HTML and POST between three pages

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nate

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#34395 23-May-2009 17:05

If I post some variables between Page A and Page B, then on Page B do another post to Page C, will the variables from the first post, be available on Page C? (so subsequent posts pass over from page to page)

I'm thinking not, but a network device I'm screen scraping must be doing it this way, as there doesn't seem to be any hidden form fields (it's all CGI scripts if that makes any difference).

Am I wrong?

Ragnor

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#217260 23-May-2009 17:15

Hmm good question, I would guess state is being stored on the server somehow.

If you are using Firefox get the HttpFox addon and you can inspect the post data and http requests very easily.

Example:

mjb

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#217262 23-May-2009 17:30

No, you'll only get them if there's a variable in the GET URL (has "?variable=value"), or is being posted from a form.

You'll find that the device is actually using cookies.

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RedJungle

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#217273 23-May-2009 18:08

mjb's onto it.

This reminds me of maintaining state on classic asp. For this to work page B would have to be requesting the posted params from Page A, then assigning them to a local form input (usually a hidden field), where they would get posted again on that page submit.

nate

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#217407 24-May-2009 13:47

mjb: No, you'll only get them if there's a variable in the GET URL (has "?variable=value"), or is being posted from a form.

You'll find that the device is actually using cookies.

Good find with the HttpFox Ragnor but still no luck.

I've checked with that plugin, and the page doesn't send any ID in post, cookies or get. Can you get previous post variables through the url referrer possibly?

I have no idea how they are passing an ID through still!

RedJungle

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#217415 24-May-2009 14:56

Perhaps it's maintaining state server side? based on IP or something? wouldn't surprise me if it was some nasty method, given that it's a piece of hardware which isn't really designed for mainstream web traffic.

mjb

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#217419 24-May-2009 15:13

I was thinking exactly that. Are you sure there's no cookie for it nate? check the browser cookie store, it's a better place.. there's a dialog that lists them in firefox, I forget where, I'm a Chrome convert.

edit: and looking at the URLs, it's an interesting looking device... :)

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chiefie

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#217423 24-May-2009 15:26

What about a better use of JSONP/Web Service?

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nate

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#217557 24-May-2009 22:52

mjb: I was thinking exactly that. Are you sure there's no cookie for it nate? check the browser cookie store, it's a better place.. there's a dialog that lists them in firefox, I forget where, I'm a Chrome convert.

edit: and looking at the URLs, it's an interesting looking device... :)

No cookies, I've had another play around and it seems the device keeps track using some internal processes.

The device is a cellular gateway, I'm writing an API wrapper to send/receive and parse SMS. It has some very strange naming conventions, no consistency at all.