Amazon.com
The appearance of the second edition of CGI Programming with Perlheralds the beginning of the neoclassical era of Web service. CGI--or commongateway interface--is the original back end for client-driven, dynamic Web-pageservice and deserves consideration as the Romulus of the Internet Empire. But,where first-edition author Gundavaram described the lonely Romulus laying thebrick foundation of dynamic Web-page service in 1996, second-editioncollaborators Guelich and Birznieks have pitched in to resurrect Romulus amidthe crowded streets of modern Rome. Why bother? Surely four years have broughttechnological revolutions (Java, PHP, ASP, ColdFusion) that render CGI'soriginal brick-by-brick approach as obsolete as, say, Roman mythology--or bricksand mortar.

And yet not. It is an ambiguous blessing that the original CGI persists,adhering to the underside of Web service by the duct tape that is Perl. Thispoint is not missed by Guelich, Gundavaram, and Birznieks, whose advocacy of CGIis both bolstered by the growing applications module base of Perl and temperedby their awareness of CGI's structural limitations. Both new and returningreaders of CGI Programming with Perl should browse the last chapter firstin order to appreciate the proposed solutions to CGI's greatest sin: itsimpractical slowness in a world of a million-hits-per-day Web service. Thechapter describes CGI-compatible FastCGI and mod_perl technologies thatcircumvent the process-spawning slowness of the simple CGI. Advanced users mightwant to skip directly to O'Reilly's fine mod_perl tome, Writing Apache Modules with Perl andC, by Lincoln Stein and Doug MacEachern.

The authors' second pass at CGI pedagogy is a lucid, honest, and expandedaccount that develops functionality of dynamic Web pages in a rationalprogression--from HTML client-server and CGI syntax basics to generalinput/output, forms, e-mail, graphics, and simple database applications,including maintaining client state and data persistence under the otherwisestateless HTTP protocol. The authors offer synopses of cookies, JavaScripting,server security, and XML, all of which are described in detail in otherbooks.

Whether or not neoclassical CGI is fast enough for your purposes--perhaps forguarded intranets--bear in mind that CGI is the standard to which every otherWeb server has had to respond. The second edition of CGI Programming withPerl is still the best introduction to the classics. --Peter LeopoldBook Description
Programming on the Web today can involve any of several technologies, but the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) has held its ground as the most mature method--and one of the most powerful ones--of providing dynamic web content. CGI is a generic interface for calling external programs to crunch numbers, query databases, generate customized graphics, or perform any other server-side task. There was a time when CGI was the only game in town for server-side programming; today, although we have ASP, PHP, Java servlets, and ColdFusion (among others), CGI continues to be the most ubiquitous server-side technology on the Web.CGI programs can be written in any programming language, but Perl is by far the most popular language for CGI. Initially developed over a decade ago for text processing, Perl has evolved into a powerful object-oriented language, while retaining its simplicity of use. CGI programmers appreciate Perl's text manipulation features and its CGI.pm module, which gives a well-integrated object-orientedinterface to practically all CGI-related tasks. While otherlanguages might be more elegant or more efficient, Perl is stillconsidered the primary language for CGI.CGI Programming with Perl, Second Edition, offers a comprehensiveexplanation of using CGI to serve dynamic web content. Based on the best-selling CGI Programming on the World Wide Web, this edition has been completely rewritten to demonstrate current techniques available with the CGI.pm module and the latest versions of Perl. The book starts at the beginning,by explaining how CGI works, and then moves swiftly into thesubtle details of developing CGI programs.Topics include:

• Incorporating JavaScript for form validation
• Controlling browser caching
• Making CGI scripts secure in Perl
• Working with databases
• Creating simple search engines
• Maintaining state between multiple sessions
• Generating graphics dynamically
• Improving performance of your CGI scripts

Customer Reviews (33)

Write an outline before you start writing a book
Fairly good content, but hideously organized.The book jumps all over the place and really lacks the coherence I've come to expect from O'Reilly books.I used "Learning Perl" to get pretty good with Perl in two weeks.The book on HTML is terrific as well.A good "Learning CGI" book to lead into this one would be nice I think.

Great in it's day
When the first edition came out, it was an atypical O'Reilly book; they were known for publishing guides for working programmers, but this was more of an introduction to a topic instead of a reference.

The problem is that it's not 1998 anymore.The technology this book explains (quite clearly!) really isn't used that much anymore, save by people who already know Perl quite well and want to leverage that skill to simple web scripts.

PHP, Python, Java, and Ruby all come to mind as a few of the modern approaches to the same topic.

Strike one for O'Reilly
I was sorely disappointed that I purchased this book. I own just about every O'Reilly book on Perl there is and I grabbed this one off the shelf based on my past experience with the quality that I had come to expect from them. What a fool I was!

It has nothing new to add and isn't even that well written.

So how bad was it? I'm considering taking it with me the next time I visit my girlfriend (she lives within walking distance from their offices) so I can walk in and hand it back to them in person, hopefully that'll make the point stick!

After the errata, then what . . .
I've got the July 2000 printing and was amazed at the errata and the errata items yet to be "confirmed"!As an example of the latter, just beyond half-way through the book there's an address book cgi script some 10 pages in length of which only the first page or so is explained.The script is an attempt to use the Perl DBI along with the DBD::CSV modules (utilizing SQL statements) to explain the database role in "Data Persistance"!The problem is that the "getQueryResults" subroutine in the script doesn't return any records when searching for particular field values (and returns every record in the database if no values are entered in the "search" form).In addition the "doUpdate" module reports that an update has been completed when in reality there has been no change to the database!If you're planning on using the book to learn some CGI with Perl, then you're going to be set back by this and other code malfunctions scattered throughout the book!

Even though it's a step up from the CGI Primer Plus for Windows book (and gets a 4 star rating), it still leaves much to be desired for the person who learns by coding!

A good place to start
I purchased "CGI Programming with Perl" thinking it was, like many O'Reilly books, a bible of programming how-to for the working programmer. It's not. What it is, in fact, is a pretty good introduction to writing CGIs with Perl for someone who has some basic knowledge of Perl and HTTP, but who has never done any CGI programming. And that's just the position I was in when I bought it.

The first third of the book is introductory in nature, with an introduction to how forms and CGI scripts work, some discussion of parsing forms in other languages, and some simple examples. The bulk of the book contains more complex examples of tasks like writing questionaires, interfacing with relational databases, maintaining state, graphics and so forth. I did glean a lot of useful information there.

The biggest problem with this book is a problem that's really common to all book on Internet programming: Standards are changing so fast that a year old book is likely to contain chapter upon chapter illustrating obsolete techniques and libraries. In "CGI Programming" there are a lot of examples using Perl modules that haven't really caught on, while some of the newer modules (obviously) aren't meantioned. Another problem is that the book is kind of scattershot in the attention it gives different topics.

