Hello,

I'm trying to build an interface for a program so that it could be used as a command line, a GUI or a CGI. For the CGI, I use powutils 1.7.1, FPC 2.2.0 and Lazarus 0.9.24. I mean that the same executable should be used either as a CGI, a command line or a GUI.

Currently I have kept separated in different unit each user interface (see the code below). But, at execution, if there is an execution error, it always open message box. Therefore, even in command line, the software requires GUI libraries be there (GTK for instance) and it simply does not work as a CGI.

Do you see a more clever solution? Otherwise, the only solution I see is to keep all three interfaces in separate executable.

Thanks in advance,
Gilles Marcou

program Predictor;
{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
uses
  {$IFDEF UNIX}{$IFDEF UseCThreads}
  cthreads,
  {$ENDIF}{$ENDIF}
  //{ you can add units after this },
  Classes, sysutils, UnitRunGUI, UnitRunCMD, UnitRunCGI;
type
    TRuntype=(CGI,CMD,GUI,UNK);
var
   cfg: TStringList;
   rt: TRuntype;
begin
  cfg:=TStringList.Create;
  cfg.LoadFromFile('cfg');
  rt:=UNK;
  if (cfg[0]='CGI') then
     rt:=CGI
  else if (cfg[0]='CMD') then
       rt:=CMD
  else if (cfg[0]='GUI') then
       rt:=GUI;
  FreeAndNil(cfg);
  if (rt=GUI) then
     RunGUI
  else if (rt=CMD) then
       RunCMD
  else if (rt=CGI) then
       RunCGI;
end.
-------
unit UnitRunGUI;
{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
interface
uses
  Classes, SysUtils, Interfaces, Forms, UnitPredictor;
procedure RunGUI;
implementation
procedure RunGUI;
begin
     Application.Initialize;
     Application.CreateForm(TFormPredictor, FormPredictor);
     Application.Run;
end;
end.
--------
unit UnitRunCGI;
{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
interface
uses
  Classes, SysUtils, pwinit, pwmain;
procedure RunCGI;
implementation
procedure RunCGI;
begin
     outln('CGI: Not yet supported');
end;
end.
--------
unit UnitRunCMD;
{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
interface
uses
  Classes, SysUtils;
procedure RunCMD;
implementation
procedure RunCMD;
begin
     writeln('CMD: Not supported yet');
end;
end.

Did you find / define a Widget set that is compatible for a local GUI and a GCI that is supposed to be connected via HTML ?

-Michael

Gilles MARCOU het geskryf:

I'm trying to build an interface for a program so that it could be used as a command line, a GUI or a CGI. For the CGI, I use powutils 1.7.1, FPC 2.2.0 and Lazarus 0.9.24. I mean that the same executable should be used either as a CGI, a command line or a GUI.

I can't see this working - I went through the same problem with the tiOPF project.

If you create a CGI application that pulls in the Forms unit for example. Then try and run that CGI project thourgh a web server that doesn't have X Window System installed, the program will fail with "DISPLAY has not been set" error.

In the case of tiOPF. I was trying to run the console Test Suite on a headless Linux box. I had to first clean up the tiOPF code, to NOT include GUI units in the core tiopf unit. Then only did my console application run correctly on the headless linux box.

Regards,
- Graeme -

If you really have a console-only program, you shoudn't use any lcl-units (that pulls in the forms unit) in your program. That'll solve the problem.

Do you see a more clever solution? Otherwise, the only solution I see is to keep all three interfaces in separate executable.

Or you can select the 'nogui' widgetset in Lazarus. That'll also solve your problem.

Joost

Gilles MARCOU pisze:

You have to change all automatic initialization of visual components and make all linking with GUI libraries dynamic. That i no easy. But you can invoke second executable from this console (distribute 2 file, but always invoke the same)

Do you see a more clever solution? Otherwise, the only solution I see is to keep all three interfaces in separate executable.

This is not problem to have separate executable, only have one source to both GUI.
I made program which can work as desktop and as web-based (FCGI or standalone web server)
Each form is create dynamical in runtime, source is one, but in compile time:
1 for desktop: clasic units from LCL (or rather VCL, on windows I use Delphi)
2.for web-base different set of units to handle web, but with the same API as VCL

Darek

Hi,

thank you for your very fast answers.

