What is WebRainbow?

WebRainbow is a dynamic Web page developing tool. The VB version supports HTTP 1.0 / 1.1, HTML, CGI 1.1, Netscape Cookie & SetCookie2. With functions exposed by WebRainbow, Visual Basic programmer can write Web Server Independent dynamic page, work with all Web server running under Microsoft Windows 2003 / XP / 2000 / NT 4 / ME / 98 / 95. It turns Visual Basic into true Web Programming Language, gives Visual Basic all of the Web programming capability as C/C++, Java, Perl do, and still keeps the natures of the Visual Basic -- easy for programming and fast for implementation.

Unique Features:

1. Reliability. Thanks to the technology the WebRainbow built on, WebRainbow is really reliable for 24 hours a day / 7 days a week running without any trouble. Even in the case of one access (instance) failed, the other accesses (instances) won't be affected. So the Website will run at the reliability level provided by Web Server.

2. Scalability. WebRainbow supports unlimited concurrent accesses. It can be running on Windows 2003 / XP / 2000 / NT, as well as Windows ME / 98 / 95, without extra specific hardware requirement. It is suitable for the enterprise as well as the small business.

3. Capacity. WebRainbow is capable to receive very large size of POSTed data and files as well as send very large size of data / files to the browser or client application with one HTTP request.

4. Web Server Independence. WebRainbow supports HTTP 1.0 / 1.1, HTML, CGI 1.1, Netscape Cookie & SetCookie2. The Web applications build on WebRainbow technology will work with all Web Server running under Microsoft Windows 2003 / XP /2000 / NT / ME / 98/ 95.

5. Static / Dynamic Separation. Each dynamic web page can be devided into static sections (such as head / foot) and dynamic sections (such as forms). WebRainbow's Static / Dynamic Separation technology allows you to keep all static sections in the separated individual files, and automatically merge them into the page on the way of page being sent to user. This is in contrast with Server Side Include (SSI) which includes dynamic section(s) in the static page. Using WebRainbow's Static / Dynamic Separation technology, the static paragraph does not need to be physically rewritten into the CGI script. You just design the page first, then divide it into static and dynamic sections, leave static sections in the file(s), pass filename to WebRainbow, that's it! WebRainbow will merge them together for you when the page is being accessed. Detailed information see section Only FORM merged into web application

6. Easy to Deploy. Only COPY / DELETE WebRainbow file(s), currently only WRnbwB.dll, are involved for the deployment. Detailed information see section Easy for Deployment with WebRainbow

Other Features:

1. WebRainbow VB version can be used for all editions of Visual Basic 5 and Visual Basic 6, as well as 32-bit version of Visual Basic 4. The Optional Parameter support is the only difference between Visual Basic 4 and Visual Basic 5 / 6. Detailed information see Note in section Processing HTML FORM

2. WebRainbow is highly integrated into Visual Basic development environment, all functions and constants exposed by WebRainbow can be accessed just like Visual Basic build in functions and constants.

3. WebRainbow supports both GET and POST request methods. The default request method is POST. WebRainbow can be set to automatically switch between GET and POST, let user to submit FORM data by either GET or POST.

4. WebRainbow is able to retrieve any content-types (either Text or Binary data) transmitted throught HTTP POST method. This makes web application easy to handle XML data transfer, capable for processing data through HTTP Transport for Secure Peer-to-Peer Business Data Interchange over the Internet.

5. WebRainbow supports file uploading and sending. This feature can be used to create real password protected file uploading / downloading. WebRainbow can automatically associate proper MIME type for widely used file type to the sending file.

6. WebRainbow can handle both Netscape and SetCookie2 cookie. The switch between these two version of cookies is automatically driven by browser. If browser supports SetCookie2 cookie, WebRainbow will send SetCookie2 cookie. Otherwise, the Netscape cookie will be sent. This feature really releases the headache of handling different version of cookie for Web programmer.

7. WebRainbow has a CGI header checker which is used for keeping CGI header consistency. Each time you send CGI header, WebRainbow will check CGI header consistency based on status code, to make the correct CGI headers be sent to user.

8. Last and most important feature: WebRainbow is easy to use.
   • It's internal logic make WebRainbow robust enough to generate proper Web page, even there is a logic mistake to call WebRainbow exposed functions.
   • Although WebRainbow exposed 34 functions, you can use
     • only two functions, GetFormData and CPrint, to create dynamic page which handles POSTed HTML FORM,
     • only three functions, SpecityContentType, GetFormData, SetCgiHeader, to let an application retrieve XML data transmitted through HTTP POST method.