nAdvert

Last version of the program : 1.00.
Last version of the program

nAdvert is the program which enables displaying advertising banners at WWW sites, and in a complex way controls the management of all operations. Besides others, it enables:

Program is very fast, and with a solid hardware it can make hundred thousands displays of banners per day. It has been written in ASCII C and both source code and compilation have been optimalized for the highest speed possible. Linux version is optimized for CPU Pentium, however, it will run with the older versions of microproccessors, too.

Table of content

Licence conditions

System nAdvert is supplied in three versions:

Version Cost (USD) Licence
Test (evaluate) version free Only for evaluation, maximum for 365 days
Lite 99,- Advertising banners can be at one server only
Professional 149,- Advertising banners can be anywhere

Evaluate version is free to spread, Lite and Professional versions may be located only at one server at time. There is no warranty granted to the program, neither to its function nor the data. There is no service provided with the program and it can be used in the state "as it is"

. We are not liable for any damages whatsoever, direct and indirect, which can arise during the operation of this program.

Evaluate version is limited only for banners at one server. It operates 365 days only, and once a time (not too often:-)) banners advertising nAdvert appear.

Download the program

Evaluation version can be downloaded here:

Error messages and remarks concerning the program

No program is without errors, and there is no program which cannot be improved. You can send all of your comments to the address nadvert@usa.net. We do not promise to answer all, but we read everything carefully and thank you for writing us.

Installation of the system

  1. According to the kind of installation (Win32/Linux), unpack the distributing file into the assistant directory. At Linux distribution you need tar to use first, and then gzip. For MS Windows you can use some of the freeware programs .zip.
  2. Copy the files na(.exe), nac(.exe) and nadvert(.exe) into the directory where you have placed cgi scripts. For example: /home/httpd/cgi-bin at the HTTP server Apache or c:\inetpub\scripts at the HTTP server MS IIS.
    You need to have a right to run cgi scripts in this directory.
  3. Copy the files nadvertcz.html, nadvert.ccs into the directory in which you have HTML files placed.
  4. Start your browser and insert URL: http://xxx.cz/yyy/nadvert?administrator. Change, of course, "xxx" for the address of your web and "yyy" for the directory, in which you have placed the programs. For example:
    http://www.firma.cz/cgi-bin/nadvert?administrator
  5. The program asks for a password of an administrator. The password after the installation is "qwerty". We recommend changing it immediately in the configuration screen!
  6. The configuration screen will appear. This needs to be filled. At this point the context help is not working yet. Therefore read now instructions.
  7. Place at your HTML page the calling code of the program na(.exe), providing displaying of banners.

Problems with the installation

File nadvert.conf cannot be created: a user, under which the HTTP server is launched, probably does not have rights to write cgi scripts in the directory. Create the file nadvert.conf manually in that directory. Do not put anything in it, leave it with null length, provide it with rights so that the user, under whom HTTP server runs, can write into it, and launch /nadvert?administrator again.

Concepts

NON SSI versus SSI displaying banners

The banners can be displayed at the HTTP server basically in two ways. They are controlled via different calling of the program na(.exe) and by using parameter nonssi.

The SSI method, which is much more comfortable and faster, but requires the pages composer to have availability to launch SSI (server side includes) from his HTML pages. For example, for the server HTTP Apache, this is done by inserting the following command to his html page:

<center>
<!--#include virtual="/cgi-bin/na?qspage=09" -->
</center>

The method of not using SSI (NON SSI) is much poorer on the possibilities, and also significantly slower. It has, however, one advantage: the composer of HTML page does not have to be allowed to initialize SSS cgi scripts from his pages. For example, again for the HTTP server Apache, the following codes must be inserted into the html page:

<center>
This is the text before an advertisement<br>
<a href="/cgi-bin/nadvert/nac">
<img src="/cgi-bin/na?qspage=09&nossi=1" border=0 alt="This is the Alt text"><br>
This is the Link text </a><br>
This is the text after an advertisement
</center>

By using NON SSI you get rid of the possibility to have at each banner the separate ALT text, link text, border, the text before and the text after the advertisement displayed, to have RAW mode, and displaying of your banners will be for readers of your pages slower. Writing HTML pages using SSI method is much easier, too. This indicates clearly what is our recommendation.