Still, I think this is one of the better books for someone with basic Perl skills looking to get started with CGIs. There's enough detail here to start writing CGIs, and enough information out there on the web to go on learning. ... Read more

Amazon.com
CGI Programming 101: Programming Perl for the World Wide Web is a concise presentation of the key elements of Perl CGI, which makes it perfect for programmers who are under the gun. If you need to get up to speed on text strings, for example, you can read that chapter and be a pro within about 10 minutes.

Form processing is addressed early on, followed by searching and sorting techniques, illustrations of how to use server-side includes (SSI), and other critical issues. There's also a chapter on using MySQL--an open-source SQL database. In general, if you want to get the most out of this book, you'll be better off having some programming experience, be it in BASIC or C++.

The only element missing from this introductory course is an appendix containing Perl's reserved characters, operators, and functions; instead, this material is presented throughout the book. But CGI Programming 101 is still one of the most efficient ways to get up to speed with Perl CGI. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: Perl variables, CGI environment variables, form processing, data file I/O, searching/sorting, server-side includes (SSI), random number generation, strings, date and time manipulation, HTTP cookies, e-mail processing, securing scripts, Perl modules, database programming, and custom Perl modules.Book Description
If you build web pages you may eventually want to add a guestbook, order form, page counter, or other interactive elements to your website. CGI Programming 101 explains how to do this in simple, easy-to-understand terms. The book shows you how to write useful, real-world web programs, starting with simple guestbook forms and building up to more advanced applications.

You'll learn:

* TheBasics: where to write your CGI programs; how to upload them and set file permissions; how to run them, and how to debug them when things go wrong

* How to decode form data and save it to a file or e-mail it to yourself

* How to create, read, write, and search data files

* How to use Server-Side Includes to add dynamic content to your web site, plus a complete list of Apache SSI directives

* How to use random numbers for displaying banner ads and random images

* How to redirect visitors to another site

* How to extend your programs by using modules

* How to create a MySQL database, and write programs that interact with databases using the DBI module

* How to build an online shopping cart program

* How to e-mail attachments using a CGI program

* How to write secure programs, and protect your programs against hackers and spammers

* How to password-protect an area of your website

...and more.

The second edition has been substantially revised, with 100 pages of new material. It teaches good programming practices from the beginning, including use of the industry-standard CGI.pm Perl module. You'll learn how to protect your form-to-mail programs from being hijacked by spammers, how to build a cookie-based shopping cart, and how to develop a password-protected website. Quick-reference pages and an improved index help you find information easily.

There are also several online tutorials to help you set up your own web server and write CGI programs on any computer system - including Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The best book for beginners
This book is a great beginners guide as well as a reference booklet for veteran programmers.

Ms. Hamilton's style as an author is unbelieveably clean and understandable.

Understanding and Skill Needed for PERL Power
I am a neophyte script writer. I needed to learn basic PERL to set-up several web sites.

The book provided me with a very straight forward process to write scripts. As a self instruction book the arrangement and flow of the text was excellent. It was a great accomplishment to see my scripts work the first time. The only trouble that I encountered is when I didn't follow the process steps in writing the scripts.

I highly recommend this book.

Great book!
This book is extremely helpful for anyone completely new or clueless on the subject of cgi programming.This was my first book on the subject of cgi's (w/ perl) and honestly, it was the best primer in regular expressions in perl.Let me stress its name is suggestive of the content... that is CGI 101 is for beginners.That was a good thing in my case since I was completely clueless when it came to dynamic web programming.It was my first purchase on the subject and I still consider it the most helpful.

I highly suggest this book for anyone looking for an entry point on the subject of CGI programming.

The
I bought the previous edition of this book in 2001 because another reviewer recommended it and mentioned the added bonus of signing up with the CGI 101 hosting service.I bought the book AND started a web site with CGI 101.I have not regretted the past five years.The author has been helpful and communicative during the few occasions when the web site went down.

I can understand how someone who wants to be a guru (like the previous reviewer) would be disappointed, but this book is great for explaining most of the features anyone would need.Check out the [...] web site if you don't want to believe me.

A Fantastic Project Oriented Approach
One of the nicest (and at times, accursed) aspects of perl is that with a small amount of knowledge, you can do anything. If you have an informal background in programming (so that you have the analytical mindset), you can spend a weekend reading about Perl, then go build anything your heart desires. It'll take more time and be messier than the accomplished programmer's works, but you can do it.

That is exactly what I did with this book. I read the first edition, some six, maybe seven years ago, and then went on to build whatever I wanted. A year or so after reading it, I made a content management system replete with a gui interface that my employers could use. This book was the inspiration for years of Perl code creation, and employment.

Now, you won't learn as much as you would with any of the standard Perl books (such as Programming Perl, by the O'Reilly publishing world), as it's a project based approach to Perl learning. You aren't inundated with theoretics and syntax that you could then apply; instead, you receive the fundamentals, with some useful code snippets that you can put into your own code, and go forth to create.

In short, it is a delightful read, and I highly recommend it to any user who prefers a practical approach to learning, versus a theoretical one. If your aim is to go directly into a Perl programming job, then you may want to look elsewhere, but if you want to be able to build web applications, this is a quick easy read that will provide you with the tools to create all that you might want. ... Read more

Book Description
Perl is one of the most popular scripting languages for adding powerful interactive features to Web pages. Perl lets you place forms on your site that collect and process user input such as comments and product orders; enables visitors to search for information; and can integrate a database into your site, among its many other capabilities. Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web, 2nd Edition: Visual QuickStart Guide fully revised and updated since its original 1998 release, gets users to the core of CGI scripting with Perl. Even first-time programmers will be able to create useful, workable scripts from scratch, or adapt and customize existing scripts to their own needs. Hundreds of screen shots and clear, easy-to-understand directions make this the perfect Perl book for beginners, as well as a handy reference for those with previous programming experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Great Introduction to Perl
This was one of the first books I read to learn Perl and it provides an excellent introduction to Perl. At the beginning I think it could use a little bit more hand holding as some other books do, but if you are familiar with any syntax in a programming language you should be just fine. Even if you are one of those that did need to get another book to get you through the hand holding of learning to program for the first time with Perl, you will quickly find yourself wondering how to do things with Perl and this book will probably answer your questions so I think this book is indispensable for anyone that wants to learn Perl.

Really hard to follow
First off, she didn't even get started with user exercises until Chapter 7. (I can already use a web server, thank you-- she doesn't need six chapters to explain the subject) And it would be nice if she included the HTML form examples along with the corresponding perl/CGI scripts that processed the data generated. As it stands, she has a chapter which tells you how to create a form, and then two chapters later, when she gets to the perl/CGI examples, they don't correspond to anything that's been covered in earlier chapters pertaining to form data. I had a much easier time following a quickie online tutorial.

I cannot advise strenuously enough against purchasing this book.

