Server Side Scripting refers to the process of executing scripts on the server side rather than on the client side. In this article, we will explore what server side scripting is, its advantages, and provide an example to help you understand it better.
Advantages of Server Side Scripting:
1. Increased Security: One of the major advantages of server side scripting is increased security. Since the scripts are executed on the server, sensitive information such as database credentials or API keys can be hidden from users.
2. Better Performance: Server side scripting helps improve performance by offloading processing tasks from the client’s machine to the server. This reduces the load on the client’s device and ensures a smooth user experience.
3. Easier Maintenance: With server side scripting, updates or changes can be made centrally on the server without requiring any modifications on individual client devices. This makes maintenance and updates easier and more efficient.
Example of Server Side Scripting:
Let’s take a look at a simple example to understand how server side scripting works.
Consider a web page that displays a user’s profile information after they log in. The profile information is stored in a database on the server. To fetch this information and display it on the web page, we can use server side scripting.
HTML Code:
“`html
Welcome to Your Profile
$username’s Profile
“;
echo “
- “;
- Name: ” . $profileData[‘name’] . “
- Email: ” . $profileData[’email’] .
“
- Age: ” . $profileData[‘age’] . “
echo “
“;
echo “
“;
echo “
“;
echo “
“;
?>
“`
Explanation:
In the above example, we have an HTML page that includes server side scripting in PHP. When the user visits this page after logging in, the server executes the PHP code and sends the processed HTML response to the client’s browser.
The server side script starts by retrieving the username from a session variable. It then calls a function `fetchProfileData()` to fetch the user’s profile data from a database.
The retrieved profile data is then displayed using HTML tags. The username is displayed as a subheader using an `
` tag, and the profile information is displayed as a list using `
` and `
- ` tags. The information is formatted with bold text using the `` tag for better readability.
Conclusion:
Server side scripting plays a crucial role in web development as it enables dynamic content generation, interaction with databases, and enhanced security. By executing scripts on the server side, we can deliver personalized and secure experiences to users while maintaining efficient performance.
By incorporating elements like bold text, underlined text, lists, and subheaders, we can create visually engaging content that is both informative and organized.
Conclusion:
Server side scripting plays a crucial role in web development as it enables dynamic content generation, interaction with databases, and enhanced security. By executing scripts on the server side, we can deliver personalized and secure experiences to users while maintaining efficient performance.
By incorporating elements like bold text, underlined text, lists, and subheaders, we can create visually engaging content that is both informative and organized.