Technical note: if you display several SSI and several NON SSI banners in one page, you will find out that SSI banners are displayed much more quickly. This is not, however, due to the speed of our program, as you can easily check by looking at LOG files of individual campaigns. Speed problem lays in a HTTP server. At NON SSI display mode the HTTP server must serve two requests, the first one redirects it, and the second one sends an advertisement.

Zones, groups and domains

Each campaign may have inserted its zone, group and domain. You can have practically unlimited amount of zones, groups and domains in the system. Their number does not impact a speed of the program na(.exe), which is the most important component of the application.

The purpose, which

groups and domains serve, is to make it possible for you to divide campaigns, for example according to the place they should be displayed - an area and a page. When calling the program na.(exe), you can select to display banners only from certain zones and domains.

Zones serve several purposes. They can be used in the same way as groups and domains, and besides that they enable someone, who knows the password to a certain zone (eg. an advertiser), to log in the administrative program nadvert(.exe). Then only the information about campaigns belonging to the relevant zone will be displayed for him. He cannot change any data of the campaign but he can keep a track of their effectiveness, number of displays, clicks, LOG file...

Back to table of content

RAW MODE

RAW MODE provides displaying HTML texts instead of banners. It can be used, besides advertising, for many other purposes, too. Instead of the banner the HTML text is displayed, and only displays, not clicks, are counted in the system. RAW MODE can be used only at SSI display method, and if you combine SSI and NON SSI methods during display, I would recommend assigning the special zone to all campaigns, which use RAW MODE, which would be called during their display by the program na(.exe). I recommend to place a banner, for example the backup banner, into the URL banner, for the case that only a campaign having RAW MODE significance at NON SSI mode, would be displayed.

Further information on configuration of campaign.

Back to table of content

Campaign & banner

Banner means an advertizing strip or a picture, which is displayed on HTML pages and invites a reader to click on it.
Campaign is a file of banners and settings, which a customer has ordered at our company.

Back to table of content

Operation of the system

Operation of the system consists of three launchable programs: na(.exe), nac(.exe) a nadvert(.exe). Suffix (.exe) is used only at the version for MS Windows9x/NT. All three programs must be placed in one directory, in which the user, under which HTTP server runs, has a right to run cgi scripts. For example at Linux it is usually the user nobody.

Program na(.exe)

Program na(.exe) is the most important program of the system, and the most use is made out of it. It ensures displaying the banners both by SSI method and NON SSI method. A link leading to it must be placed at HTML pages and several parameters can be alloted to it:

Examples:

<!--#include virtual="/cgi-bin/na?qspage=09&gsq='group1'group2'" -->
HTTP server Apache, SSI display, page 09, only campaign allocated to the group "group1" or "group2". Notice that between two groups one apostrophe is enough. There could be, however, also two apostrophes:.../na?qspage=09&gsq='group1''group2'" --> . (the command ends with apostrophe and quotation marks)

<a href="/cgi-bin/nadvert/nac">
<img src="/cgi-bin/na?qspage=09&nossi=1&qsg=group1&qsa='domain1'domain2'" border=0 alt="This is Alt text"> </a>
NON SSI for any HTTP server, only for campaigns included in the group "group1" either in domain "domain1" or in domain "domain2".

<!-- #exec cgi="/scripts/na.exe?qspage=09&qskam='campaign1'campaign2'" -->
HTTP server Microsoft IIS, SSI display, only campaign "campaign1" or "campaign2".

<!-- #exec cgi="/scripts/na.exe" -->
HTTP server Microsoft IIS, SSI display, all campaigns no matter of their zone, group or domain.

<? virtual("/cgi-bin/na?qspage=login_php"); ?>
HTTP server Apache, modul PHP used as Apache modul, all campaigns, page recognition: login_php.

Important notice: all inserted parameters discriminate between small and capital letters. If the condition, not enabling to display a banner is inserted, then Backup banner is displayed, look at configuration.

Back to table of content

Program nac(.exe)

Serves to manage clicks to the banner. It works completely itself.

Program nadvert(.exe)

The program administrates a system. It can be initialized having one parameter administrator. Example:

http://www.firma.cz/cgi-bin/nadvert?administrator

If it's initialized with this parameter, it enables an administrator to login. If it's initialized without this parameter, it enables to login into the individual zones.

File nadvert.log

File nadvert.log is saved in the data directory (look configuration) and special datas from operation of the system are saved in it: errors, use of a backup banner, unauthorized attempts of an access...

