From Static to Dynamic: Python CGI in Action
CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is a web server standard for running programmes that generate dynamic content. Python is a popular web development language that includes a number of modules and frameworks that make it simple to create CGI-based web applications.
The Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a protocol that allows external gateway applications, such as HTTP servers, to communicate with the server.
Said it is a set of methods used to provide a dynamic interaction between the server and the client application. When a client requests to the web server, the CGI programmes execute it and deliver the result.
To get started with CGI programming in Python, you will need to have a web server with support for CGI installed and configured. Most web servers, such as Apache and Nginx, support CGI out of the box.
Once you have a web server set up, you can write a Python script that will be executed by the web server when a user requests a particular URL. The script will generate dynamic content based on user input or other information and then send the content back to the user’s web browser.
Here’s a simple example of a Python CGI script that generates a form and processes the user’s input:
#!/usr/bin/python
import cgi
# Get the form data
form = cgi.FieldStorage()
# Get the user's name
name = form.getvalue("name")
print("Content-type: text/html")
print()
print("<html>")
print("<body>")
# Print a greeting to the user
if name:
print("<p>Hello, %s!</p>" % name)
else:
print("<p>Hello, World!</p>")
# Generate a form
print("""
<form method="post" action="/cgi-bin/greet.py">
<label>Enter your name:</label>
<input type="text" name="name">
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
""")
print("</body>")
print("</html>")When this script is run, it will generate a form in within which the user can enter their name. When the user provides the form, the script is re-run and a greeting utilising the user’s name is printed.
There are many more advanced features and techniques that you can use when programming CGI scripts in Python, such as handling cookies, sessions, and databases. You can find more information and resources on CGI programming in Python online.