server-parsed HTML

server-parsed HTML

(file format, World-Wide Web)(SPML, SHTML) A kind of HTMLfile containing server-specific, non-standard commands whichare interpreted by the HTTP server and replaced by standardHTML or text before the data is returned to the client.

Different servers use different command syntax and supportdifferent sets of commands. The most common example is aserver-side include command which simply expands to thecontents of some given file and allows bits of HTML or text tobe shared between pages for ease of updating. Other commandsinsert the value of an environment variable or the output ofa shell command. These allow pages to be different eachtime they are served without requiring a CGI script.

Some servers distinguish SPML from HTML with a differentfilename extension, others use the execute bit of the file'spermissions.