CGI (Common Gateway Interface) allow web sites to dynamically create web pages from a program written in C or a scripting language such as Perl. CGI scripts are stored in a separate folder commonly called a CGI bin on the web host server.
Perl programming is used for web applications such as FormMail, E-commerce, online polls, and other things that require the web site visitor to do something in which a result is expected. Perl programs are often stored in the CGI bin or folder on the web host server. The CGI bin may be inside your root directory or on the same level as your root directory. Most Perl files are sent in ASCII mode, excluding images, which are sent in binary mode. Permissions must be set properly and the referrer must refer to the correct address for the program to function without errors. Common permissions are 755 and extensions are pl or cgi. Common mistakes in Perl are forgetting to escape special characters, not using the correct path for Perl, not having the path to Perl as the first line of the script, and not ending the script properly.
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