Nice try, but disappointing
I have some experience with Perl and no experience with CGI, so I was looking for a book that would help me make the transition to using CGI. After looking around a lot, there did not seem to be a clear choice. Most of the books were aimed at someone who knew nothing about either or already had a solid background in both and wanted to increase their skill level. I finally decided to try this book.

I have only previously purchased one other book in the Visual Quickstart Guide series (PageMaker 7 for Windows and MacIntosh). I soon learned that there is a difference in a book written about an application and a book written about programming. Although this series may work nicely for an application with menus and so forth, the picture format is not that helpful when learning programming. Probably the first thing I noticed was that many of the "screen shots" were in Spanish. Although the text is in English, many of the examples are not. (HTML, Perl, and CGI are "universal" languages, but plain text--the web page content--is not.) Although this is not an insurmountable problem, it did make following the examples more difficult. Therefore, I removed a "half star" from the rating for this weakness. (Let's face it, how hard would it be to type 20 scripts using a different language and change the screen shots in the book?)

The author stated that the book's format would not allow printing everything (there is a clue there), but that you could download the files from one of two sites. Although you have interaction of three different structures (HTML, Perl, and CGI), you may not see them all in the book for any given exercise, and some of them will not be complete. Here is an typical example:

1. The author presents a screen shot of the HTML page that generates the values being used. It does not include a listing of the underlying HTML markup. Therefore, the reader has to guess based on the appearance of the web page what the underlying markup looks like--including variable names and types. You will find as the exercises get more complex, that guessing becomes very difficult without resorting to examining the downloaded files.
2. The author shows a snippet of the Perl program, revealing the new content. You are assumed to have already mastered the rest of the program to some extent.
3. A final screen shot that reveals what the output looks like.
4. The book's text that accompanies these images uses generic phrases such as "Type 'name', where name is the content of the HTML form element's NAME attribute."

By sitting back and pondering each exercise, you can figure things out, but it is unacceptable (in my opinion, at least) to make the reader work so hard to put all the pieces together when the author could have cited a specific example in the book. Therefore, I removed another star from the rating for this combination of weaknesses.

In some cases the text is not related to the images at all. As an example, I cannot comprehend how the text and images on page 144 (that discusses referring to multiple items in an array) go together. The instructions refer to text that does not appear anywhere in the screen shots. Therefore, I removed another "half star" from the rating for this, since it happens more than once. (It makes me wonder if anyone put anything beyond a cursory effort into proofreading this book.)

The Visual Quickstart Guide series promotes itself as a source where you can get what you need by going directly to the relevant chapters and using it partly as a reference rather than as a tutorial. Unfortunately, programming does not work like that unless you already understand the content presented earlier in the book. In my opinion, unless your CGI needs are very minimal, you will need to read the entire book in order to establish a working knowledge of this topic. I do not consider that either a strength or weakness of the book. It is more the nature of the subject matter. Still, if you plan to purchase this book and scan for a few ideas and be "up and running in no time" as the book cover claims, you will be disappointed. (Unless you already understand the topic and will just use the book as a reference to remind you of certain commands or formats.)

While writing this review, I realized that this is not a standalone book. Although I did not spend an extensive amount of time in other books, I did need to refer to other Perl and HTML books occasionally to grasp the concepts being presented, probably spending an hour in each to supplement and better explain various topics discussed in this book. For a book aimed at beginning and intermediate programmers, I believe this is unacceptable. The author does suggest that if you need to brush up on HTML that you should buy her other book(!), and she also says that this book (Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web) is not an exhaustive guide to Perl. I suppose this could be taken to warn the reader that they need some knowledge of both before using the book, but I believe the coverage for a "beginner" is too sparse. It would not have killed them to add another 50 pages to the content and explain things more thoroughly. Although it is possible for people with zero knowledge of any of these elements (HTML, Perl, and CGI) to put something together using this book, I suspect that most of them will get things done more as a result of copying what they see than really understanding what they are doing. Therefore, I removed another star from the rating.

Overall, I rate Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web at 2 stars out of 5. You can learn some Perl and CGI from this book. Unfortunately, the process is more difficult and confusing than it needs to be. Although this book has great potential, I believe it needs a major rewrite--perhaps even by a different author who has a better "teaching" ability to "Teach yourself Perl and CGI scripting the quick and easy way!" as the cover claims.

A must for learning Perl
"Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web" is well organized, well written, and easy to understand. Elizabeth Castro clearly puts great care into communicating. She succeeds.

This book worked well for me as an instructional text, and now I use it as a reference. It's a must for anyone who wants to learn Perl.

This book is my bible
I have been programming since 1977.When I finally broke down and realized I was going to have to learn ANOTHER language I went out and reluctantly bought this book because it was the only one on the shelf.

I came from a C background and was amazed how quickly the author was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together for me.

While she skipped over large areas and didn't cloud issues with obnoxious synonyms of the perl language I understood the basics enough that when I need that simple unanswered question I only need to look on the Net.

I will be eternally grateful for E Castro and her marvellous book! Thank you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Not easy to follow
This was a little conplex and not easy to follow, as some reviews said.
I'd look at another.

A rare gem
This is a fantastic book!It is best for people who already know Perl and have written basic CGI scripts and now wish to write full-blown applications.

The attraction of this book is simple:there are countless sources that teach you how to write a CGI "page" -- a single script that has a couple states.But it turns out that writing CGI-based "applications" are much harder.

This is one of the rare books that discusses the architecting of CGI-based *applications* including the full source of a very interesting content management application.As such, this book is virtually unique among the dozens of others books.It is not perfect and I keep hoping that the authors will come out with an updated edition.But for all that, it remains unparalleled.

Not a good introduction to CGI
I bought this book because the Amazon reviewers loved it so much. I got about 150 pages into it and now I need to buy a different book. This book is good for people who really really like to learn by rote. The authors cover interesting and important topics, but they don't explain them well. They don't even try to outline the purpose of a script before coding it. They also introduce functions that are new to the reader somewhere in the middle of a script. They never write, "This is function x. It can be used like this... Here is an example...."

They just start coding without any introduction except for some stupid jokes.

That said, if you already know a buttload of Perl and DBI and CGI programming, you might like this book for the examples.

Also, there were way too many errors in the text and the code, and that makes it even harder to learn.

Not all I expected
I read the raving previous reviews and thought this would be the CGI book for me.It wasn't.I know a bit of perl, but relatively little about cgi (I know a bit, but not much).Here are my comments:

Good things:
- I thought most of the example programs in the text were good and illustrated the points being made.
- I liked the discussion on taint

Bad points:
- I thought the examples were somewhat random and did not give me tools to attack general problems.
- I would have liked a better description of cgi.pm (perhaps I should get Lincoln Stein's book)
- I did not like the line by line format of the code.I found this very distracting and redundant.I would have preferred seeing the code and then having the authors describe the main points of the code (instead of all the trivial comments inbetween all the lines).
- I did not like the dependence on databases.Perhaps this is something most serious cgi programmers use, but storing my data in text files is sufficient for most of the applications I might use.I would have preferred a separate chapter on database and cgi (or I could just buy a separate book on this).

