TABLA is a Python-based script that can build simple HTML tables. A version of this script has been employed to create the official on-line bus schedule for a mid-size US city. Using the same password controlled Python script, the city's transportation department updates all bus arrival times as well as adds or subtracts bus stops (columns) and bus runs (rows). The titles of all columns can be edited and the overall title of the table together with the title's background color can be specified.
To fully automate table creation and maintenance, TABLA must have access to an HTML area that the Web server can read from and write to. In the case of the city bus department mentioned earlier, the Web server runs as the owner of the HTML directory containing the public bus schedule. If write access to a live HTML directory cannot be supported, TABLA can be configured to write to an open directory such as /tmp but then some other mechanism (such as the Web administrator) must be used to place the files created and edited by TABLA in the proper live HTML directories |
