Chapter 1
Introduction

[p]This chapter provides an overview of the Lasso 8.5 product line, documentation, and learning resources available at LassoSoft. [/p]

• The Lasso 8.5 Product Line introduces the full range of Lasso 8 products and how they relate to Lasso Professional Server.
• Lasso Documentation describes all documentation included with Lasso Professional Server.
• Lasso 8.5 Setup Guide describes the sections of the book you are reading now.
• Documentation Conventions includes information about typographic conventions used within the documentation.
• Learning Resources provides pointers to resources where you can learn more about using and programming Lasso Professional Server.
• Usage Rights includes important information about usage rights for Lasso Professional Server.

The Lasso 8.5 Product Line

[p]The Lasso product line consists of authoring and serving tools that allow Web designers and Web developers to quickly build and serve powerful data-driven Web sites with maximum productivity and ease. The product line includes Lasso Professional Server for building, serving, and administering data-driven Web sites, and Lasso Studio™ for building and testing data-driven Web sites within a graphical editor. [/p]

[p]Lasso’s innovative architecture provides an industry first multi-platform, database-independent and open standards approach to delivering database-driven Web sites firmly positioning Lasso technology within the rapidly evolving server-side Web tools market. Lasso technology is used at hundreds of thousands of Web sites worldwide. [/p]

Lasso Professional Server

[p]Lasso Professional Server is used for building, serving, and administering data-driven Web sites. It consists of a core Lasso Service application and several Lasso Connectors which establish links to Web servers and data sources. Lasso Professional Server is available for Mac OS X, Red Hat Linux, Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Server 2003. Lasso Professional Server has the following components. [/p]

• Lasso Service – The core application or Web Data Engine.
• SQLite – The internal data source of Lasso Professional Servechar.
• Lasso Connector for Apache – Allows Lasso solutions to run via the built-in Apache Web server on Mac OS X or Red Hat Linux or with Apache 2 on any platform.
• Lasso Connector for IIS – Allows Lasso solutions to run via Microsoft’s Internet Information Services on Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2000, or Windows Server 2003.
• Lasso Connector for WebSTAR V – Allows Lasso solutions to run via 4D’s WebSTAR V Server Suite on Mac OS X.
• Lasso Connector for J2EE – Allows Lasso solutions to run via J2EE compatible servers.
• Lasso Data Source Connectors – Allow Lasso to connect to a wide range of data sources including: MySQL, FileMaker Pro 4.x, 5.x, or 6.x, FileMaker Server Advanced 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, FileMaker Server 9.x, PostgreSQL, Oracle, OpenBase, Microsoft SQL Server, and SQLite. In addition data sources can be accessed through ODBC or JDBC. Lasso also provides access to Spotlight on Mac OS X.

Lasso Developer

[p]Lasso Developer is a single-user edition of Lasso that can be used by a single developer to create and test interactive Web sites on their own machine. Lasso Developer has a limitation so only 5 client IP addresses can access it and a per minute transaction limit. [/p]

[p]Any installation of Lasso will default to Lasso Developer functionality when it is run without a serial number. [/p]

Lasso Studio

[p]Lasso Studio is an optional Web development tool for Lasso. It consists of Lasso Developer plus a set of extensions for either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Adobe GoLive that include drag-and-drop LassoScript objects and various builders and editors. Lasso Studio has the following features. [/p]

• Lasso Connectors for Dreamweaver or GoLive – Allows Lasso Studio to communicate with Lasso Professional Server.
• [def]Builders[/def] – Construct data-driven sites, HTML forms, URLs, and inlines within a simple, dialog-driven interface.
• Objects – Display Lasso code as icons within the design view of the authoring program.
• Property Inspectors – Allow tags to be modified without typing code.
• Syntax Checking and Conversion – Allows you to debug pages before uploading them to your Web server and to convert pages from older syntax to the most current syntax.

Lasso Studio for Eclipse

[p]Lasso Studio for Eclipse is a development tool which installs into the Eclipse integrated development environment and provides advanced tools for creating and debugging Lasso pages. Lasso Studio for Eclipse includes an integrated debugger, advanced editing and outlining tools, and more. Solutions built using Lasso Studio are deployed using the full, multi-user version of Lasso Professional Server 8. [/p]

Lasso Documentation

[p]The documentation for Lasso Professional Server is divided into several different references available in print and electronic formats. All documentation, with the exception of the Lasso 8 Reference, is included in PDF format inside the [code]Lasso Professional 8/Documentation[/code] folder installed on your hard drive. The following manuals and resources are included. [/p]

