TextCounter C++ Documentation

System Requirements

• Unix/Linux operating system
• C++ compiler (g++ 3.x or later)
• Apache web server with CGI support
• File system with write permissions for counter data
• Shell access for compilation

Compilation Steps

1. Extract and prepare:

   tar xzf textcounter-cpp.tar.gz
   cd textcounter-cpp

2. Edit the source to set data file path:

   Open textcounter.cpp and edit the DATA_FILE constant:

   const char* DATA_FILE = "/var/www/data/counter.dat";

3. Compile with file locking support:

   g++ -O2 -o textcounter textcounter.cpp

4. Create and set permissions for data file:

   touch /var/www/data/counter.dat
   chmod 666 /var/www/data/counter.dat

5. Install the binary:

   cp textcounter /usr/local/apache/cgi-bin/
   chmod 755 /usr/local/apache/cgi-bin/textcounter

Usage Examples

Use with Server Side Includes:

<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/textcounter"-->

You are visitor number <strong><!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/textcounter"--></strong>

<!-- Multiple counters for different pages -->
<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/textcounter?page=home"-->

File Locking

The C++ version implements solid file locking to prevent count corruption under concurrent access. This matters for high-traffic sites where multiple requests may occur simultaneously.

Performance Tips

• Use -O3 optimization flag for maximum speed
• Place data files on fast storage (SSD recommended)
• Consider using shared memory for extremely high traffic
• Monitor file permissions to ensure write access

Troubleshooting

Counter shows 0 or doesn't increment:

Check data file permissions (should be 666) and verify the path in the compiled binary is correct.

Compilation errors:

Ensure g++ is installed and try compiling with -std=c++11 flag for modern C++ features.

Permission denied errors:

The web server user needs write access to both the data file and its directory.