CGI and Database Integration

• For "small scale" operations, this can be done using simple text files. Many Unix utilities are designed to manipulate data stored in files of this type, and Perl is very well suited to the job. These utilities can be "glued" together to build quite advanced systems.
   
  
• If the task is sufficiently large or complex, there are many "low end" cheap, or free, database solutions. In this case, the CGI program interfaces to the database, normally by sending SQL queries. The standard Perl database access module is DBI::, which interfaces to virtually all DMBSs in a standardises way. The current defacto Web DBMS is probably mySQL, but lots of others are available.
   
  
• Proprietory databases such as Microsoft "Access" can be used in conjunction with an associated proprietory Web server such as IIS. Perl's CBI:: can also talk to most of these.
   
  
• At the "big end" of town, companies like Oracle are positioning themselves as major Web database vendors.