• Lasso 8.5 Setup Guide – This is the book you are reading now, and is the first guide to the Lasso 8.5 product line you should read. It includes documentation of the architecture of Lasso, installation and configuration instructions, documentation for the administration interface, and provides an introduction to building and serving Lasso solutions.
• Lasso 8.5 Language Guide – The documentation of LassoScript, the language used to access data sources, specify programming logic, and much more. This is the core resource for learning how to build Lasso solutions. Also includes a collection of documentation and sample projects which allow you to extend the capabilities of Lasso in C, C++, Java, and LassoScript.
• Lasso 8.5 Reference – Provides detailed documentation of each tag in LassoScript. This is the definitive reference to the language of Lasso 8.5. This reference is provided as a LassoApp installed with Lasso Professional Server, and is also available as an online resource from the LassoSoft Web site.

[p]Additional bound and printed copies of each manual may be purchased at [code]http://store.lassosoft.com[/code]. [/p]

[p]Comments, suggestions, or corrections to the documentation are appreciated and may be sent to [code]documentation@lassosoft.com[/code]. [/p]

Lasso 8.5 Setup Guide

[p]This book contains the following sections and chapters which detail how to set up, install, configure, and administer Lasso Professional Server and Lasso Developer. [/p]

Section I – Lasso Overview

• Chapter 1: Introduction introduces the Lasso 8.5 Setup Guide and other documentation.
• Chapter 2: About Lasso 8.5 introduces the Lasso 8.5 product line and describes the components, features, and architecture of Lasso Professional Server and Lasso Developer.

Section II – Installation

• Chapter 3: Configuring on Mac OS X provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Lasso on Mac OS X.
• Chapter 4: Configuring on Windows provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Lasso on Windows operating systems.
• Chapter 5: Configuring on Linux provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Lasso on Red Hat Linux.
• Chapter 6: Upgrading provides step-by-step instructions for upgrading from a previous version of Lasso.

Section III – Server Administration

• Chapter 7: Using Server Administration describes accessing and using the Web-based administration interface of Lasso Professional Server and Lasso Developer.
• Chapter 8: Setting Server Preferences provides instructions on how to set server preferences for Lasso.
• Chapter 9: Setting Up Sites provides an introduction to the multi-site features of Lasso and how to set up multiple sites and site criteria.
• Chapter 10: Server Utilities describes how to use Server Administration utilities.

Section IV – Site Administration

• Chapter 11: Using Site Administration describes accessing and using the Web-based administration interface of Lasso Professional Server and Lasso Developer.
• Chapter 12: Setting Site Preferences provides instructions on how to set site preferences for Lasso.
• Chapter 13: Setting Up Data Sources provides instructions on how to configure MySQL, FileMaker Pro, PostgreSQL, Oracle, OpenBase, Microsoft SQL Server, Spotlight, and ODBC or JDBC-compliant data sources. Also contains documentation of the internal SQLite data source in Lasso.
• Chapter 14: Setting Up Security contains complete documentation of the security features of Lasso including their theory of operation and step-by-step configuration instructions.
• Chapter 15: Site Utilities describes how to use Site Administration utilities, including SQLite tools, email, event scheduling, and error reporting.
• Chapter 16: Building and Browsing Databases describes accessing and using the Lasso Database Browser, which is a LassoApp included with Lasso Professional Server. The Lasso Database Browser allows the administrator to interact with and test configured databases, as well as create new databases using a Web-based interface.

Appendices

• Appendix A: Glossary contains a list of definitions for technical terms covered in this book.
• Appendix B: License Agreement contains the Lasso Professional Server license agreement.
• Appendix C: Copyright Notices contains copyright notices for components used in Lasso.

Documentation Conventions

[p]This documentation uses several conventions in order to make finding information easier. [/p]

Definitions

[p]Definitions are indicated using a bold, sans-serif type face for the defined word. This makes it easy to find defined terms within a page. Terms are defined the first time they are used. [/p]

Cross References

[p]Cross references are indicated by an italicized, sans-serif typeface. For instance, the next section in this chapter is Customer Support. When necessary, arrows are used to define a path into a chapter such as Chapter 1: Introduction > Learning Resources. [/p]

Code

[p]Code is formatted in a narrow, sans-serif font. Code includes HTML tags, Lasso tags, and any text which should be typed into a Lasso page. Code is represented within the body text (e.g., [code][Field][/code] or [code]<body>[/code]), or is specified in its own section of text as follows: [/p]

[pre][Field: 'Company'] [/pre]

[p]Code Results represent the results after code is processed. They are indicated by a black arrow, and will usually be the value that is sent to the client’s Web browser. The following text could be the result of the code example above. [/p]

