From CGI endpoints to form posts and early JavaScript-driven pages, 1995–1998 web integration created “APIs” without contracts—pushing enterprises toward the later idea of discoverable, describable services like WSDL.
Between 1995 and 1998, browser scripting evolved from simple form validation into a recognizable (if messy) web API surface: window/document objects, event handlers, cookies, and the early DOM—bridging static pages with CGI-powered back ends.
From 1990 to 1994, the Web had URLs, MIME types, and early HTTP—but not browser-native audio/video. This chapter explains how those early interfaces shaped what HTML5 media APIs eventually became.