I'm not sure why everyone else raved about the book so much, but I didn't find it so wonderful.

Very helpful
This is an extremely useful book for writing web-based applications with Perl.Lots of helpful descriptions and examples.Useful for beginners to familiarize themselves with a wide range of necessary terms and topics.For example, I found the chapters on mod_perl and dbi very helpful.Also useful for more experienced CGI programmers because of the useful examples and techniques presented. ... Read more

Book Description
CGI/Perl teaches users how to write CGI programs using the Perl programming language, the most common way Web sites accept orders over the Internet. Users begin the book with an introduction to the Perl language and progress into developing forms and graphics using CGI. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

special purpose book
I have used this book for teaching a Perl/CGI course at a post-secondary technical college. Course Technologies usually does a good job with their instructional material and this is no exception. I have also used other texts by Diane Zak, and they are all first rate. This is a great book for teaching server side scripting in a non-academic setting.

WARNING: This isn't a Perl book so don't expect to learn Perl, although this will certainly get you started. It isn't a CGI book. It isn't an architecture book. It's not a web design book. It doesn't cover database connectivity. It's special purpose is to get you up and running using Perl for server side scripting, and for this purpose it does an excellant job, and I have no problem giving it 5 stars for this special purpose. ... Read more

Amazon.com
More powerful and inspiring than the superheroes it moves on the big screen, the RenderMan 3-D graphics engine pushes animation toward the photorealistic as anyone who has seen A Bug's Life, The Iron Giant, or the Toy Story can attest.Advanced RenderMan, written by two long-time employees of Pixar Animation and early participants who helped define the RenderMan standard, is a clear, concise, and technical exploration of this computer graphics and animation rendering tool.

The first section introduces RenderMan, computer graphics concepts, and mathematics, followed by a section on "Scene Description." This includes chapters on "Describing Models and Scenes in RenderMan" and "Handling Complexity in Photorealistic Scenes."

Sections 3 and 4, "Shading," and "Tricks of the Trade" supply the meat of the book and make it worth the cost of admission. These sections include examples and insight from not only a technical perspective but also a cinematic one. The chapter "Storytelling Through Lighting" should be required reading for beginning computer animation artists.

There are numerous color plates, including some rendering tests from Toy Story. These show the same scene (Andy's room) using different lighting and color palettes, each suggesting a different time of day.

Given the difficulty of the book's subject, 3-D artists or animators with limited technical chops, amateurs, or hobbyists might be better served by something more general. This is, however, an outstanding reference for CG technical directors or anyone with experience in graphics and 3-D programming. It is filled with coding examples used to create RenderMan shaders and case studies citing which techniques were used to create a specific look in, for example, Toy Story or A Bug's Life.

The book has no accompanying CD-ROM, but the publisher maintains a Web site from which code snippets and examples can be downloaded. At first, this may seem inconvenient and merely a way to cut production costs, but it's actually an excellent way to keep the examples current. The field of computer graphics and animation is moving at the speed of light, and the examples and tutorials must move with it. But have no fear--RenderMan is here. --Mike CaputoBook Description

Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures is precisely what you and other RenderMan users are dying for.Written by the world's foremost RenderMan experts, it offers thoroughly updated coverage of the standard while moving beyond the scope of the original RenderMan Companion to provide in-depth information on dozens of advanced topics.Both a reference and a tutorial, this book will quickly prove indispensable, whether you're a technical director, graphics programmer, modeler, animator, or hobbyist.

Explore the Power of RenderMan
* Use the entire range of geometric primitives supported by RenderMan.
* Understand how and when to use procedural primitives and level of detail.
* Master every nuance of the Shading Language.
* Write detailed procedural shaders using texture, displacement, pattern generation, and custom reflection models.
* Write shaders for special effects relating to volumes, custom lighting, and non-photorealistic media.
* Use antialiasing to ensure that your shaders are free of artifacts.
* Minimize the expense of rendering scenes by optimizing input.

Other Features from Advanced RenderMan
* Offers expert advice and instruction applicable to any RenderMan-compliant renderer.
* Filled with technical illustrations and many full-color representations of effects supported by the RenderMan standard.
* Includes a chapter reviewing key math and computer graphics concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great overview of the Renderman specs
The book covers everything from the basics of setting up a scene with lighting to writing your own shaders with detailed descriptions of the Renderman API.Overall, excellent overview for the intermediate graphics prefessional.

Intended for shader programmers
Don't buy this book expecting to learn the intricacies of Renderman. This is really geared towards shader programmers and Renderman theorists. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book, it just wasn't what I was looking for.

If you don't care about the above, but would still like to see how Toy Story and the Iron Giant were created, then buy this.

Delivers more than the title suggests
The world of computer graphics books is filled with fat, pricy tomes that are frankly little better than rehashes of the manual. "Advanced Renderman" is a completely different sort of book.

While Renderman is the ostensible subject, the authors actually cover the entire graphics workflow-- and explain the "why" of it all. Their section on anti-aliasing, for example, is concise, complete, and makes clear the implications of all those little doo-hickeys in 3DS -- you remember the AR explanation better, because its based around how rendering works, rather than how a particular application works (which may change in the next rev, anyway)

Smart guys, smart book-- highly recommended.

Great all-around RenderMan reference
This is a great book, written in clear and understandable English. It proivded me (a novice) great information about the RenderMan interface. Not only did it provide a reference to the various API calls, but it also includes an introduction to the basic maths behind it, as well as chapters that discuss CG in general. A thoroughly well written, useful andinformative book. It is indespensible for any RenderMan user and in fact, for any CG artist.

Art of Photosurrealism
This book is written by six renowned professionals in digital lighting field. Even you are not a shader programmer, chaper 1 and 13 show theaesthic architecture of lighting composition and tell us the beauty of'Photosurrealism'. The depth of each paper is just amazing and you can findmore beautiful tecnical information from other papers written by the sameauthors. ... Read more

Book Description
Custom subroutine library for developing your own CGI programs
* Line-by-line explanations of 20 of the most popular CGI programs and subroutines that are essential to your Web site
* Compatible with Perl 4 and 5
* Tested under WindowsR(r), UNIXR(r), and MacOSR(r)

If you want to make your Web site as interactive as possible, as soon as possible, you've come to the right place! This book/CD powerhouse arms you with 20 of today's most-demanded CGI programs and subroutines, designed and written especially for this book, each ready to load and use. At the same time, it offers you a quick, painless, and unique hands-on way to learn basic and advanced CGI/Perl programming.

The CGI/Perl Cookbook begins with a concise overview of CGI programming for beginners, followed by a guide to installing CGI programs on UNIX, PC, and MacOS Web servers. The rest of the book is devoted to line-by-line, feature-by-feature explanations of seven cutting-edge CGI programs; including a search engine, password protection, advanced form processing, a shopping cart, customized bulk e-mail, advanced visitor feedback, and more; as well as 13 subroutines for e-mail support, file encoding, credit card validation, e-mail address checking, error handling, and text encryption. You also get a usage guide, installation instructions, and professional CGI and Perl programming tricks and customization tips for each program and subroutine.

