CGI is NOT a scripting language....

Hello all,

I would like to state that CGI is NOT a scripting language in ANY form. CGI simply stands for Common Gateway Interface. It is simply used by some sort of backend scripting language, in most cases its perl to interface the web. However, you can use CGI with ANY language that supports the CGI standard, whether it be Python, or PHP, or even raw C or C++ code. You should definately change the wording in and on the CGI forum as its very misleading.

-maddog39

Great Tip goes here.


What is a Scripting Language?

Scripting languages (commonly called scripting programming languages or script languages) are computer programming languages that are typically interpreted and can be typed directly from a keyboard. Thus, scripts are often distinguished from programs, because programs are converted permanently into binary executable files (i.e., zeros and ones) before they are run. Scripts remain in their original form and are interpreted command-by-command each time they are run.

Since Iam not much familiar with the CGI, I can't give a detailed description about it. Does CGI programs runs on binary mode?

They can do both (technically). There is a very easy way to run a C program designed to work with CGI in your cgi-bin directory. In that case it would run as a binary for sure. In the case of the scripting language, the scripting language interpreter or for instance /usr/bin/perl is an actual C program that interprets the text which is given to it, in this instance, would be the script. The same thing goes for python and php which are also interpreted scripting languages. So essentially the interpreter program is running in binary mode on CGI and thats what CGI sees, as far as I know.

This post was last modified: 22-07-2007 03:38 PM by maddog39.

Hmmm.....

Thanks for clearing the doubts I had.

Valuable technical points shared by you. Positive reputation goes to you.

Thanks

Hehe thanks. If you have anymore questions (technical ones), I'd love to answer them.

That is a new information to me. I thought that CGI is also a scripting language like others.

Is every language runs on web is scripting language?

If not, which are them?

walsh, check the Definition of Scripting language on the post above.

Those which satisfies the definition can be called as a scripting language. A more clear description about this subject can be given by maddog39.