Joost, I had an application that worked as GUI (my boss likes GUI), then my colleagues asked me for a command line and my boss asked for a CGI... I resulted in 3 separate projects which is impossible to maintain -I'm not well enough organized. So I wanted to fuse all projects in one application which, according to a config file would run as a CGI, console application or GUI.

So, yes, if the application is console only, there is no problem. But it should, idealy, be running also as GUI. However, I did not understood what is the 'nogui' widgetset and how can I use it? It sounds promising! I think it is in alpha release in Lazarus 0.9.26, that's it?

Michael, the widgetset I'm using is GTK usually. I am using my computer with a local installation of Apache to test my CGI; in that case, the widgetset is obviously compatible. On the webserver, I recompiled from scratch, but it does not work neither. In both cases, I got an "Internal Server Error" message from Apache. In the log of Apache, I found that the CGI ended prematurely because GTK could open display.

I believe Graeme is right. As long as I do not trigger any GUI unit, the CGI works fine. Using the suggestion of Graeme, I ended up with a solution at compile time. I enclose in the main program three user interfaces with $DEFINE and I select the needed one with the option -d<x> of the compiler. Using the same units as in my previous post, I can fuse all my projets compiling the code with option -dGUImode for a GUI application, -dCMDmode for console application, -dCGImode for CGI application -see the code at the end of the post.

Yet it is not as satisfactory as deciding at compile time rather than deciding at run time. I'm open to all suggestions.

Thanks for your help,
Gilles Marcou

program Predictor;
{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
uses
  {$IFDEF UNIX}{$IFDEF UseCThreads}
  cthreads,
  {$ENDIF}{$ENDIF}
  //{ you can add units after this },
  Classes, sysutils,
  {$IFDEF GUImode}UnitRunGUI;{$ENDIF}
  {$IFDEF CMDmode}UnitRunCMD;{$ENDIF}
  {$IFDEF CGImode}UnitRunCGI;{$ENDIF}
begin
  {$IFDEF GUImode}RunGUI;{$ENDIF}
  {$IFDEF CMDmode}RunCMD;{$ENDIF}
  {$IFDEF CGImode}RunCGI;{$ENDIF}
end.

How do you do this?
I want to do exactly the same... having 2 exe, one for desktop and one for web without doubling the work (from the same sources). I was thinking on using Intraweb (or VCL for the web in delphi)... but, what are you using for the web with FPC?
I want to move to FPC from delphi, but I see no viable alternative to Intraweb in FPC (and Lazarus).
Do you have any sample source I could see?

Thanks

Horacio

Horacio Jamilis pisze:

webserver from synapse, but with several modification (current is much faster)
own framework as I write upper,it contain replacement for units controls, forms, stdctrl of course only this part which I need, but its work

I want to move to FPC from delphi, but I see no viable alternative to Intraweb in FPC (and Lazarus).

Indy don't work properly on linux,
Intraweb is so complicated and very heavy

Do you have any sample source I could see?

http://www.emadar.com/fpc/xwebdemo.zip

its very simple demo with all libraries
but some text are in polish,
fell free to ask, i've try to translate or explain

In our previous episode, Dariusz Mazur said:

> I want to move to FPC from delphi, but I see no viable alternative to > Intraweb in FPC (and Lazarus). Indy don't work properly on linux,

What's the problem?

Marco van de Voort pisze:

webserver was no stable,
maybe something was change, I swich to Synapse two years ago and i think Synapse is faster (I don't make any test, but only about look to source)

I tried to compile the demo project with Delphi 2007 (because I saw a .dpr file)... but it seems that a couple of required files are missing... aka: kom2, kom3 ... and may be others.
I really like to see this working...

Could you fix te problems or may be send me this files? and the command to compile with fpc?
Thanks.

Horacio

Horacio Jamilis pisze:

I've update xwebdemo,
it contains compiled version too
if any problems, tell me

On FPC all should be OK, maybe except dpr file and synapse (zip does not contain whole)
ex: FPC testmobile.dpr

Thanks, I will test it.

Horacio