The CD-ROM is a gold mine of ready-to-use software and valuable information. You get:
* All the CGI programs from the book-code and ready-to-run versions
* The complete Matt's Script Archive
* A collection of the best scripts from across the Web-source code included
* The complete Perl programming manual
* The most recent Windows, UNIX, and MacOS versions of Perl ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

Non Fiction
I have only found this book useful very occasionally, and once or twice when I picked it up, so can't recommend it particularly highly. Those more involved in that sort of thing may find it more useful, but just another average computer book from my point of view, in this case.

The Cgi/Perl Cookbook
The scripts are buggy and don't even work out of the box and they certainly aren't well written enough for a production website. The contact email address in them bounces, perhaps the author's gone into hiding in shame.

On the plus point they do give some ideas on what could be done to improve a site, as long as you write your own Perl.

Be prepared for a Do It Yourself Experience...
I purchased this book in 1999 with the intention of developing my CGI skills and implement CGI programs in my website projects. The book does provide 20 usefull CGI scripts that one can fool around with, since there is a line by line explanation of all the scripts, I could figure out what makes it tick without having to actually learn perl.

On the Good Side:
1. Explanation of the scripts, line by line.
2. 20 Ready to use sripts and a few subroutines.
3. HTML Templates for using the scripts.
4. A website with updates and a forum.

On the Not so Good Side:
1. All the scripts are quite rudimentary, very basic operations.
2. You need to know how to configure the script to work in the server. This is where you will spend most of your time, yet little documentation on this subject is provided.
3. The website referred by the book is never updated.

Overall, I think it is a good book for someone who wants to jump into CGI for the first time, is tenacious, and is ready to invest a good amount of hours figuring things out on his own.

There are errors and other complexities involved.
The programs are not really "ready-to-run." They are not "Ready-to-use." Programming is required, because there are bugs in html documents and scripts that must be corrected. The book is a good resource of information for people who want to study and learn and troubleshoot and learn Perl, because it is possible to get the scripts to work if the troubleshooter does not give up until they get things to work satisfactorily. I believe that it is practically impossible for a person to use these scripts without having some experience with Perl and CGI and HTML. The book has a lot of good explanations of code, which I find helpful and useful. I can't blame anyone for selling the book in the way it is sold. Salesmen sell the book. Programmers who successfully learn, don't give up when things don't work easily. This is book for beginning programmers.

Don't judge a book by its cover
This book is basically a poor product that has been successfully sold. It is terrible. It is a lie! On the back of my book it says "Jazz up your site with 20 exclusive, ready-to-use professional CGI scripts and subroutines--no programming required!" It is sold as if it will satisfy the needs of people who do not understand Perl, while it is almost impossible for it to satisfy anyone, as it is. Hours and hours of troubleshooting and trying to figure out what is wrong is part of what you will get from this book. If you survive through that part of it, you will probably learn that it would be easier for you to learn Perl enough to do things in your own way. Buy another book. Find another way! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Animportant guide for developing dynamic content and forms to add impact andinteraction to Web sites. Brenner is the author of cgi-lib.pl, the de factostandard library for creating CGI scripts with Perl.Used for everythingfrom NASA space data to Byte Magazine's on-line comment box, this librarymakes CGI scripting intuitive and fun.

If you want to see an excerpt from this book, look below, or click on thetitle.Book Description
This book teaches readers all they need to know to create custom programs for the World Wide Web. Introduction to CGI/Perl: Getting Started with Web Scripts begins with a complete review of communication technology and then introduces the essentials of the Perl language and the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). It features detailed coverage of all HTML form elements, text processing, management with Perl, receiving input and producing output, and customized client-server interaction with http; including explanations of protocol nuances such as GET and POST. All code and extra examples are available from an online appendix. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An excellent intro to a tough topic
I was looking for a book which would get me started in Perl scripting as painlessly as possible. This book was all that and more. I am now thinking of taking up Perl scripting as a profession.

Good Book
This book was brief and informative, with enough tutorial scripts to get you going. The only drawback, is the only online reference (the author had set up a page with all relevant links) is to a page that has moved, due tothe publisher being bought out. (frustrating, but still worth it)

A great Intro to Perl!
I thought this book was excellent, it was a little short, but still good.My actual rating would be 4.5 stars, this is because once it gets into chapter 3 pretty deep, I lost my self and had to read it over a coupletimes, and instead of using cgi-lib.pl, I'd rather know how to do it fromscratch.

Overall though a great book! c'ya

A Good Introduction... Not a Tutorial
If you are bright, and you want to understand the concept of Perl, this book will get you started. You probably will not come away able to write any programs, although you will gain some tools for doing so. I have notyet found a single book to get people started with Perl, but a combinationof this book, "Learning Perl" and "The Perl CGICookbook" makes a good beginner library.

It's gives more code than explain.
This was a good book. I give 4 stars because it is an introduction. But i really wished i payed attention to the title "Introduction to cgi/perl" This book also did not explain things that well, especiallywhen they got deep into the tr/ / / parts. overall it's a good book though:) ... Read more

Amazon.com
CGI.pm, a Perl library for writing CGI scripts, delivers elegantsolutions for using and updating Web forms. The author, Lincoln Stein,realized the need for a clean and simple way to manage forms and--as acolumnist for the Perl Journal, a scientist at Cold SpringHarbor Laboratory, and a Web-based software author--created thatsolution. He's (refreshingly) humble about this creative process,explaining that it took him a few steps until he realized the key tothis HTML/Perl hybrid: simplicity.

The CGI.pm standard allows thesite manager to separate data from its HTML markup for use in CGIforms. For example, all the elements in a short drop-down menu ofvegetables can be placed in one array, changing this:

The use of CGI.pm requires a mind shift for Web site managers, but it'sone worth making. Instead of tags for 'input' and 'select', CGI.pmuses statements such as "checkbox ()" and "textfield ()," allowingdocuments to be read easily and updated quickly.--Jennifer BuckendorffBook Description
A complete guide to creating interactive Web pages using the Perl CGI.pm library from its creator.

Official Guide to Programming with CGI.pm contains all the information about CGI.pm found in Perl's online manual, but in a completely reorganized and greatly expanded format. It also includes valuable labor-saving tips and hints you won't find anywhere else. Featuring step-by-step instructions and complete source code, it shows you how to:
* Download, install, and configure CGI.pm
* Generate HTML documents on the fly
* Process fill-out forms and create multipage documents
* Perform script debugging and state maintenance
* Design interactive clickable image maps
* Store and process cookies
* Attach JavaScript and cascading style sheets to your documents
* Write state-maintaining scripts
* Modify and extend CGI.pm
* Tap the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN).

