameter B are Y, N, T, F, 1, or 0 |
sh=Y |
df=data_file |
Datafile to store count |
Specifies the name of the file for storing the count in. The file must be allocated to you as was mentioned in the "Authorizations" section above. You can use df=random to display a random number. One special use of the parameter is df=RANDOM. This returns a random number using the fractional portion of the host's time of day clock as a seed for the generator. Unlike all other WWWcounter parameters, the file name provided is case-sensitive, except for the value random. Or Random, or rANDOM, etc. |
df=random if no datafile is specified |
incr=B |
Increment Count |
Makes it possible to display the current count without incrementing the count. This can be used to examine the count for reporting or other purposes without adding to the count. Valid values for the Boolean parameter B are Y, N, T, F, 1, or 0. |
incr=T Increment the counter on each invocation |
lit=X |
Display literal |
Makes it possible to display a given, predetermined value. Valid values for the string X are digits. |
None |
negate=B |
Negate the color |
Makes it possible to negate the color of the counter digits. Note that the Frame is exempted from negating. Valid values for the Boolean parameter B are Y, N, T, F, 1, or 0. |
negate=F Do not negate |
degrees=X |
Rotate X degrees |
Makes it possible to rotate the counter image X degree. The possible values of X is 90, 180, 270 and 360. Note 360 is meaningless as the counter will come back to the original 0 degree. |
degrees=270 With rotate=Y and without degrees=X rotate 270 degrees clockwise |
rotate=B |
Rotate On/Off |
The Boolean value B turns on or off rotating. If you use degrees= setting, rotate is not needed. Valid values for the Boolean parameter B are Y, N, T, F, 1, or 0. |
rotate=F Do not rotate |
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Copyright 1995 by Muhammad A Muquit. Permission to use, copy, modify and sell this program for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that this copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and the author's name not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific written prior permission. If the program is included in a book, publication or software distribution media for sale, the author must be notified about it.
This program is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty. The author disclaims all warranties with regard to this software, including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness, in no event shall the author Muhammad A. Muquit be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this software.
Note: This program is developed in my own time. My employer SEMCOR, Inc. has nothing to do with it.
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