A CGI script is invoked by an HTTP server, usually to process user
input submitted through an HTML \code{<FORM>} or \code{<ISINPUT>} element.
-Most often, CGI scripts live in the server's special \code{cgi-bin}
+Most often, CGI scripts live in the server's special \file{cgi-bin}
directory. The HTTP server places all sorts of information about the
request (such as the client's hostname, the requested URL, the query
string, and lots of other goodies) in the script's shell environment,
The script's input is connected to the client too, and sometimes the
form data is read this way; at other times the form data is passed via
-the ``query string'' part of the URL. This module (\code{cgi.py}) is intended
+the ``query string'' part of the URL. This module (\file{cgi.py}) is intended
to take care of the different cases and provide a simpler interface to
the Python script. It also provides a number of utilities that help
in debugging scripts, and the latest addition is support for file
Read the documentation for your HTTP server and check with your local
system administrator to find the directory where CGI scripts should be
-installed; usually this is in a directory \code{cgi-bin} in the server tree.
+installed; usually this is in a directory \file{cgi-bin} in the server tree.
Make sure that your script is readable and executable by ``others''; the
Unix file mode should be 755 (use \code{chmod 755 filename}). Make sure
section above on installing your CGI script carefully can save you a
lot of time. If you wonder whether you have understood the
installation procedure correctly, try installing a copy of this module
-file (\code{cgi.py}) as a CGI script. When invoked as a script, the file
+file (\file{cgi.py}) as a CGI script. When invoked as a script, the file
will dump its environment and the contents of the form in HTML form.
Give it the right mode etc, and send it a request. If it's installed
-in the standard \code{cgi-bin} directory, it should be possible to send it a
+in the standard \file{cgi-bin} directory, it should be possible to send it a
request by entering a URL into your browser of the form:
\bcode\begin{verbatim}
you should fix before trying to go any further. If you get a nicely
formatted listing of the environment and form content (in this
example, the fields should be listed as ``addr'' with value ``At Home''
-and ``name'' with value ``Joe Blow''), the \code{cgi.py} script has been
+and ``name'' with value ``Joe Blow''), the \file{cgi.py} script has been
installed correctly. If you follow the same procedure for your own
script, you should now be able to debug it.
-The next step could be to call the \code{cgi} module's test() function from
-your script: replace its main code with the single statement
+The next step could be to call the \code{cgi} module's \code{test()}
+function from your script: replace its main code with the single
+statement
\bcode\begin{verbatim}
cgi.test()
\end{verbatim}\ecode
%
This should produce the same results as those gotten from installing
-the \code{cgi.py} file itself.
+the \file{cgi.py} file itself.
When an ordinary Python script raises an unhandled exception
(e.g. because of a typo in a module name, a file that can't be opened,
A CGI script is invoked by an HTTP server, usually to process user
input submitted through an HTML \code{<FORM>} or \code{<ISINPUT>} element.
-Most often, CGI scripts live in the server's special \code{cgi-bin}
+Most often, CGI scripts live in the server's special \file{cgi-bin}
directory. The HTTP server places all sorts of information about the
request (such as the client's hostname, the requested URL, the query
string, and lots of other goodies) in the script's shell environment,
The script's input is connected to the client too, and sometimes the
form data is read this way; at other times the form data is passed via
-the ``query string'' part of the URL. This module (\code{cgi.py}) is intended
+the ``query string'' part of the URL. This module (\file{cgi.py}) is intended
to take care of the different cases and provide a simpler interface to
the Python script. It also provides a number of utilities that help
in debugging scripts, and the latest addition is support for file
Read the documentation for your HTTP server and check with your local
system administrator to find the directory where CGI scripts should be
-installed; usually this is in a directory \code{cgi-bin} in the server tree.
+installed; usually this is in a directory \file{cgi-bin} in the server tree.
Make sure that your script is readable and executable by ``others''; the
Unix file mode should be 755 (use \code{chmod 755 filename}). Make sure
section above on installing your CGI script carefully can save you a
lot of time. If you wonder whether you have understood the
installation procedure correctly, try installing a copy of this module
-file (\code{cgi.py}) as a CGI script. When invoked as a script, the file
+file (\file{cgi.py}) as a CGI script. When invoked as a script, the file
will dump its environment and the contents of the form in HTML form.
Give it the right mode etc, and send it a request. If it's installed
-in the standard \code{cgi-bin} directory, it should be possible to send it a
+in the standard \file{cgi-bin} directory, it should be possible to send it a
request by entering a URL into your browser of the form:
\bcode\begin{verbatim}
you should fix before trying to go any further. If you get a nicely
formatted listing of the environment and form content (in this
example, the fields should be listed as ``addr'' with value ``At Home''
-and ``name'' with value ``Joe Blow''), the \code{cgi.py} script has been
+and ``name'' with value ``Joe Blow''), the \file{cgi.py} script has been
installed correctly. If you follow the same procedure for your own
script, you should now be able to debug it.
-The next step could be to call the \code{cgi} module's test() function from
-your script: replace its main code with the single statement
+The next step could be to call the \code{cgi} module's \code{test()}
+function from your script: replace its main code with the single
+statement
\bcode\begin{verbatim}
cgi.test()
\end{verbatim}\ecode
%
This should produce the same results as those gotten from installing
-the \code{cgi.py} file itself.
+the \file{cgi.py} file itself.
When an ordinary Python script raises an unhandled exception
(e.g. because of a typo in a module name, a file that can't be opened,
projects / python / commitdiff