Cgi?

[elwell]

I am extremly new to cgi. I know html, css, and a fair amount of javascript. Can anyone tell me a little about CGI and if I should learn it.
Is it a compiled language or an interperated language?
Is it hard or easy to learn compared to other languages?
Do I need to by or download special software or equipment?

[Jeff Mott]

Is it a compiled language or an interperated language?Well, to start it's not a language...

The Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a method used by Web servers to run external programs, most often to genereate web content dynamically. CGI is the interface between an executable's input/output and a Web server. Since CGI is not dependant on any particular language, that executable can be written in any programming language. Perl is a very popular language for CGI scripting thanks to its unrivalled text-handling abilities, easy scripting, and relative speed.

You don't necessarily need any special software, just a Web host that allows you to run CGI programs. Or you could set an HTTP server up on your local machine to test your scripts. This would, however, require special software. The Perl interpreter (free) and a Web server, such as Apache (free).

[elwell]

Can you answer those questions for Perl too please?

[Jeff Mott]

Is it a compiled language or an interperated language?Interpreted.Is it hard or easy to learn compared to other languages?Easy compared to other programming languages.Do I need to by or download special software or equipment?Only if you want to test your scripts on your system. Otherwise, a Web host that supports Perl/CGI will suffice.