    indexing
    	description: "Access to information provided by a user through an HTML form. This class may be used as ancestor by classes needing its facilities."
    	legal: "See notice at end of class."
    	status: "See notice at end of class."
    	date: "$Date: 2006-01-22 18:25:44 -0800 (Sun, 22 Jan 2006) $"
    	revision: "$Revision: 56675 $"

    deferred class interface
    	CGI_INTERFACE

    feature -- Initialization

    	make
    			-- Initiate input data parsing and process information.

    feature -- Access

    	button_value (field_name: STRING_8; overriding_value: STRING_8): BOOLEAN
    			-- Is Button relative to 'field_name' selected ?
    			-- (from CGI_FORMS)
    		require -- from CGI_FORMS
    			field_not_void: field_name /= Void
    			field_exists: field_defined (field_name)

    	generating_type: STRING_8
    			-- Name of current object's generating type
    			-- (type of which it is a direct instance)
    			-- (from ANY)

    	generator: STRING_8
    			-- Name of current object's generating class
    			-- (base class of the type of which it is a direct instance)
    			-- (from ANY)

    	menu_values (field_name: STRING_8): LINKED_LIST [STRING_8]
    			-- Selected values for a list, whose name
    			-- is 'field_name'.
    			-- (from CGI_FORMS)
    		require -- from CGI_FORMS
    			field_not_void: field_name /= Void
    			field_exists: field_defined (field_name)
    		ensure -- from CGI_FORMS
    			value_exists: Result /= Void

    	output: STDOUT
    			-- Shared standard output.
    			-- (from CGI_IN_AND_OUT)

    	response_header: CGI_RESPONSE_HEADER
    			-- (from CGI_IN_AND_OUT)

    	stdin: STDIN
    			-- Shared standard input
    			-- (from CGI_IN_AND_OUT)

    	text_field_value (field_name: STRING_8): STRING_8
    			-- First (unique?) value for a text field.
    			-- Applies for a password and a text area too.
    			-- (from CGI_FORMS)
    		require -- from CGI_FORMS
    			field_not_void: field_name /= Void
    			field_exists: field_defined (field_name)
    		ensure -- from CGI_FORMS
    			value_exists: Result /= Void

    feature -- Comparison

    	frozen deep_equal (some: ANY; other: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
    			-- Are `some' and `other' either both void
    			-- or attached to isomorphic object structures?
    			-- (from ANY)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			shallow_implies_deep: standard_equal (some, other) implies Result
    			both_or_none_void: (some = Void) implies (Result = (other = Void))
    			same_type: (Result and (some /= Void)) implies some.same_type (other)
    			symmetric: Result implies deep_equal (other, some)

    	frozen equal (some: ANY; other: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
    			-- Are `some' and `other' either both void or attached
    			-- to objects considered equal?
    			-- (from ANY)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			definition: Result = (some = Void and other = Void) or else ((some /= Void and other /= Void) and then some.is_equal (other))

    	is_equal (other: like Current): BOOLEAN
    			-- Is `other' attached to an object considered
    			-- equal to current object?
    			-- (from ANY)
    		require -- from ANY
    			other_not_void: other /= Void
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			symmetric: Result implies other.is_equal (Current)
    			consistent: standard_is_equal (other) implies Result

    	frozen standard_equal (some: ANY; other: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
    			-- Are `some' and `other' either both void or attached to
    			-- field-by-field identical objects of the same type?
    			-- Always uses default object comparison criterion.
    			-- (from ANY)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			definition: Result = (some = Void and other = Void) or else ((some /= Void and other /= Void) and then some.standard_is_equal (other))

    	frozen standard_is_equal (other: like Current): BOOLEAN
    			-- Is `other' attached to an object of the same type
    			-- as current object, and field-by-field identical to it?
    			-- (from ANY)
    		require -- from ANY
    			other_not_void: other /= Void
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			same_type: Result implies same_type (other)
    			symmetric: Result implies other.standard_is_equal (Current)

