server-side scripting "ohwhat tangled web we weavethis is the fourth part of our look at python internet programming in the last three we explored sockets and basic client-side programming interfaces such as ftp and email in this our main focus will be on writing server-side scripts in python-- type of program usually referred to as cgi scripts though something of lowest common denominator for web development todaysuch scripts still provide simple way to get started with implementing interactive websites in python server-side scripting and its derivatives are at the heart of much of the interaction that happens on the web this is true both when scripting manually with cgi and when using the higher-level frameworks that automate some of the work because of thatthe fundamental web model we'll explore here in the context of cgi scripting is prerequisite knowledge for programming the web wellregardless of the tools you choose to deploy as we'll seepython is an ideal language for writing scripts to implement and customize websitesbecause of both its ease of use and its library support in the following we will use the basics we learn in this to implement full-blown website hereour goal is to understand the fundamentals of server-side scriptingbefore exploring systems that deploy or build upon that basic model house upon the sand as you read the next two of this bookplease keep in mind that they focus on the fundamentals of server-side scripting and are intended only as an introduction to programming in this domain with python the web domain is large and complexchanges rapidly and constantlyand often prescribes many ways to accomplish given goal--some of which can vary from browser to browser and server to server for instancethe password encryption scheme of the next may be unnecessary under certain scenarios (with suitable serverwe could use secure http insteadmoreoversome of the html we'll use here may not leverage all of that language'