Forms

The following pages are displayed in a contextual way when calling help directly from the program nadvert(.exe), if you have set properly the path to the HELP file in configuration.

Form "Configuration"

This form provides configuration of the whole system. It includes the following items:

Buttons:

Back to table of content

Form "List of the campaigns"

The form contains list of the campaigns introduced into the system. It is the main form from which the whole application can be controlled.

Buttons

Table

Table contains the following data:

Back to table of content

Form "List of the banners"

The form includes list of all banners, both active and inactive and deleted ones. The banners are displayed in the same way they are displayed at HTML pages at SSI mode of a display. At each campaign the list of all its banners, and the button enabling editing of the campaign, is displayed.

Back to table of content

Form "Editing / creating the campaign"

The form enables creating new campaigns and editing them. It contains the following files:

Back to table of content

Form "Log file of campaign"

Complete log file of the campaign is displayed. It contains the following datas:

Back to table of content

Form "Groups"

In this form you can create new group, change its name or delete it from the system.

Back to table of content

Form "Domains"

In this form you can create new domain, change its name or delete it from the system.

Back to table of content

Form "Zones"

In this form you can create new zone (in the same way as at creating/editing the campaign). You can delete it, change its name or a password.

Back to table of content

Form "Information about campaign"

The form displays the information about the campaign: when it was created, when edited last time, when initiated and when its banner was displayed last time. Simultaneously an email address of a purchasor is displayed, as well as all banners which are included in the campaign. Buttons:

Back to table of content

Form "Daily statistics"

Contains the summary information about displays of a banner and its effectiveness. Data:

Back to table of content

Form "Effectiveness of the pages per click"

Effectiveness of the pages per click displays two tables. Both are counted for a set number of days from today to the past, maximum for 999 days.

The first table REFERER shows how many times the different pages at the observed campaign were clicked at a banner of the campaign.

The second table PAGE works only when SSI access is used, and when, with the individual calling of banners by the program na(.exe), the parameter qspage is used. If your pages are separated correctly by this parameter, the table can provide many useful information for you. For example, you can easily find out, which pages are the most successful at advertising. It contains:

Back to table of content

Form "log in the system"

This form can be displayed at two different ways:

Back to table of content

FAQ (frequently asked questions and answers)

Problems with the installation are solved also in chapter "Problems with installation".

1.Why sometimes during the high traffic displaying of the banner will not start?

The system was tested with 1000 banners displayed at one second and all banners were displayed. If two or more banners are displayed simultaneously at about one millisecond, displaying of the second and the other banners is not counted in. This seems at the first look as a disadvantage, but it enables very high performance of the system. If every display occuring approximately at the same time (1 ms) would be forced by the program, system performance would slow down significantly. There is not many HTTP servers on this planet that can display more than 1000 pages per one second. :-)

2.Why, putting several banners at one page, all are displayed equally?

Yes, we know about this shortage. At the start of the program na(.exe) the generator of random numbers, responsible for choosing a random campaign by a time data in milliseconds, is initialized. The program is very fast and even if you let several banners be displayed in one page, with a high probability the large part of them will be equal. It is because all of them are launched at the same moment and the generator of quasi random numbers is intialized by the same value in seconds. That is why they are the same.
This problem can be solved in several ways: by using different parameters (group, domain) or even better, by using the special parameter qsrnd of the program na(.exe).

3.3.Is a version for other microprocessors at Linux being prepared?

Considering the situation, that I have not an opportunity to compile the program on other processor than Intel, then, unfortunately, no. From the technical point of view, however, nothing prevents it. The program can be compiled for any operating system to which compiler gcc with "full" ansi compatibility is ported, which are almost all.

4.What should I do, if I have forgotten a password and the system does not enable me to log in as an administrator?

All you must do is to delete the file pass.adm in the data directory (look at configuration), and the password in the system will be again qwerty.

5.I want to log into the system as an administrator, but the system keeps offering me to log into a zone only!

This problem may have two different causes:

6. How to uninstall nAdvert from my Web?

In the directory, where your cgi scripts are saved, delete the following files:

Delete the directory saving data files. That's all...

Back to table of content

Versions - changes

1.00 -

0.90b - 15.3.1999

0.81b - 13.3.1999

0.80b - 12.3.1999

The first beta released for a public use.

Back to table of content