CGI Scripts - Being Interactive With Your Users
You're likely to understand it best if I first give you an example. Wiki. The Wikipedia site is a website which makes use of CGI. CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface.
When you search for a word or name in Wiki, the command is given to search the site for the site's database and delivers a page with results related to the word or name you searched for. That's CGI explained in basic terms.
CGI is implemented, for example, when you wish to disclose a database for websurfers to retrieve information from. Users can search and retrieve information from your database at any time with the use of a gateway created by a CGI script. This script is basically what connects your database to the world wide web. It explains where the data is found, how the data is to be retrieved and delivered in a browser once found.
It is implemented by advanced programmers only, given the security threats posed by it if the CGI script is not properly implemented. It should also be implemented in a specific directory to protect other areas of your site which are not to be disclosed to general users.
Not all web hosting plans can handle CGI scripts. Many web hosts prefer to not let you use CGI scripts in their servers, given the security issues at stake if it is not implemented properly.
Those who do allow CGI scripts may also include ready-to-go CGI scripts, where in a few minutes, you can implement your site with the script. Wiki was an example given. If your aim is to build a site that works like Wiki, where you serve up a database of information to be used by anybody, then the gateway produced by a CGI script is perfect for you.
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