computer graphics interface (CGI)

The Computer Graphics Interface(CGI) is a standardized communication interface between graphic systems and graphic peripherals such as printers, monitors or plotters.

The CGI interface is a platform-independent 2D device interface comparable to the graphical core system( GKS). The CGI interface was developed in the 1980s and internationally standardized in 1991 under ISO 9636.

The CGI interface is available on all web servers and is used to call external programs. During communication, the program selected in the web browser is sent as a completed form to a web server. This passes the parameterized values to the corresponding program, which then passes the result to the web server, which delivers it to the web browser as a text file in HypertextMarkup Language( HTML). The CGI interface is integrated into higher programs and generates input and output commands for the connected peripheral devices.