CGI Programming

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 Pre-class activities

Yoga
Attendance marking
Recall
Presentation

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 Questions for Recall (5 minutes)

• What is logging?
• Why we are using pprint?

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 Module Overview
• Python CGI
• Architectural diagram
• Python cgi module
• Xampp
• First CGI Program
• Directory structure
• FieldStorage
• GET method
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 Module Overview

• FORM Example
• HTML FORM : GET Method
• HTML FORM : POST Method

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 Python CGI

• Python CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface.

• It is not a type of language but a set of rules that establishes a
dynamic interaction between a web application and the client
application.
• The programs based on CGI helps in communicating between
the web servers and the client.

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 Python CGI

• Python CGI module handles situations and helps debug scripts.

• Python CGI support for the uploading files through a HTML
form.
• Whenever the client-server requests the webserver, the
Common Gateway Interface (CGI) handles these requests using
external script files.

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 Architectural diagram
• An architectural diagram representing the working of
CGI is shown below:

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 Python cgi module

• Let’s begin with the Python cgi module. First, let’s import it.

• Now, We will use cgitb.enable() in our script to stimulate an

exception handler in the web browser to display the detailed
report for the errors that occurred.

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 Python cgi module

• Now, we can save the report with the help of the following
script.

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 Python cgi module

• The function of the cgi module stated above would help

throughout the script development.
• These reports help the user for debugging the script efficiently.
• Whenever the users get the expected result, they can eliminate
this.

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 XAMPP

• Before start with CGI programming with python, first make

sure that your web server supports CGI and it is configured to
the handle CGI programs.
• Web server can be WAMPP, XAMPP, etc.
• We need to start the Apache server then execute the CGI script.
• If you already have the XAMPP server in your system then
run/open it now

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XAMPP

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 XAMPP

• XAMPP stands for cross-platform, Apache, MySQL, PHP,

and Perl, and it provides the localhost server to test or deploy
websites.
• Generally, it gives the two essential components for its
installation, first is - Apache that creates a local server and
MySQL, which we can use a database.

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 First CGI Program

• We have created a new folder called python301 in xampp's

htdocs folder.

• Then, we write a Python script, which includes the HTML tags.

• Let's see the following directory structure and the

first_CGI_script.py file.

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Directory structure

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first_CGI_script.py

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 first_CGI_script.py

• Now start the Apache server as shown in below figure then run
the CGI script.

• Python script first_CGI_script.py will run on localhost by

default.

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Apache server

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 first_CGI_script.py

• Type the following path in to the web browser

localhost/python301/first_CGI_script.py

• It will display the following output.

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Web browser

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 Quiz Time

• We need to start the ____ server then execute the CGI script.

A. Xampp
B. Apache
C. Wampp
D. None of the above

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 Quiz Time

• The programs based on CGI helps in communicating between

the ___ and the client.

A. Python script
B. CGI script
C. web servers
D. None of the above

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 Question for GD - (3 Minutes)

• Discuss about CGI programming.

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 FieldStorage

• The cgi module defines a FieldStorage class.

• The FieldStorage class reads the form information from the
standard input or the environment.
• This is similar to Python's dictionary object consisting of form
elements and their respective values.
• We can use all dictionary function in the FieldStorage instance.

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 FieldStorage

• Once the form data is retrieved by FieldStorage object on

server side, the Python script can perform required process and
render HTML output back to the client browser.
• The FieldStorage instance uses the many built-in methods to
manipulate the users' data.
• Below are a few FieldStorage's attributes and FieldStorage's
methods.

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FieldStorage attribute

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FieldStorage Methods

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 Demonstration

• To understand CGI programming in python

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 GET method
• The GET method sends the encoded user information that is
appended to the page request.
• The page and the encoded information are separated by the ?
Character.
https://localhost/path/get.py?key1=value1&key2=value2

• We can pass information by simply concatenating key and

value pairs along with any URL or you can use HTML
<FORM> tags to pass information using GET method.

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 GET method
• The GET method is the default method to pass information from
browser to web server and it produces a long string that appears in
your browser's Location.
• Here is a simple URL, which passes two values to get.py program
using GET method.
localhost/cgi-bin/get.py?first_name=Narendra&last_name=Modi

• Below is the get.py script to handle input given by web browser. We are
going to use cgi module, which makes it very easy to access passed
information
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GET method

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GET method

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 FORM Example

• Following example passes two values using HTML FORM and

submit button.

• We use same CGI script get.py to handle this input.

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HTML FORM : GET Method

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 HTML FORM : GET Method

• The output of the above HTML form

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 HTML FORM : GET Method
• Now enter First and Last Name and then click
submit button to see the result.

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 HTML FORM : POST Method

• A generally more reliable method of passing information to a

CGI program is the POST method.
• This packages all the informations in exactly same way as GET
method, but instead of sending it as a text string after a ? in the
URL it sends the information as a separate message.
• The same get.py script is used which handles GET as well as
POST method.

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 Quiz Time

• The cgi module defines a ______ class

A. FieldStorage
B. get
C. post
D. None of the above

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 Quiz Time

• The GET method sends the _____ user information

A. Decoded
B. Encoded
C. New
D. Direct

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 Quiz Time

• A generally more reliable method of passing information to a

CGI program is the ________ method.

A. Post
B. Get
C. All the above
D. None of the above

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 Question for GD - (3 Minutes)

• Discuss FieldStorage method?

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HTML FORM : POST Method

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 HTML FORM : POST Method

• The output of the above HTML form

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 HTML FORM : POST Method
• Now enter First and Last Name and then click
submit button to see the result.

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 Think, Pair And Share – 10 Minutes

• Discuss get & post method

• What is CGI script ?

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 Summary

• Python CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface.

• The programs based on CGI helps in communicating between
the web servers and the client.
• Python CGI support for the uploading files through a HTML
form.
• The function of the cgi module stated above would help
throughout the script development.

© Jetking Infotrain Ltd. 2021

 Summary

• Before start with CGI programming with python, first make

sure that your web server supports CGI and it is configured to
the handle CGI programs.
• XAMPP stands for cross-platform, Apache, MySQL, PHP,
and Perl, and it provides the localhost server to test or deploy
websites.
• The cgi module defines a FieldStorage class.

© Jetking Infotrain Ltd. 2021

 Summary
• The FieldStorage class reads the form information from the standard input or
the environment.
• The GET method sends the encoded user information that is appended to the
page request.
• The GET method is the default method to pass information from browser to
web server and it produces a long string that appears in your browser's
Location.
• A generally more reliable method of passing information to a CGI program is
the POST method.

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 Mind Map - (5 minutes)

• Draw a Mind Map to summarize the session.

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 List of Labs

• Lab Activity:

– CGI script
– HTML form
– GET method

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 Disclaimer

• The copyright of the images used in the slides lies with the
respective owner.
• Jetking does not claim ownership on any of the images used.
• This content is being used for educational and reference
purpose only.

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