CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface. It is commonly used for running scripts and programs such as creating search forms or simple chat boxes or when your web site needs to communicate with a database and return the result in HTML format. Historically, CGI-bin directory was the only directory on which these scripts were stored and running on.
Web Hosting with CGI-bin
Another good feature of CGI is that if you have serious experience with programming then you can write your own script. The most common language for CGI programming is Perl, although you can use any programming language including PHP, Java, Visual Basic or C++. Although it may sound like a program you should remember that CGI is not a program – it’s just an interface between the web server and the web page on the browser. That’s why CGI-bin has an essential role in every high-quality web site. Every Apache hosting has a CGI-bin directory on which all CGI scripts (you will recognize them with their .cgi extension) should be placed. Here at Zettahost, you can get a CGI hosting with each of our web hosting plans, including the free one. You will also get access to over 2500 Perl scripts. If you sign up with us you will not see a CGI-bin directory. The reason is that you can place your CGI scripts to run in any directory from your web hosting account. Therefore with Zettahost, the CGI-bin directory is no longer necessary to maintain the dynamic content of your web sites.