producing a web page in Python
What's the least I can do?

As usual in developing a computer program, it helps to get a minimal program to work.  Then add complications in the smallest reasonable steps, checking that each step is successful.  Here are a series of such steps:

create a Python-generated static web page on your pc, served by the PythonWebServer

These instructions assume you have already downloaded, installed, and checked the PythonWebServer on your local pc, by following  the instructions at this link.  In addition these instructions assume you are "Running the Web Server" as directed by the instructions, and that you remember (or can find) the location of the PythonWebServer's cgi-bin folder.
  1. Use a code window in IDLE to create a minimal web page, by copying and pasting the following lines

    Or you can (please read all the instructions here): download (right-click, then "Save As...") the file using the one of the following links, depending upon which operating system you're using:  Windows or Mac/Unix, and put the file into your cgi-bin directory, which is a subdirectory of the directory containing the PythonWebServer.py file and call it ASimplePage.py  If you're on a Mac or Unix system, you'll have to change the file permissions of the file to "executable" -- you can do this by bringing up a Terminal window, navigating to the cgi-bin directory and using the command "chmod +x *.py", like we've done in class.

  2. #! /usr/bin/python

    import cgitb; cgitb.enable()

    TheContentHeader = 'Content-type: text/html\n\n'
    TheHTMLHeader = '<html><head>'
    TheBeginningOfBody = '</head><body>'
    TheHTMLFooter = '</body></html>'

    # ------------------------ The main function ----------------
    def main():
        print TheContentHeader + TheHTMLHeader

        # Let's assign a title
        print '<title>A Simple Page</title>'

        print TheBeginningOfBody

        #This is where the real HTML page stuff should go.
        print '<h3><center>Yo!</center></h3>'

        print TheHTMLFooter

    # Now, let's run the function, to get it to print it all out...
    main()


    If you've pasted this into IDLE's code window, then save the file into the PythonWebServer's cgi-bin folder, with the filename ASimplePage.py

  3. Test the result by browsing to http://127.0.0.1:9000/cgi-bin/ASimplePage.py or http://localhost:9000/cgi-bin/ASimplePage.py
  4. If that doesn't work, then go to the next section.

use Python to test your web page on your pc

  1. If you didn't do this in the section above, launch IDLE and use File/Open to bring up the ASimplePage.py file in a code window.
  2. Test the program  using Run → Run Module.  Expect to see:
    Content-type: text/html

<html><head>
<title>A Simple Page</title>
</head><body>
<h3><center>Yo!</center></h3>
</body></html>
  3.  If you don't get this, try to fix it, and then re-run it in IDLE...
  4. Then Test the result in a browser, by browsing to http://127.0.0.1:9000/cgi-bin/makeSmallStatic.py

run the Python program on a Stuy web server

  1. Use FileZilla (or another ftp client) to... 
    1. ...copy ASimplePage.py to your public_html directory on a Stuy web server (such as marge.stuy.edu).
    2. ...add "execute" to the "Public permissions" on to the file you have just copied to the Stuy web server.  Mr. Brooks explains how to set permissions in his YouTube video.  In brief:  right click on the file  → File Permissions  → set "Public permissions" to allow read and execute.
  2. Test the result in a browser, by browsing to the file on your web (for example, marge.stuy.edu/~your.name/ASimplePage.py
  3. If / when the expected "Success!" fails to appear, use the Python Checker to check for common errors in your program.  Demonstrate this checker with the test files
    http://marge.stuy.edu/~peter.brooks/good.py
    http://marge.stuy.edu/~peter.brooks/bad.py

complicate the Python program to include desired features

Here are some things to try, both in a program on your pc and after copying it to a Stuy web server: