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How to open CGI files on PC

4 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is a type of scriptfileincorporated in website pages.

The CGI scripts are primarily for web forms and search boxes. For example, many developers add CGI scripts to pages that send out form data to email addresses.

The Common Gateway Interfacefilesare essentially text documents that include scripts. Perl is the most common programming language for CGI scripts.

However, developers can also code them in C. All you need in order to open a CGI file is a text editor that supports thisformat.

How do I open a CGI file on my Windows PC?

How do I open a CGI file on my Windows PC?

1. Use Adobe Dreamweaver

IF you are serious about web development, then a great place to start is with Adobe Dreamweaver.

This web development platform is designed to easily get you started in visually creating web pages and as you progress, you can start working with scripts.

Using the simplified coding engine, you can easily get started in learning HTM or CSS and reduce errors thanks to the built-in visual aids.

However, if you want to skip all of that, there are thousands of templates you can use and modify to suit your website.

The pages you can create with Adobe Dreamweaver look stunning, and they change dynamically depending on what device you’re viewing them on.

Some of the features to look forward to when using Dreamweaver is the multi-monitor support, the live view editing, as well as the easy-to use UI.

This great software is also compatible with a multitude of formats such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and many more.

Adobe Dreamweaver

2. Open a CGI file with a Text Editor

There are numerousprogramsyou can open CGIfileswith. Third-party software isn’t even required as you can open them in Notepad. However, the Notepad text editor doesn’t have any options or tools for scripting.

So if you’re wondering how to how to open a CGI file, Notepad++ is a much better text editor that supports this type offormat. The best thing about Notepad++ is that it includes syntax highlight and folding.

As such, this is a great software for editing CGI scripts. It also has a customizable GUI and a tabbed UI design that enables users to open multiplefileswithin one window.

⇒Download Notepad++

3. Convert the CGI File to PDF

You can also open CGI documents by using Google Chrome in order to convert your CGI file to PDF.

Chrome has its own PDF viewer that opens the documents in tabs. However, you can’t edit the documents in the browser unless you add anextensionto it.

You’re not really opening the CGIfile, but the PDF will include all its script. This is how you can convert a CGI file to PDF format.

So you can open a CGI file in Notepad++ and Chrome. Vim, EditRocket, and gVim are alternative software that also supports thefile format.

If you need to edit the CGI script, open thefilein Notepad++. Convert the CGI to PDF if you only want to share or print thefile.

We’d like to hear more from you on this subject so drop us a comment in the dedicated section below.

More about the topics:file opener

Matthew Adams

Windows Hardware Expert

Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles on various topics related to technology. His main focus is the Windows OS and all the things surrounding it.

He is passionate about the tech world, always staying up-to-date with the latest and greatest. With an analytical view, he likes problem-solving, focusing on errors and their causes.

In his free time, he likes to read and write about history and tries to always develop new skills.

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Matthew Adams

Windows Hardware Expert

He is passionate about everything surrounding Microsoft’s OS, focusing on troubleshooting guides & tips for everyday problems.