Visit the companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/stein

On the Web site you'll find:
* The most recent and all future revisions to the CGI.pm module
* All the source code examples from the book
* Online documentation for CGI.pm
* Links to CPAN and other Web-related software written by the author.

Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Straight From The Creator of CGI.pm
This is one of my favorite computer books of all time. I enjoyed it as a way to learn to use the CGI perl module, several years ago, and I use it from time to time now as a reference. The author presented his material with a fair amount of humor, especially in the examples, and with great clarity. Of all the perl modules out there, I probably use CGI.pm more than any other, with DBI.pm coming in a close second. So, if you're planning on using perl to generate web pages, this book will be very useful. While learning to use the CGI.pm I also read two other books and this book by Lincoln Stein was the most useful and informative of the ones I read.

Disappointing
I gave up on this book after 185 pages. Admittedly, I learned a lot about using Lincoln Stein's CGI module using this book, but it was not always easy. On the upside most of his explanations are clear. However the examples are replete with errors and the typography used for the code listings make it easy to introduce new errors.

Wow, incredible high-level power in this module.
The author has done a wonderful job of explaining how to use the CGIpm module. If you understand the basics of perl, you should be able to go through the bulk of this book. And with just a slight acquaintance with Perl references and anonmous list, you'll be surprised how quick and easy this is to master. This book puts other CGI books to shame because other books shy away from discussing all the cool functions in CGI.pm.

Great Book!
This book helped me make the transition to object oriented perl. Oh yeah, and it's filled with all the CGI you'll need. Thank you Lincoln Stein!!

This book is a necessity but the examples don't all work
I must confess that I could do virtually none of the programming that I do without Lincoln's fine work, but it's sometimes frustrating with so many broken examples.

Once you figure out the syntax, you'll be OK.There's a lot of easy-to-find reference. Make sure you test very small sections of code on their own and insert it into your programs when you get it working.Then refer to your working programs (copy & paste) when you make others.

Again, much credit needs to be given to Mr Stein, but Paul DuBois' Book MySql and Perl For The Web explains CGI.pm much better (you'll still need Stein's book if you're going to be serious about CGI) with examples that really,really, work, extreme attention to detail, and incredible organization. ... Read more

Book Description
Perl, CGI, and JavaScript Complete, Second Edition is a one-of-a-kind book--valuable both for its broad content and its low price. This book contains a wealth of information essential for any web developer in need of a complete reference to the most popular technologies for building interactive websites.
Like its predecessor, this updated edition of Perl, CGI, and JavaScript Complete thoroughly covers the fundamentals of Perl 5.8, JavaScript 1.5, and the CGI protocol. In addition, it emphasizes the important skills needed to create today's interactive websites. You'll see how to use hidden fields and cookies, interface JavaScript with CGI programs, and monitor website activity with Perl. You'll read about Perl's support for Unicode, for manipulating external databases, and for XML processing. The book's JavaScript and Perl reference sections have been updated with the latest objects, functions, and modules.
Perl, CGI, and JavaScript Complete introduces you to the work of some of Sybex's finest authors, so you'll know where to go to learn even more about vital web-development topics.
Inside:
JavaScript Fundamentals
* Learning the Fundamentals
* Working with JavaScript
* Adding JavaScript to Your Web Page
* Working with Objects
Advanced JavaScript
* Processing Forms
* Using Hidden Fields and Cookies
* Interfacing JavaScript with CGI Programs
Perl & CGI Fundamentals
* Introducing Perl and CGI
* Writing Your First Program
* Debugging Your Programs
* Using CGI in the Real World
* Creating HTML Forms with Perl
* Perl and Unicode
Building Web Applications with Perl
* Creating a Guest Book for Your Website
* Monitoring Website Activity
* Implementing E-mail Solutions
* Databases and the Web
* XML Solutions in Perl
JavaScript and Perl References
* JavaScript Objects
* Perl Functions
* Perl Modules ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Difficult to follow
I bought this book mainly for Perl and CGI. I found it quite difficult to follow, and had to re-read chapters repeatedly to get the main points. Even then it was hard. I think I would prefer more "hand-holding". I always felt I was being overwhelmed.

Book for Advanced Reference
This is a very dry reading. It holds a lot of information but not fit for the learning point of view, it is set up more to be a reference for the already advanced jscript/perl/cgi programmer. The layout is not created up well enough to display samples, and only makes you more confused as you get further into the book. I found myself reading pages over 2 or 3 times before one page would make sense with the next.

What a waste of time
I just bought this book and read into it, and many of their examples are incorrect and they do not teach you very well. If you want a decent book on programming, try one from PeachPit Press.

Don't Bother...
I like Sybex's idea of giving the reader 1,000 pages of info for under [price]. But this book is not well executed: there are innumerable mistakes littering this book, but the website lists only one entry in the "errata." And these are mistakes that can frustrate a newbie (e.g., the book says that UNIX PATH varibale has a ';' delimiter when actually it is a ':', etc.) Also, the reference section for Perl modules leaves out any mention of CGI.pm -- a very important module. Both sections leave the reader wondering just what level of expertise the authors have.

I would not recommend this book.

Typical Sybex approach to making difficult topics easy
Despite some basic concept familiarization, I was horribly intimidated byJavaScript and Perl.This book does a great job of introducing and handwalking you through difficult concepts and ideas - building a little at atime -Great desk reference... Recommended to some friends and bought as agift for others! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Nicely balanced treatment of CGI programming in both C, which has distinct performance advantages, and Perl, currently the most popular language for CGI. Written by the long-time maintainer of the Usenet comp.infosystems.www FAQ (and fellow Seattleite), Thomas Boutell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Awesome book
I tried for a long time to get a handle on C.My background is PERL, and then later PHP, so i figured it might make sense for me to come at this from a web-based perspective.By chapter 4 I knew enough to start writing simple programs on my own (not using samples in the book).By the end of chapter 7 I was well versed enough to start more complex programs using PATH_INFO variables.Extremely good book.If you write web-based apps, and are thinking about learning C this is *the* book.

One reviewer mentioned something about screenshots looking old, which is true, they are obviously Netscape 1, running on Unix's now ancient Motif window manager, but the concepts are all still exactly the same.The cgi's you write will look the same on Netscape 1, as they do on Seamonkey, or IE, or Safari so that's no big deal.

I gave it a 5 because the concepts contained inside are very well written easy to understand and this is the only book that has given me a decent base on which to learn C.

If I could change my rating now, I'd give it a 3 or 4.I wrote some more complex CGI's based on some of the ones in this book that didn't work.So for kicks I copied the source from the cd and tried to just compile those...gcc refused saying I hadn't declared strcmp().:-/

Indeed, I did a 'gcc *' in the SOURCE/C dir and didn't end up with a single a.out file.They all gave errors either on strcmp, feof, fgets, fprintf, in, isspace, fclose, and numerous others.

