13.2 Web Programming

The Internet is the most important source of bioinformatics data. From FTP sites to web-enabled programs, the Perl-literate bioinformatician needs to be able to access web resources. Just about every lab has to have its own web page these days, and many grants even require it. You'll need to learn the basics about the HTML and XML markup languages that display web pages, about the difference between a web server and a web browser, and similar facts of life.

The popular CGI.pm module makes it fairly easy to create interactive web pages, and several other modules are available that make Internet programming tasks relatively painless. For instance, you can write code for your own web page that enables visitors to try out your latest sequence analyzer or search through your special-purpose database. You can also add code to your own programs to enable them to interact with other web sites, querying and retrieving data automatically. Collaborators who are geographically diverse can use such web programming to work cooperatively on a project.