Re: CGI/Perl vs. Middleware

An interesting perspective, but in reality custom-built CGI will never go
away.  Like assembler routines, there are some situations that require
low-level design.

I think there's definitely a trend towards vendor-supplied system tool
environments that work with specific database systems.  I also think it's
a great thing to be able to fire up a system design product and manage the
whole project from one tool, including the cgi, but experience should tell
us that there will always be cases where this doesn't make sense.  

Take a case where the data server is remote from the web server.  This is
a design that allows the web server to live it an ivory tower while the
dirty work is carried out in a totally secure environment.  Off-the-shelf
middleware packages don't traditionally handle this very well (if at all).

I'm all for making things more simple, though, so I will definitely use
vendor tools when possible.

Bruce Alexander <balexand@cac.washington.edu> 
UW Computing & Communications    
Student Information Systems
(206) 685-6293

            - All views and opinions expressed are my own -

On Wed, 18 Sep 1996, Steve Mintz wrote:

> Glad we are talking again.
> 
> I'd like to see some discussion about the pros and cons of the use
> of middleware products (Nomad WEBDBC, the Oracle and Sybase products,
> Cold Fusion, Spyder, MS IDC, Live Wire) vs applications specific CGI and Pearl solutions.
> 
> I've heard alot about the advantages of products that work "in process" and talk directly to NSAPI and ISAPI vs "out of process i.e.: CGI 
> scripts"
> 
> My opinion is that CGI/Perl is "old school" and that the future of client/server www functionality is clearly based on in-process middleware 
> solutions.
> 
> Hope this sparks some discussion.
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
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>

Received on Wednesday, 18 September 1996 11:51:26 UTC