A Beginner's Guide to MIVA Script: Writing, Examples, and Applications

MIVA Script is a server-side scripting language used primarily in the development of e-commerce websites. It was developed by MIVA Corporation in the late 1990s as a tool for building online storefronts and has since become a popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses looking for an affordable and scalable e-commerce solution.

In this beginner's guide, we will explore the basics of MIVA Script, including how to write it, provide an example, and discuss the best applications for it.

How to Write MIVA Script

MIVA Script is similar in syntax to JavaScript and other C-like languages. The basic structure of a MIVA Script program consists of a series of statements, each of which performs a specific action.

Here is an example of a simple MIVA Script program:

```
<$mivascript>
  var greeting = "Hello, World!";
  print(greeting);
</$mivascript>
```

In this example, we declare a variable called "greeting" and set it equal to the string "Hello, World!". We then use the "print" statement to display the value of the "greeting" variable on the screen.

MIVA Script also includes a number of built-in functions for performing common e-commerce tasks, such as querying a database or processing an order. Here is an example of a MIVA Script program that retrieves a list of products from a database and displays them on the screen:

```
<$mivascript>
  // connect to the database
  var db = miva.db_connect("mydatabase");

  // retrieve the list of products
  var query = "SELECT * FROM products";
  var result = miva.db_query(db, query);

  // display the results
  while (miva.db_fetch_row(result)) {
    print(miva.db_get_value(result, "product_name"));
  }

  // disconnect from the database
  miva.db_disconnect(db);
</$mivascript>
```

In this example, we use the "miva.db_connect" function to connect to a database called "mydatabase". We then use the "miva.db_query" function to retrieve a list of products from the database, and the "miva.db_fetch_row" function to iterate over the rows of the result set. Finally, we use the "miva.db_get_value" function to retrieve the value of the "product_name" column for each row and display it on the screen using the "print" statement.

Best Applications for MIVA Script

MIVA Script is best suited for building e-commerce websites and online storefronts. It includes a number of features specifically designed for this purpose, such as support for online catalogs, shopping carts, and payment processing.

One of the key advantages of MIVA Script is its flexibility and scalability. It can be used to build simple online stores with a few products, or complex e-commerce platforms with thousands of products and multiple storefronts. It is also highly customizable, with a wide range of third-party modules and add-ons available to extend its functionality.

Conclusion

MIVA Script is a powerful and flexible server-side scripting language designed specifically for building e-commerce websites and online storefronts. Its syntax is similar to JavaScript and other C-like languages, and it includes a number of built-in functions for performing common e-commerce tasks. With its flexibility and scalability, it is a popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses looking to build an affordable and customizable e-commerce platform.