Still an excellent book but things have changed a lot since it was written.

Hey Thomas!How 'bout a Second Edition?:-)

A very good book
I bought this book around 1998.It was the only book that cover
CGI and C, the rest talked about PERL which I hadnt learned yet.

Once the reader learns the basics (assuming they already know 1 of the 2 languages and have a webserver to play with), they should be able to construct any CGI program in almost any language.

CGI Programming in C & Perl
An EXCELLENT buy -- you don't have to be a "Pro" to use the programs here -- but you can't be a rookie either... Get it "New" or "Used"--the price difference is insignificant--compared to what's inside the book....I bought this book a few months ago--here on AMAZON--and was delighted to find this book contained entire (web)-C-programs that ACTUALLY WORKED! If your web-server(CGI-scripts) are runnning at a crawl...it's probably because you are running a "convenient-scripting-language" -- instead of a C-program!! This book is NOT long-winded, but very practical. I have seen (repackaged???-or-similar)-versions of this code running on a few of the "higher-profile" web-sites. Over the years, I have acquired a STACK of other C-Programming Books--and I am afraid to buy any more of them--because I am tired of EXPERIMENTING to see which ones are PRACTICAL to READ, and I'm tired of reading GOBS of POINTLESS-and/or-BLOATED text--I am very happy with this book. I am a self-taught (Linux) C Programmer, and the C-and-PERL-programs from this book run well on Linux(kernels 2.2 thru 2.4)... This book is a great start in getting you up and running--but the rest is up to you--since you'll REALLY NEED to UNDERSTAND MODERN WEB SERVERS !!!...and... ONE LAST NOTE-- this code may be considered "old" (written in 1996?) --it's NOT obsolete--but it still runs perfectly-and-flawlessly "as is" --on a modern-day Apache Web Server(Linux). This code has stood it's test of time.After you use these programs--it may become more obvious as to the "updates-additions-or-deletions" you'll want to make.Be sure to get Boutell's UPDATED CODE (from his web-site).

The Truth
With many years of experience under my belt, i found this book to be easy.I'd written many complex cgi scripts using perl and c previous to this book, for many fortune 500 companies.They are much more complex than the ones "Dennis Chang" clamis to have written.The conepts in the book are sound but a little outdated.One major complaint is that there aren't enough code examples to look at while you are reading along.The bottom line, its a easy book to read that teaches sound principles for programming cgi in c, but remember you pay for what you get.So i recommend getting a more advanced book for when you master this one.

Good, but old.Needs to be updated.
Those of us who participate in the CGI programming newsgroups know Thomas' reputation and it's steller.When this book was first released, it was the best book available, and it some ways it still is.But the current editionis showing its age.It doesn't cover many new CGI topics or concepts.Istill use this book as a reference now and again, but I wouldn't buy ittoday. ... Read more

Book Description

Sams Teach Yourself CGI in 24 Hours teaches the reader the next step beyond simple HTML Web pages. This new edition covers implementing CGI with both C and Perl, and it discusses CGI's relative strengths and weaknesses in comparison with other Web programming technologies like JavaScript, Java, and PHP.It also covers recent developments in templating systems and mod_perl server add-ons.

The book takes the reader from the basics of CGI—learning, for example, how to implement and customize existing CGI programs that have been written by others—to the point where he can use CGI to create his own programs from scratch.

The book also provides numerous real-life examples of CGI scripts—database search tools, survey forms, interactive games, order forms, guest books, and more.

Customer Reviews (8)

Good for Beginners
This book encompassed most of what CGI is all about and did so straight forward enough to where a beginner could learn from it. It covers the basics of programming in a sense with all of its topics and how it's structured. It wouldn't be feasible to go straight from using the book to application programming, but like I said, it's good for beginners to start getting a feel for what the server side world is capable of and how things work.

An excellent beginners book!
I have been learning CGI/PERL/PHP for the past 6 months now. I am currently in an internship and my job is to update the webpage. This book was great! This book helped me a lot. I am definitely still a begginner at CGI and this book taught me a lot of basics. You won't learn how to create professional looking guestbooks or message boards but you will learn the basics of how to create them. This book covers just about everything you need to know to get started.

Very good book, but lacks in one respect
This book is an excellent and well-balanced treatise on the topic of CGI programming with Perl. However, the book says that it teaches you to program CGI in C as well... not quite. I would not say 9 pages out of 490 is sufficient to state that the book covers CGI programming in C. But since far and away most of the CGI programs on the net are written in Perl, I don't believe it is an extremely important topic.

Another thing to note is that if you do not previously know Perl fairly well, you may have a hard time grasping some of the more difficult examples used, such as complex regular expressions.

Now, the reason I did not give it five stars is this: since I have a fairly extensive knowledge of Perl, I can recognize bad practices on the part of the author. Mainly, as you will immediately notice if you purchase this book with a prior knowledge of Perl, the author places WAY too much emphasis and entire program structure on global variables. This is a practice that should be avoided in ALL languages, not excluding Perl. But, it can easily be taken with a grain of salt (as I have done), or you can rewrite some of the code so that functions actually accept parameters instead of relying on globals.

But, if you are thinking of buying the book, I highly recommend doing so. However, if you do not yet know Perl, I would first read Sams Teach Yourself Perl in 24 Hours by Clinton Pierce, as it is the best beginners guide to Perl I've seen out there.

By the way, this review applies to the first version of the book.

I am impressed
The content of the book impressed me.Prior to reading the book, I had taught myself Perl programming, and had learned the basics of forms processing.I didn't understand some of CGI jargon I came across in more than one Perl book that glossed over CGI in a single chapter somewhere toward the back of the book.But this book on CGI programming gave me all the information I needed to feel like a CGI pro, someone who could keep his cool in any discussion where "CGI" was spoken.

Some of the information in this book is worth writing down, so you can remember the clear understanding that reading the book gave you, and so you can regurgitate that understanding to other people later, say after months of no complex CGI programming.This book offers enough explanation to make you see things from a webmaster's perspective, but also a UNIX programmer's perspective.Without more than a basic idea of how the UNIX command-line works.

I will confess that if you don't know Perl, I don't think you'd have the same reaction I did.But CGI books shouldn't have to teach you Perl, and at the same time, Perl is THE language for CGI programming.The "brief" coverage that this book gives to other CGI languages is not meant to underplay their relative importance, but rather to give Perl the attention that it's due.Also, realize that PHP is not a CGI language, and I wouldn't classify JSP as one, either, so you definitely won't find mention of them in Rafe's book as anything other than alternatives to CGI.

So learn some Perl, say from the new "Beginning Perl" book from OReilly, and then get Rafe's book, to learn CGI."Teach Yourself CGI in 24 Hours" is worth buying and studying.