    feature -- Status report

    	conforms_to (other: ANY): BOOLEAN
    			-- Does type of current object conform to type
    			-- of `other' (as per Eiffel: The Language, chapter 13)?
    			-- (from ANY)
    		require -- from ANY
    			other_not_void: other /= Void

    	same_type (other: ANY): BOOLEAN
    			-- Is type of current object identical to type of `other'?
    			-- (from ANY)
    		require -- from ANY
    			other_not_void: other /= Void
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			definition: Result = (conforms_to (other) and other.conforms_to (Current))

    feature -- Duplication

    	copy (other: like Current)
    			-- Update current object using fields of object attached
    			-- to `other', so as to yield equal objects.
    			-- (from ANY)
    		require -- from ANY
    			other_not_void: other /= Void
    			type_identity: same_type (other)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			is_equal: is_equal (other)

    	frozen deep_copy (other: like Current)
    			-- Effect equivalent to that of:
    			--		copy (`other' . deep_twin)
    			-- (from ANY)
    		require -- from ANY
    			other_not_void: other /= Void
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			deep_equal: deep_equal (Current, other)

    	frozen deep_twin: like Current
    			-- New object structure recursively duplicated from Current.
    			-- (from ANY)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			deep_equal: deep_equal (Current, Result)

    	frozen standard_copy (other: like Current)
    			-- Copy every field of `other' onto corresponding field
    			-- of current object.
    			-- (from ANY)
    		require -- from ANY
    			other_not_void: other /= Void
    			type_identity: same_type (other)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			is_standard_equal: standard_is_equal (other)

    	frozen standard_twin: like Current
    			-- New object field-by-field identical to `other'.
    			-- Always uses default copying semantics.
    			-- (from ANY)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			standard_twin_not_void: Result /= Void
    			equal: standard_equal (Result, Current)

    	frozen twin: like Current
    			-- New object equal to `Current'
    			-- twin calls copy; to change copying/twining semantics, redefine copy.
    			-- (from ANY)
    		ensure -- from ANY
    			twin_not_void: Result /= Void
    			is_equal: Result.is_equal (Current)

    feature -- Basic operations

    	frozen default: like Current
    			-- Default value of object's type
    			-- (from ANY)

    	frozen default_pointer: POINTER
    			-- Default value of type `POINTER'
    			-- (Avoid the need to write `p'.default for
    			-- some `p' of type `POINTER'.)
    			-- (from ANY)

    	default_rescue
    			-- Process exception for routines with no Rescue clause.
    			-- (Default: do nothing.)
    			-- (from ANY)

    	frozen do_nothing
    			-- Execute a null action.
    			-- (from ANY)

    feature -- Advanced Access

    	fields: ARRAY [STRING_8]
    			-- Names of fields in the form.
    			-- (from CGI_FORMS)

    	value_count (field_name: STRING_8): INTEGER_32
    			-- Number of values for a field.
    			-- (from CGI_FORMS)
    		require -- from CGI_FORMS
    			field_not_void: field_name /= Void
    			field_exists: field_defined (field_name)
    		ensure -- from CGI_FORMS
    			valid_count: Result >= 0

    	value_list (field_name: STRING_8): LINKED_LIST [STRING_8]
    			-- List of values for a field.
    			-- (from CGI_FORMS)
    		require -- from CGI_FORMS
    			field_not_void: field_name /= Void
    			field_exists: field_defined (field_name)
    		ensure -- from CGI_FORMS
    			valid_count: Result.count = value_count (field_name)

    feature -- Basic Operations

    	handle_exception
    			-- General exception hanlding.
    			-- (from CGI_ERROR_HANDLING)

    	raise_error (msg: STRING_8)
    			-- Raise an error.
    			-- (from CGI_ERROR_HANDLING)
    		require -- from CGI_ERROR_HANDLING
    			message_exists: msg /= Void
    		ensure -- from CGI_ERROR_HANDLING
    			exists: raised_error /= Void

