CGIs and Perl

A CGI script is as simple to write as any other Perl script. The dearth of "how to write CGI scripts" information on the Web is due only to the fact that, since a CGI script can be written in any language, the answers vary from language to language. Well, here's One Way To Do It with Perl.

First off, here's our silly test form. Don't forget to read the source.

Now, here's the silly CGI script that runs behind it.

And here's a commented version of that CGI script.

Not much going on there, huh? The CGI is simple. Output just goes to the user's screen, as a page on their web browser. Here's all the important information:

• Make the CGI script executable; put it in the right directory (usually a cgi-bin directory under your www directory.)
• Include S.E.Brenner's package--it makes everything easy.
• Always lead off your program with the single magic line that (believe it or not) turns the program into a CGI script:

  
     print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
  
  

• Because of serious security concerns, don't use any eval or system() statements in your CGI script until you've read this article on CGI security.

• Fill-Out form Support Tutorial
• A Beginner's Guide to HTML
• The Common Gateway Interface

• The WWW FAQ
• A Beginner's Guide to URLs
• Perl Server-side Scripts