JavaScript history – Automated Hacks

CGI Scripts and Server-Side Web Integration (1995–1998): When “Web APIs” Were Forms and Environment Variables

From 1995 to 1998, CGI scripts and HTML forms acted like early web APIs—defining a practical contract between browsers and servers through query strings, POST bodies, headers, and plain-text responses.

HTTP as the Foundation of Web APIs (1995–1998): Browser Scripting, CGI, Forms, and the First Dynamic Integrations

From 1995 to 1998, web “APIs” weren’t usually JSON endpoints—they were HTML forms, CGI programs, and browser scripts exchanging parameters over HTTP. This chapter explains how HTTP’s request/response model became the durable foundation for web APIs.