Building Websites in PERL

What is PERL?

PERL is a programing language unlike HTML which is a static markup language.

Using perl programs, which are supported by most web servers, you can run dynamic pages like shopping systems, chatrooms, forums and e-commerce.

PERL allows you to take data input from forms and return response pages. Perl can also be used to run server functions, execute system commands and even network servers together. If a good programers hands perl can turn your website into a terminal for the users. Giving your website the same ability that any computer would have and allowing web visitors to run programs.

The biggest advantage of perl is that there are thousands of free programs available for download that can be easily installed in most websites. Those programs can esily be modified to meet unique applications of your product or service.

Perl is fast and efficient and has very few limitations. Since it can interact with the operating system directly other programs written in C and other languages can be incorporated into the perl scripts.

We run our own free perl scripts download site at BumbleBeeWare.com. With a growing base of programs such as mail forms and captcha for perl you can access the source code and modify programs to work in your website.

You can buid a form using a standard HTML page. But HTML is static and it is just a page. If you want the form data to be used by the website you need a program that will process the data and perform some action to make the data useful.

For example, you may want the form data mailed to your e-mail account. That is very simple with perl. Just a few lines of code and your form becomes a valuable lead generator for your business.

The same is true for selling products. You can print a flyer and mail it out. But people have no way to buy directly from the flyer.

With an HTML page, the same rules apply. No way to do more than display pics and show off the product. But people expect more from a website. They expect the website to act as a live checkout and credit card processing gateway.

Perl comes to the rescue. Perl can create dynamic page outputs and even collect credit card data over encrypted channels and transmit the data via an internet gateway to the banks. Moving money from one account to another and completing the sale from any website.

If you want to run a website that does more that stare you in the face with static pages, you need a language like perl that will bridge the gap between the static HTML and the central processing unit of the server.

Using complete hosting systems like bumblebeworks will open the door to the main cpu by offering programs that are preinstalled into your website. You wont need to learn perl, just enjoy the fact that it works.

You don't have to know how to build a car to be able to drive one. And you don't need to learn perl to run a shopping cart. But it always helps to know what is possible and what makes your website work.