Great Start for a Perl Beginning
Dear Mr. Rafe Colburn:
Buddy! Just thought I had better write you to THANK you for your book, 'Sams Teach Yourself CGI in 24 Hours". I bought the book last Christmas, and though progress is slow, things are sinking in GOOD!
I just wrapped my head around Hour 15, Session (State) Management, and cookies. Your book is extremely well laid out, easy to understand, and there hasn't been an exercise in your book that I haven't been able to complete yet! The exercises are challenging and fun yet possible with your book. Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I have found it to be an OUTSTANDING resource for myself, a beginner in the PERL programming language. ... Read more

Amazon.com
CGI Programming 101: Programming Perl for the World Wide Web is a concise presentation of the key elements of Perl CGI, which makes it perfect for programmers who are under the gun. If you need to get up to speed on text strings, for example, you can read that chapter and be a pro within about 10 minutes.

Form processing is addressed early on, followed by searching and sorting techniques, illustrations of how to use server-side includes (SSI), and other critical issues. There's also a chapter on using MySQL--an open-source SQL database. In general, if you want to get the most out of this book, you'll be better off having some programming experience, be it in BASIC or C++.

The only element missing from this introductory course is an appendix containing Perl's reserved characters, operators, and functions; instead, this material is presented throughout the book. But CGI Programming 101 is still one of the most efficient ways to get up to speed with Perl CGI. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: Perl variables, CGI environment variables, form processing, data file I/O, searching/sorting, server-side includes (SSI), random number generation, strings, date and time manipulation, HTTP cookies, e-mail processing, securing scripts, Perl modules, database programming, and custom Perl modules.Book Description
CGI Programming 101 takes you from the absolute basics of writing CGI programs, to advanced topics such as database interaction and using modules. The book includes:

* The Basics: where to write your scripts; how to upload them and set file permissions; how to run them

* How to decode form data and save it to a file or e-mail it to yourself

* How to create, read, write, and search data files

* How to use Server-Side Includes to add dynamic content to your web page, plus a complete list of Apache SSI directives (and examples of their use)

* How to use random numbers for rotating banner ads and random image pickers

* How to format strings, dates, and times, and how to create countdown clocks

* How to redirect visitors to another site

* How to write secure scripts

* How to use cookies

* How to extend your programs by using modules like CGI.pm and GD.pm

* How to create a MySQL database, and write scripts that interact with databases using the DBI module

Several Appendices are also included:

* A list of online resources, for more information about Perl and CGI, and where to look for CGI jobs

* A Unix tutorial, with examples and information on basic shell commands

* A Password tutorial that shows you how to password-protect your web site ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Best Concise Treatment Available
I have spent approx. $500 on Perl/CGI books and I will tell you that this is the best concise treatment available. There is no other book that provides as good an overview without leaving out critical issues, such file locking and security considerations. It remains my most frequently used reference. It is very well written and it does not go into unnecessary details.

My recommendation for anyone considering using Perl/CGI is to start with this book and then to build your library based on your specialized needs (algorithms, pattern matching, exotic data structures, etc). If all you wish to do is some solid Perl programming or to power up a basic web site, this is all you will need.

Do not forget to look at the free preview chapters available at the author's web site. You will also find the code for all the examples there, which I have found myself constantly reusing.

Excellent Starting Point!
If you are looking to learn Perl/CGI programming from the ground up, this is an excellent intro to the world of Internet programming with Perl.
The book, however, is UNIX-oriented; small chapter on Windows vs. UNIX would be a plus.

Loses values after first 40 pages
The first 40 pages are useful to give you the sense of howCGI functionality is implemented in Perl. However by staying away from the most used standard Perl module for CGI programming (i.e. the CGI module) except for a few pages towards the end, the reader is ill served (because they have to buy a book to get the real work done).

easy to read, excellent content
i am a fairly bad perl programmer. this book has helped me write some really smart (yet easy to understand) programs which i use everyday.

if you want to get to grips with perl and cgi, get your hands on this book. especially if you know nothing about perl or cgi...

although i recommend php as a better language!

Could this book be an BETTER!
This is an great book on perl, gets you started right off to the code, and is great for anyone looking to geting into perl, I my self was new to perl but not to programming, and found this book the best, teaching and reference book out there, it also give you links to all the source code, html, and working examples online, a must have for anyone getting into CGI perl. A++ ... Read more

Book Description
Shows how to program the cgi-bin with C++ and C for more powerful connectivity to the Internet.This book provides methods to link the power of compiled languages into Internet interfaces. CGI programs are the only way to obtain advanced server side capabilities and by using C++ and C, real computer control from the Internet can be achieved. Shows how to link existing C++ and C code to HTML Gui Internet capabilities.For C++ and C programmers working with CGI Internet programming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Need a tip that the book doesn't help with.
If you've bought the book and using winnt/2000(VStudio), it may help to know that standard cin will timeout. Try this concept.
#include
#include
void main()
{
char buff[1000];
int con_len = atoi(getenv("CONTENT_LENGTH"));
cout<<"Content-type: text/html\n\n";
(con_len)?cin.get(buff,con_len),cout< }
The author of this book should have researched more using Windows. Ok book if you're using server soft designed for UNIX ie:Apache, but only really deserves 2-3 stars.
It could have been written better.

Until the better one come out, this is one of the best
I am one of C++ programmers who had been writting C++ codes for years. Recently, I have to write web programming (called CGI programs), and I don't want to learn a new language like Perl or Tcl... So, I wonderedaround everywhere finding any book that could give me any idea about how towrite CGI programs in C/C++, and luckily, I found this book.

While notperfect (from my experience with over 20 C++ books, none is perfect), thisbook does what it should. Although a lot of codes won't compile withoutsome modification (compiler depends... I compiled them using g++ on IRIXplatform, check yours). Anyway, I found it challenging to find bugs in hiscode, since that helped my understanding of several things (but withoutbugs is better anyway :-).

Apart from that problems, there are also otherdrawback points. The most important one is, the author's e-mail address! I was trying to send some mails to ask him some question. However, it seemsthat the address is wrong.. (although I checked that in the book'shomepage!). Well, if anyone know his correct e-mail address, would youplease send me that information?

However, I do agree with some reviewersabout the price of this book. It should be much cheaper, when considerabout the size of the book, and (it is paperback cover..). Anyway, sincebooks for CGI programming in C/C++ are rare, it might be considerablefine....

And why I still gave this book 5 stars?Well, as I said, frommy opinion this is one of the best for CGI programming "without"Perl & Tcl book. At least until the better one come out.

Covers the fundamentals of CGI with C/C++ well...
...but, for one thing, for the price, this book should come with a CD with all the code...it's a huge pain to type all that is given.Also, the C++ classes (of most concern to me) seem to be overly complex, theres a whole load of member functions to replace the amersands in a query string withnewlines, and a bunch of other stuff, where a couple of strtok(); functionswould have done the job.

The main strength of this book is that itteaches you the mechanics of how a compiled C/C++ program for CGI works. The string parsing doesn't take much ingenuity either, you just have toknow the format.

It's very