Datasheet

Part I ✦ Curl Content Language Fundamentals

✦ Deliver large pages that may include rich content?

✦ Do data-validation on the server?

✦ Dynamically create pages from templates on the server?

✦ Deliver pages that interact locally with the user (e.g., JavaScript)?

✦ Provide multiple views of the same data?

✦ Require large amounts of bandwidth to satisfy user demand?

✦ Require multiple servers to handle user load?

✦ Make money via subscription or transaction fees?

The more yes answers you had to these questions, the more money Curl is likely to

save you. Typically, for complex applications, Curl drastically reduces the amount

of data being served from your hosts and uses less CPU time. This translates

directly into lower monthly hosting and bandwidth costs.

If you answered no to all of those questions, you probably have a simple online

brochure or business card site with mostly static content. If so, then Curl may not

be the best choice for your site. If your site is already small enough that you are

using a single host with standard bandwidth, you will not save money on hosting or

bandwidth. Then again, it’s possible you might be small enough to not trigger Curl

Corporation’s billing threshold at all, in which case Curl would be free.

Technical planning

This section focuses on how best to phase Curl into your existing architecture. It is

tempting to start with the minimal disruption to your development process and

simply start by recoding your HTML pages into Curl. While this has simplicity on

its side, it might not benefit you much, which could incorrectly give a negative first

impression of Curl.

Because, in the initial version of Curl, it can take a number of seconds to launch

Surge, you want to make sure your users get a tangible benefit whenever they

launch it. It generally would not make sense, for example, to have a Curl home page

unless you expected your visitors to use your Curl-based features.

Where does it hurt?

To decide where to start, you should first identify the areas where Curl could provide

the greatest benefits. Benefits come in many flavors: faster response times, richer

features, cost savings, and so on. Naturally, you will have to decide which goal(s) to

pursue, but as a guide you should gather the following information about your site:

✦ Which pages do users view the most?

✦ Which pages are the largest to download?

✦ Which features require the most CPU time on your servers?

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