Kelly's Error.acgi is a replacement for the default error.html file used in your machttp.conf file. By configuring your WWW server to point to error.acgi in the machttp.conf file or the WebSTAR Admin application, many errors caused by invalid URLs can be corrected.
Error.acgi works by intercepting errors returned from your WWW server. It takes the requested URL and validates its path arguments and resolved file aliases. If the only problem with the URL is the lack of a trailing stash, then Error.acgi will append the necessary slash, send a redirection command to the requesting client application, and the correct document will be returned. For example, the following URL is invalid for this distribution because it does not have a trailing slash, but Error.acgi will intercept this error and correct the situation:
/teaching/manuscript(Note: if you are not reading this document through a WWW server, then the example above will not work.)
If the requested URL is incorrect altogether, then Error.acgi will return either your standard error.html file, or a file you create by editing the Error.acgi with ResEdit. What is really useful about this server enhancement is that it will return the offending URL as well as the referring URL (if existent) of the referring HTML document. For example, the following URL is also invalid for this server:
/teaching/tricks/Error.acgi is a utility well worth your exploration.
Eric last edited this page on September 26, 1995. Please feel free to send comments.