[lug] Web based streaming updates - how to get started?

[Michael J. Hammel]

I have a project at work where I need to launch an application via a CGI
script/program and have that application send multiple "status" updates
back to the script/program.  I've done a modest amount of web
programming but nothing that makes the CGI program display data, get
more data, then display the new data over the place where the last data
was displayed.  I think this is something akin to Push technology. 
Maybe not.  Java is a possibility but I have no experience with Java. 
I'd prefer either a C based solution if possible, and if not, then
perhaps Perl.  

Is there a C library that will take incoming HTTP requests, allow me to
parse them (similar to CGI.pm) and then send the results back (probably
just formatted HTML using printf's if this C program is running as a CGI
script, I would think).  And how can I get the output to refresh the
browser with each 'status" update I get from the launched application?
-- 
Michael J. Hammel <mjhammel at graphics-muse.org>
Graphics Muse