FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about CGI Programming
Introduction
Table of Contents
SECTION 0 - PREAMBLE
0.1 Changes
0.2 Notice and Disclaimer
0.3 Where to get this document
0.4 How to contribute to this document?
0.5 Can I email the author my questions?
0.6 What's up with posting to comp.infosystems.www.authoring.cgi?
0.7 Credits
SECTION 1 - BASIC QUESTIONS
1.1 What is CGI?
1.2 Is it a script or a program?
1.3 When do I need to use CGI?
1.4 Should I use CGI or JAVA?
1.5 Should I use CGI or SSI?
1.6 Should I use CGI or an API?
1.7 What do I absolutely need to know?
1.8 Does CGI create new security risks?
1.9 Do I need to be on Unix?
1.10 Do I have to use Perl?
1.11 Do I have to put it in cgi-bin?
1.12 Do I have to call it *.cgi? *.pl?
1.13 What is CGIWrap, and how does it affect my program?
SECTION 2 - HTTP HEADERS AND NPH SCRIPTS
2.1 What is HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)?
2.2 What HTTP request headers can I use?
2.3 What Environment variables are available to my application?
2.4 What HTTP response headers do I need to know about?
2.5 What is NPH?
2.6 Must/should/can I write nph scripts?
2.7 Do I have to call it nph-*
2.8 What is the difference between GET and POST?
SECTION 3 - TECHNIQUES: "HOW DO I..."
3.1 Can I get information about who is visiting?
3.2 Can I get the email of visitors?
3.3 "But I saw some.kool.site display my email address..."
3.4 Can I get browser details and return different pages?
3.5 Can I trace where a user has come from/is going to?
3.6 Can I launch a long process and return a page before it's finished?
3.7 Can I launch a long process which the user interacts with?
3.8 Can I password-protect my pages?
3.9 Can I do HTTP authentication using CGI?
3.10 Can I identify users/sessions without password protection?
3.11 Can I redirect users to another page?
3.12 Can I run a CGI script without returning a new page to the browser?
3.13 Can I write output to a different Netscape frame?
3.14 Can I write output to several frames at once?
3.15 Can I use a CGI script to generate both text and inline images?
3.16 How can I use Caches to make CGI scripts faster and more Net-friendly?
SECTION 4 - APPLICATIONS: IS THERE AN EXISTING SCRIPT TO ...
4.1 Where to look for free scripts for my application?
4.2 Discussion group/bulletin board
4.3 CSCW/Groupware
4.4 Database
SECTION 5 - TROUBLESHOOTING A CGI APPLICATION
5.1 Are there some interactive debugging tools and services available?
5.2 I'm having trouble with my headers. What can I do?
SECTION 6 - FURTHER READING
6.1 Other FAQs/collections (including online book)
6.2 Reference Pages
INDEX