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Can someone please post a concrete example of a CGI script and explain how it is handled by the web server?

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closed as not a real question by A Dwarf, slhck, random Jul 15 '11 at 12:31


Why do you need to know? What is the specific problem you are facing? What research have you done before? Please take a look at the How to ask guide. > If you ask a vague question, you’ll get a vague answer. –  slhck Jul 15 '11 at 12:25

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A CGI (common gateway interface) script can be written in almost any language, and can be designed to do an endless number of things, so the handling of it by the web server will vary depending on the context.

The WDG wrote an very informative introduction to all things CGI, I think you will find it to be what you are looking for. You can find it here: http://htmlhelp.com/faq/cgifaq.1.html

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CGI is not a scripting language, is a way for web servers to interact with custom back-end applications which generate dynamic web pages; historically, it has been the first system used for this purpose, long before things like ISAPI filters existed.

A CGI program should conform to a specific protocol for exchanging input and output with the web server, but as long as it conforms to the specifications, it can be written using any language, from a shell script to a compiled C executable.

More info here.

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