AutoScripter(tm) - Visitor Counter


Perl and JavaScript combine to make a very small utility to display the number of visitors to your site. You need a Frameset document. The initial document loaded in a "hidden" pane (ROWS=0,* or COLS=0,*) of the Frameset document calls the Perl script which adds a single byte to a "log" file which is then assessed with a stat()[7] call which returns its present size in bytes. Unless the entire frame is reloaded, each visitor is only tallied once per visit. The Perl script then writes HTML directly to the same hidden pane which can be read by any page at your site to display the current visitor count. The windows below contain the Perl and the two HTML documents which can be further tailored as needed.

Here is the Perl - named "vc.cgi" #!/usr/local/bin/perl # Modify the path above to correspond to path to perl on # your own server # Perl/JavaScript visitor counter # This 254 byte non-intrusive script writes a single # character (a space) to a file we've named "vc.log" # in the same directory on your server in which this # perl script resides. It then uses a stat()[7] call # to obtain the new size of that file. Finally, it # writes the current size to a hidden form in a hidden # pane at your web site. JavaScript can then read that # value to display as desired on screen. MAIN: { $\|=1; open(FILE, ">>vc\.log"); print(FILE " "); close(FILE); $f=(stat("vc\.log"))[7]; print STDOUT "Content-type: text/html\n\n<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR=WHITE><FORM><INPUT TYPE=HIDDEN VALUE=\"$f\"><\/FORM><\/HTML>"; exit; }
Here you can get the HTML for your Frameset Document Client's Website Title (optional) Your Name (optional): Your copyright info (optional):


And here is the JavaScript to be put on your Web Page:

© Copyright 1994-2007 John H. and Erika E. Keyes and John-Michael M. Keyes.