Is CGI (Common Gateway Interface) Still Relevant Today?

CGI works by passing data from HTTP requests to Unix programs, usually not in the most secure way. It was popular for things like shell scripts and Perl, but was quickly outpaced by languages like PHP and ASP that work more closely with servers. While you *could* technically build a site using CGI, it's not advisable considering the modern alternatives available. There's just more risk and less efficiency.

If you're ever browsing and see URLs with `/cgi-bin/foo.cgi`, it might still be using CGI. For instance, sites like bugs.debian.org have some CGI pages. A lot of these were written ages ago and didn't really get updated, which brings security concerns like Shellshock. While it's still relevant in terms of understanding old code and security vulnerabilities, you definitely shouldn't use CGI for new projects. There are way better frameworks now that are more secure and convenient.

CGI is essentially a method for creating web backends by having the web server execute a program, sending the request through standard input and getting the output back through standard output. It was a popular method back in the 1990s because it allowed using any programming language that could handle input and output. However, no one really uses it for serious projects today. Its simplicity is neat, but modern alternatives are much more effective and secure.