[pre] LassoSoft[def] [/def][/pre]

[p]Lasso tags always appear in code format exactly as they appear except when referring to a group of related tags. For example, [code]-Encoding…[/code] refers to all of the encoding keywords ([code]-EncodeNone, -EncodeHTML,[/code] etc.). Also, member tags are always referred to beginning with their data type followed by the member tag symbol. For example, the member tag for specifying a character in a text string is referred to as [code][String->Get][/code]. [/p]

File Paths

[p]File Paths can be local or fully-qualified file path on either Windows or Mac OS X and are formatted using the same font as code. File paths are represented within the body text (e.g., ///[code]Applications/Lasso Professional 8/Admin [/code]or [code]C:Inetpubwwwroot[/code]), or are specified in their own section of text as follows: [/p]

[pre]C:Program FilesOmniPilot SoftwareLasso Professional Server [/pre]

[p]File paths in Mac OS X contain forward slashes ([code]/[/code]), while file paths for Windows contain backward slashes (). If a partial file path is identical on Mac OS X and Windows, then the file path will be shown once with forward slashes ([code]/[/code]). [/p]

Procedures

[p]The documentation assumes a task-oriented approach. The contents following a task heading will provide step-by-step instructions for the specific task. [/p]

To perform a specific task:

1. This is the first step of the task.

2. This is the second step of the task.

Notes

[note][b]Note: [/b]Notes are included to call attention to items that are of particular importance or to include comments that may be of interest to select readers. Notes may begin with [b]Warning[/b], [b]Tip[/b], [b]Mac OS X Note[/b],[b] JDBC Note[/b], etc. to specify the importance and audience of the note. [/note]

Learning Resources

[p]There are many resources available to help you when installing, administering, building or serving data-driven Web sites powered by Lasso Professional Server. [/p]

To find answers to questions about Lasso Professional Server:

1. Documentation – The Lasso documentation should always be your first resource. Check to see if the Lasso 8.5 Setup Guide, Lasso 8.5 Language Guide, or Lasso 8.5 Reference have the answer to your questions. Each PDF guide contains an index and table of contents, and all electronic documents are searchable.

2. LassoSoft Support Central – A Web resource that allows you to search for updates to the documentation, software updates, and tips about how to best utilize Lasso Professional Server.

[pre]http://support.lassosoft.com [/pre]

3. Lasso Talk Forum – A community of Lasso users who help to answer each other’s questions about using Lasso products. If you can’t find an answer to your question, then posting to the list will often result in an answer in a short period of time. Information about subscribing to the list and searchable list archives can be found at the following address.

[pre]http://www.listsearch.com/lasso/ [/pre]

4. Email and Phone Support – Provided by LassoSoft to qualified customers during normal business hours. Visit the following Web site for more information.

[pre]http://support.lassosoft.com/ [/pre]

Usage Rights

[p]These are the usage rights for Lasso Professional Server and Lasso Developer. Please consult the Lasso Studio User Guide for important information about the usage rights and license agreements specific to that products. [/p]

Lasso Developer

[p]When any installation of Lasso 8.5 is run without a serial number it defaults to Lasso Developer functionality. Lasso Developer can be used for development of Lasso-based solutions and to preview those solutions to clients. Lasso Developer is not licensed for deployment. Please purchase a license for Lasso Professional Server before deploying your solutions. [/p]

[p]Lasso Developer has all the features of Lasso Professional Server, but includes a 5 IP address limitation and a limit on the number of connections which Lasso will process per minute. [/p]

New Purchase

[p]Your license permits a single copy of Lasso Professional Server to be installed and used on a single computer. While certain components of Lasso Professional Server (e.g. Lasso Web server connectors) may be installed on a separate computer from the core of Lasso Professional Server (Lasso Service), only a single instance of each component is permitted. The license does not permit deployment using Lasso Developer or evaluation versions. [/p]

Upgrade Purchase

[p]It is standard industry practice and understood that by upgrading one’s software one no longer uses the old version and the license to use and transfer said license ceases. LassoSoft allows for a 45 day grace period during which you may transition your sites from one version of Lasso to another. [/p]

[p]If you have upgraded to Lasso Professional Server from any previous version of Lasso, after the grace period you must no longer use that version. Please see the termination provisions in the accompanying license agreement for further details. [/p]

[p]Alternatively, you could purchase a new Lasso Professional Server license and not be bound by such upgrade restrictions. [/p]

Evaluation Versions

[p]Evaluation versions are provided for one-time 30-day evaluation and initial product testing use. Evaluation versions are not licensed for use for deployment. Please purchase a license for Lasso Professional Server before deploying your solutions.[/p]