Extron electronic IPL T PC1i manual Custom Web Pages, Server Side Includes SSIs, Query strings

Custom Web Pages

On the IPL T PC1, custom web pages are supported. You can determine the layout and appearance of the pages displayed on your screen. Server side includes (SSIs) enable you to obtain information from the unit and display the information on web pages. Query strings allow you to send information and commands to the unit to change its configuration or provide you with feedback (see “Query strings,” below).

Server Side Includes (SSIs)

Server side includes are a type of HTML comment that directs the web server to dynamically generate data for a web page whenever it is requested. SSIs typically use SIS commands to communicate with the products or attached control devices. Using SSIs, you can design and display custom pages, with PC1 information provided by the SIS commands (see the “SIS Programming and Control” section for these commands).

The basic format for an Extron SSI is <!—#echovar=”x”—>, where x is the SIS command to be executed.

When a web page is requested, the web server removes the SSI and replaces it with the answer to the SIS command within quotes.

Server Side Include Using the Host SIS command

	SIS Command
<!--#echo var="	N	"-->
	SIS command
	to be processed
*type with no spaces	by the IP Link

Figure 32. Example of the SSI Command

In the figure above, the N command is used to request the PC1 part number.

Query strings

A query string is the portion of a URL that appears after the question mark. The query string contains parameters or instructions for the web server to execute. The basic format for a query string within a link is:

<a href=”index.html?cmd=x”>Receptacle 1</a>

where x is the SIS command to be executed.

When a link is accessed on a web page, the URL is passed to the web server to tell it which web page to return to the browser. The portion of the URL after the question mark is the query string, which contains the SIS command that the IPL T PC1 will remove and execute.

Like SSI formatted commands, query strings can use any valid SIS command.

The query string in the figure below turns off DHCP on the IP Link device.

SIS Command*

<a href="index.html	?	cmd=
HTML Code	Starts	Tells web server
	query string.
for a Link		that SIS
		command follows.

W1*1PC	">	Receptacle on	</a>
SIS Command	HTML Code	Linked Text	Closes
To Be Processed	for a Link		link.
by the IP Link

*Enter with no spaces.

Figure 33. Example of a URL with a Query String Using an SIS Command

IPL T PC1 • HTML Configuration and Control 40