[Python-Dev] Improving the CGI module
Simon Willison
cs1spw at bath.ac.uk
Wed Sep 17 19:57:43 EDT 2003
Hi all,
I've recently started using Python for server side web development, and
I've been running in to some limitations in the CGI module. The most
critical of these is that the module provides no method of determining
whether form data originated in a query string (GET data) or a POSTed
form. The module also provides very little in the way of support for
common CGI related operations such as sending common headers and parsing
and sending cookies; the Cookie module provides parsing capabilities but
requires additional glue code to extract cookie data from the CGI
environment.
I have previous experience with PHP, which has a number of extremely
convenient mechanisms for dealing with form input and cookies that I
sorely miss when working with Python. I have started work on porting
some of these capabilities, but it struck me that several of the ideas
represented would make valuable additions to the Python standard library
itself.
I have been working with Python for over a year, but I have no real
experience of the Python development process. Is this list the right
place to discuss potential improvements to the CGI module, or should I
work independently and construct a PEP? I noticed that PEP 222 already
exists relating to "web library enhancements", but it has a 'Deferred'
status and appears not to have been modified since December 2000.
Best regards,
Simon Willison
http://simon.incutio.com/categories/python/
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