Perl does not have to use CGI.  Both Unix (mod_perl) and NT (perlIS) use
APIs to speed up processing dramatically.  I have been programming in perl
for a little over 3 years using CGI and the API and cannot think of any time
that I required a knowledge of CGI to make it work.

Norman

----- Original Message -----
From: John Allred <allred(at)its.state.ms.us>
To: Ron Hall <thorn(at)cc.mcgill.ca>
Cc: <hwg-techniques(at)hwg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: What Comes Next?


> Ron,
>
> Still in an effort to be clear, forms are a feature of HTML. The
> information passed in the form variables (or fields) can be used by a
> variety of technologies. You can provide an HTML form on a site and use it
> to pass data to an email application, ASP, Cold Fusion, Javascript, PHP,
as
> well as Perl, depending on what's installed on the server. Each of these
> applications interacts with the web server and, ultimately, with the user
> through an interface. Perl uses CGI, or Common Gateway Interface. ASP, CF,
> PHP, etc, use an API, or Application Programming Interface.
>
> I would suggest that, if one has need to write applications in a language
> that requires CGI, then knowing CGI is important. If she is writing using
a
> scripting language that uses an API, then CGI is irrelevant, unless she is
> going to incorporate one of the handful of CGI variables available from
the
> http server.
>
> A good FAQ on the subject can be found at
> http://www.webthing.com/tutorials/cgifaq.1.html
>
> HTH,
> --John
>
>
>
>
>
>                     Ron Hall
>                     <thorn(at)cc.mcg        To:     John Allred
<allred(at)its.state.ms.us>
>                     ill.ca>              cc:     hwg-techniques(at)hwg.org
>                                          Subject:     Re: What Comes Next?
>                     10/04/2000
>                     01:11 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Ron,
> >
> > CGI (which I interpret to mean, primarily, Perl) is no more readily
> > available than any other server side application. It must be installed
> and
> > available to the server, just as Cold Fusion or PHP must be installed.
>
>
>            Fine, but the it behooves the would-be web designer to NOT
>            understand how CGI works. What you program it with is up to
>            you. I don't even fully rely on JS as the end-user can always
>            turn it off. So given that forms are a fact of life -
>         understanding CGI is important.
>
>
> >
> > I'm not intending to begin any argument on this, only to be clear. A web
> > server serves HTML pages and little more. Anything else that you're
going
> > to do has to be added in or installed on top of that. Even server side
> > includes are not a given in every environment. They must be enabled and
> > supported. According to many pundits I've read lately, it's true that
> Perl
> > is not going away anytime soon, but many people entering the field
> > currently will never have the opportunity to deal with it.
> >
>
>
>            Deal with what perl or CGI?
>
>            r
>
>
>
>

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