ghgenhtml Manual

ghgenhtml is a utility in Glimpse HTTP that is usually called through the ghreindex script (created for each archive) that generates all the ghindex.html files. Rarely does this script need to be invoked separately. The ghindex.html files are the search forms used by Glimpse HTTP to search the archive.

ghgenhtml is invoked as:

    ghgenhtml <directory>
where <directory> is the root directory of the archive. ghgenhtml looks for the file archive.cfg in the specified directory. If the file exists, it is read for the archive information, and a ghindex.html file is generated for each subdirectory if so specified in the last field of the archive.cfg file.

The .ghtemplate.html file

The .ghtemplate.html file is used by ghgenhtml to create the ghindex.html files. Basically, macro substitution is done on the .ghtemplate.html file to generate the individual ghindex.html files.

When an archive is created using makegharc , the template file is copied from the ghtemplate.html file in the Glimpse HTTP binary directory (this directory is set during installation). The file is copied to the archive root directory, and is renamed to .ghtemplate.html.

The ghtemplate.html file in the Glimpse HTTP binary directory can be changed by the system administrator to change the format of all the default search pages for the site. The .ghtemplate.html files in each archive root directory can be edited to change the format of a search page for a particular archive.

Altering a template file

There are several macros in the template files. When ghgenhtml is run, the .ghtemplate.html file in the archive root directory is opened, and macro substitution is done for each macro encountered in the template file. When a macro name is encountered in the .ghtemplate.html file, ghgenhtml substitutes the proper field in the resulting ghindex.html files.

In the template files, macros must be on a line of their own. ghgenhtml looks for a line that contains the macro, and replaces that entire line with the appropriate text.

Macro syntax

Macros must be of the form:
    <!MACRO_NAME> 
Where MACRO_NAME is a valid macro name. Note that there must be a '!' before the name, as this is a valid html comment.

There cannot be any spaces anywhere in the tag. There can be spaces before or after the macro on that line, but remember that the entire line is replaced when the macro is replaced.

Macros include:

So to insert macro GH_TITLE, the tag:
    <!GH_TITLE>
Should occur in the template file where you would like the title to appear.

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Maintained by Michael Smith
glimpse@cs.arizona.edu