# Weather Watcher Lite README File
# Version 1.1
# README
# By Mike Calabrese
# http://www.mikecalabrese.com
# 04-28-2004

# This program is available for free on an AS-IS basis.  I am not
# responsible for consequential damages, loss of income or whatever
# else that may happen as a result of the use of this program.

This program allows weather watchers to post weather information 
about their area to an online spreadsheet via an online form.
The program consists of 2 Perl scripts and 2 HTML forms.  This
README file will explain how to configure these scripts as well as 
some possible enhancements for the program.  This program has been 
tested successfully in both UNIX and LINUX environments. A full blown 
version of this program will be available soon that includes an admin 
area as well as different views of the resulting spreadsheet.  This 
version will cost $$.

If you downloaded the tarred and compressed version of this program,
the directory structures are essentially in place.  You just have to place 
the directory weatherwatcher_lite_docs where your HTML documents reside and 
the directory weatherwatcher_lite_cgi where within your cgi directory.  
If you elected to get the files for this program via the email Perl script, 
you will have to set up the directory structures for the program as follows:

weatherwatcher_lite_docs
  weatherwatcher_lite.html
  weatherwatcher_lite_template.html

weatherwatcher_lite_cgi
  user_submit1.pl
  user_submit2.pl

If you got the program via the tar.Z download this structure is already
in place for you.  Generally speaking, all directories and files should be
chmodded to 755.

On all of the Perl scripts be sure that your path to Perl is correct and
that the Perl reference is the first line of the script.  You can find
your correct path to Perl by typing which perl at the command line.

The only configuration required is in the Perl script user_submit2.pl.  
It is here that you have to specify the exact UNIX path to your 
Weather Watchers Spreadsheet:

$spreadsheetpath="exact/UNIX/path/to/weatherwatcher_lite_docs";

as well as the url to this spreadsheet:

$spreadsheeturl="http://www.yourdomain.com/weatherwatcher_lite/weatherwatcher_lite.html";

This is an overall description of how the program works:
Weather Watchers initially access the page user_submit1.pl, input their 
weather information, then submit it to user_submit2.pl .  user_submit2.pl 
receives this input, then opens the file weatherwatcher_lite.html and 
copies it's contents into an array.  It then starts writing the contents 
back to this file until it comes across a tag called: 
<!--begin-->
The program then inserts the weather information submited by the user and 
places the <!--begin--> tag at the end of their 
post.

Each night you can archive the weatherwatcher_lite.html form by manually 
saving it and creating a link to that  form, then copying the form 
weatherwatcher_lite_template.html to weatherwatcher_lite.html to have a 
fresh form for the next day.  One could also write a cron and a shell 
script to do this on an automated basis as well.

These scripts have been successfully tested on UNIX and Linux operating 
systems.