CGI Task

I am confused with CGI task.
CGI program is put inside web server. When web server receives the HTTP request from browser it passes to CGI program. CGI program sends the response and it is sent back by server as HTTP Response to browser. How does it fit in the workflow, can someone pls explain the mechanism ? Contributor to cgi task is already logged in, and he is looking at cgi task in workflow screen. How does he use browser to access that task ? When do we need CGI task in workflow ?

Thanks

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dazzlad

A user will have to spefically start a CGI task from the workflow tab in content center unless it is the first (and only) task in a workflow in which case it can automatically be invoked immediatly after the instantiation screen.

A CGI task is typically used when user input to a task is required via some custom GUI.

Adam Stoller

A user will have to spefically start a CGI task from the workflow tab in content center unless it is the first (and only) task in a workflow in which case it can automatically be invoked immediatly after the instantiation screen.

A CGI task is typically used when user input to a task is required via some custom GUI.

Correction - there are three ways in which a cgitask can start "immediately" (all of which require that the

immediate='t'

attribute is set:

kalpana

My question is bit basic. When you log in to teamsite through browser, HTTP protocol is between browser and TS server. Now workflow is internal process of TS, so it does not interact in HTTP. Now cgi task needs and HTTP request to invoke cgi program. The request coming in workflow is not HTTP, so how does this cgi program get invoked ?

Adam Stoller

My question is bit basic. When you log in to teamsite through browser, HTTP protocol is between browser and TS server. Now workflow is internal process of TS, so it does not interact in HTTP. Now cgi task needs and HTTP request to invoke cgi program. The request coming in workflow is not HTTP, so how does this cgi program get invoked ?

Where did you determine that workflow is not using HTTP?
The cgitask is rendered via iwwebd (Apache) running on port 80 (by default) on the TeamSite server - and it's running a script from IWHOME/httpd/iw-bin/ which is a defined CGI directory for iwwebd.

kalpana

when I click on submit, workflow is initiated. I am not sending any request from browser, so how is this request an HTTP request ? Thats why I think workflow instantiation is not through HTTP requst, is this incorrect ?
Pls explain.

Adam Stoller

when I click on submit, workflow is initiated. I am not sending any request from browser, so how is this request an HTTP request ? Thats why I think workflow instantiation is not through HTTP requst, is this incorrect ?
Pls explain.

Where are you clicking on Submit?
In the TeamSite GUI? - Yes.
What is the TeamSite GUI?
A web based interface running via Apache (iwwebd) on port 80? - Yes.
Need I continue? Hopefully not.

kalpana

Thanks, now I got it.