CGI - Keeping information relevant

Although there are some exceptions, most of the HTML and other Internet-related pages are static. It means that the content of the HTML page does not change unless it is edited and uploaded again. It is obvious that no one likes to visit a static page more than twice. One of the best ways to add dynamic content to the static web pages is using CGI scripts. A CGI generated page looks different each time it is loaded, and CGI provides you a better way to make websites dynamic and interactive. You can use a CGI program for web page counters, search engines, order forms etc. If you are in the hotel industry, this technology can be used to keep information about the availability of accommodation up-to-date.

Contrary to popular belief, CGI is not a language.

Instead, it is a simple protocol used to communicate between web forms and your program. When a visitor fills out a form and presses Enter, the HTML determines how the form is delivered to the server and how it is processed by a PERL script. Here, CGI determines the script and the way it returns the information through the server to the visitor's browser. As the CGI program runs only on the web server, the visitors can use any browser.

A CGI script can be written in a variety of languages such as C, C++, Fortran, PERL, TCL, Visual Basic, Java etc. The most popular CGI language is PERL.