    feature -- Cookies

    	cookies: HASH_TABLE [STRING_8, STRING_8]
    			-- Cookie Information relative to data.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    feature -- Environment variable setting

    	set_environment_variable (variable, val: STRING_8)
    			-- Set environment variable `variable' to `val'.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)
    		require -- from CGI_ENVIRONMENT
    			valid_variable: variable /= Void and then variable.count > 0
    			valid_value: val /= Void

    feature -- Headerline based environment variables

    	http_accept: STRING_8
    			-- MIME types which the client will accept.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	http_user_agent: STRING_8
    			-- Browser the client is using to send the request.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    feature -- Miscellanous

    	execute
    			-- Process user provided information.

    	set_environment
    			-- Set environment variable to user value.

    feature -- Not request-specific environment variables

    	gateway_interface: STRING_8
    			-- Revision of the CGI specification to which this server complies.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	server_name: STRING_8
    			-- Server's hostname, DNS alias, or IP address.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	server_software: STRING_8
    			-- Name and version of information server answering the request.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    feature -- Output

    	io: STD_FILES
    			-- Handle to standard file setup
    			-- (from ANY)

    	out: STRING_8
    			-- New string containing terse printable representation
    			-- of current object
    			-- Was declared in ANY as synonym of tagged_out.
    			-- (from ANY)

    	print (some: ANY)
    			-- Write terse external representation of `some'
    			-- on standard output.
    			-- (from ANY)

    	frozen tagged_out: STRING_8
    			-- New string containing terse printable representation
    			-- of current object
    			-- Was declared in ANY as synonym of out.
    			-- (from ANY)

    feature -- Platform

    	operating_environment: OPERATING_ENVIRONMENT
    			-- Objects available from the operating system
    			-- (from ANY)

    feature -- Report

    	field_defined (field_name: STRING_8): BOOLEAN
    			-- Is field `field_name' defined?
    			-- (from CGI_FORMS)
    		require -- from CGI_FORMS
    			filed_name_not_void: field_name /= Void

    feature -- Request specific environment variables

    	auth_type: STRING_8
    			-- Protocol-specific authentication method used to validate user.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	content_length: STRING_8
    			-- Length of the said content as given by the client.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	content_type: STRING_8
    			-- Content type of data.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	path_info: STRING_8
    			-- Extra path information, as given by the client.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	path_translated: STRING_8
    			-- Translated version of PATH_INFO provided by server.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	query_string: STRING_8
    			-- Information which follows ? in URL referencing CGI program.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	remote_addr: STRING_8
    			-- IP address of the remote host making the request.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	remote_host: STRING_8
    			-- Hostname making the request.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	remote_ident: STRING_8
    			-- User name retrieved from server if RFC 931 supported.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	remote_user: STRING_8
    			-- Username, if applicable.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	request_method: STRING_8
    			-- Method with which the request was made.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	script_name: STRING_8
    			-- Virtual path to the script being executed.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	server_port: STRING_8
    			-- Port number to which request was sent.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    	server_protocol: STRING_8
    			-- Name and revision of information protocol of this request.
    			-- (from CGI_ENVIRONMENT)

    invariant
    		-- from ANY
    	reflexive_equality: standard_is_equal (Current)
    	reflexive_conformance: conforms_to (Current)

    indexing
    	copyright: "Copyright (c) 1984-2006, Eiffel Software and others"
    	license: "Eiffel Forum License v2 (see http://www.eiffel.com/licensing/forum.txt)"
    	source: "[
    		Eiffel Software
    		356 Storke Road, Goleta, CA 93117 USA
    		Telephone 805-685-1006, Fax 805-685-6869
    		Website http://www.eiffel.com
    		Customer support http://support.eiffel.com
    	]"

    end -- class CGI_INTERFACE