Special Edition Using CGI (2nd Edition)

This omnibus book does more than merely tell readers how to solve common CGI programming problems with the least possible hassle (which is no mean feat in itself). Special Edition Using CGI also explains CGI concepts and theory in a way that enables the reader to start figuring out additional solutions independently.

The authors begin with some very basic information about what CGI does and how it enhances HTML. Then, they promptly get into the useful stuff--application-oriented programming for CGI. Example programs written in Perl, C, SQL, and various Unix shells appear throughout the book. All the popular CGI applications, including hit counters, site searchers, WAIS interfaces, chat forums, and image maps, get their due attention. Special Edition Using CGI gives server-side includes (SSI) a more detailed treatment than other CGI manuals.

The book almost loses its focus when it starts talking about Web multimedia, including online electronic cameras and RealAudio broadcasting. But the extra material is related, albeit distantly, to CGI programming, and there's not too much of it, so you can zip along to several "tips and techniques" programming chapters. The section on Perl is useful since it covers the most popular function libraries, and the Visual Basic chapter includes an informative discussion of WinCGI. Special Edition Using CGI wraps up with chapters about debugging and security. There's a CD-ROM that contains all the sample programs and all the popular Perl libraries.

Special Edition Using CGI will both help you set up common CGI applications quickly and teach you how to solve more complicated CGI problems on your own. It's a great choice for the beginner with big CGI ambitions.