How does CGI Work
Whenever we click on a link or hyperlink on a website, the browser interacts with the HTTP web server and requests the file name. If the file name is found, it is returned, but it displays an error message if the file name is not found. But if we use CGI, then instead of returning the file name, the CGI will be executed, and the output will be displayed to the user by the browser.
The CGI and the programs executed to return and display the output are known as CGI Scripts. If the CGI is written in Python, it is known as Python scripts. Let us now see a Python script in the following section.
Example
Let us see a sample URL that passes two values to the First_Cgi.py program using the GET method:
/CGI-bin/First_Cgi.py?Your_name=Ankit&company_name=CodingNinjas
Below is the python script to handle the input given by the above sample URL.
#!/usr/bin/python
#Importing CGIT and CGI module
import cgi, cgitb
# Create an instance of FieldStorage
form = cgi.FieldStorage()
Your_name = form.getvalue('Your_name')
# getting the data from fields
Comapny_name = form.getvalue('Company_name')
print ("Content-type:text/html\n")
print ("<html>")
print ("<head>")
print ("<title>First CGI Script</title>")
print ("</head>")
print ("<body>")
print ("<h2>Hi, %s works in %s</h2>"
% (Your_name, Company_name))
print ("</body>")
print ("</html>")
You can also try this code with Online Python Compiler
Output
Hi, Ankit works in CodingNinjas
You can practice by yourself with the help of online python compiler for better understanding.
“ Recommended Topic, Python Round Function”
Let us now see the advantages and disadvantages of CGI.
Advantages of CGI
The advantages of CGI are as follows:-
- They can be written in any language.
- They are portable and compatible with every operating system and the webserver.
- It enhances the dynamic connection between the web server and the client.
- CGI is scalable in nature.
- Every coin has two sides, and so does the CGI, so let us now move to the disadvantages of CGI.
Disadvantages of CGI
The disadvantages of CGI are as follows:-
- The scripts are sometimes ambiguous and complex to understand.
- Every time the program is started, the interpreter must analyze a CGI script. Because there are too many queries from the client-server side, this generates a lot of traffic.
- CGI programs may jeopardize server security because they are generally free and widely available, making them extremely vulnerable.
With this, we mark the end of this blog. We hope you got a basic idea about CGI programming in Python. Let us now see some of the FAQs related to the topic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CGI stand for?
CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface.
What is CGI programming?
CGI or Common Gateway Interface is a set of standards that tells about the information exchange between web and custom scripts.
What are some of the languages in which we can write the CGI scripts?
The CGI scripts are language-independent, so they could be written in any programming language such as Python, PHP, Java, C# etc.
What are some of the advantages of Using CGI?
The CGI scripts are very much portable and are language-independent, which enables anyone to write the CGI scripts with greater ease. These are also compatible with every Operating system and various web servers. These are some of the advantages of Using CGI scripts.
What are some disadvantages of Using CGI?
CGI programs are highly vulnerable, which can lead to lapses in the security of web servers, It also increments the load on an interpreter as it is executed every time the program is initiated, and these programs are very ambiguous and complex to understand.
Conclusion
In this article, we have extensively discussed CGI Programming in Python. We saw CGI working with python, its advantages and disadvantages, and also some faqs related to this topic.
After reading about CGI Programming in Python, are you not feeling excited to read/explore more articles on Python? Don't worry; Coding Ninjas has you covered. To learn, see Kivy Float layout, NumPy, Pandas, Application of Python, and Using Heapq module in Python.
Refer to our Guided Path on Coding Ninjas Studio to upskill yourself in Data Structures and Algorithms, Competitive Programming, JavaScript, System Design, and many more! If you want to test your competency in coding, you may check out the mock test series and participate in the contests hosted on Coding Ninjas Studio! But if you have just started your learning process and are looking for questions asked by tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Uber, etc; you must look at the problems, interview experiences, and interview bundle for placement preparations.
Nevertheless, you may consider our paid courses to give your career an edge over others!
Do upvote our blogs if you find them helpful and engaging!
Happy Learning!
84+ registered