The popstore and MessageStore provides a web-based user interface. This interface is intended to provide a simple, safe mechanism with which popstore and MessageStore users can change their password and see basic usage information about their account. Primitive viewing of stored messages is also permitted (for popstore accounts only).

So as to maintain a solid brick wall between the web-based management interface and this web-based user interface, separate HTTP CGIs are used for each. Indeed, the web-based user interface takes the form of two distinct CGIs: one for showing account information and stored messages and another for changing passwords. This simplifies using the HTTP_ACCESS mapping table to restrict access: different sets of access controls can be placed on the management, user password, and user account information CGIs. Despite being separate CGIs, however, the HTTP commands used for the three interfaces are identical in the sense that the user interface commands are a small, tightly controlled subset of the management interface commands.

This chapter provides a description of both the web-based user interface as well as the HTTP CGIs supporting that interface.

Sites which are familiar with the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), can customize the interface or redesign it entirely. This is where an understanding of the HTTP CGI used by the popstore and MessageStore is needed. See Section 5.2 for details.