CGI (Common Gateway Interface) has allowed the web to become much more interactive than it ever was. Instead of a text file being displayed once you call for it from the server, the output of a small program (or script) is displayed in its place on the browser. Text files do not change and are called static. However, a CGI script is an executable program that outputs dynamic, or changing, information.

Because scripts generate upon demand, they are capable of incorporating information which changes or which cannot be determined in advance. This allows the CGI script to be used as an interpreter of user-supplied data (e.g. comment forms), retrieve requested information, or produce content which has been customized for a particular user. With CGI scripts, you can create sound and pictures, as well as HTML documents for your viewers.

To create one of these CGI programs (scripts) you have to learn how to write it and a little about the language you must write it in. One of the easiest "scripting languages" to learn is PERL. Unlike "programming languages" (i.e. C, C++, Fortran), you will not need to compile the CGI program. It is easier to edit or modify, debug, and maintain, and simply sits in the /cgi-bin directory that your WebMaster assigns for it. If you are an alumni member, faculty, staff, or student, you can request space in the campus CGI Bin.