Programming Forums > Web Development and Design > Other Web Development Languages

uman · Jan 8th, 2005, 7:56 PM

I know there is a way for a script to query a web site through POST i.e. to fill out a form. What language should I use to do this and how hard is it to write?

kurifu · Jan 9th, 2005, 1:00 AM

Actually I have successfully done this with Perl, PHP, and C++ (using MSIEX controls). You can simulate page form completions via POST and GET, of course GET is a little bit easier to do.

If you are using PHP, which is probably the easiest to use here, you have three ways of accomplishing your desired task...

1) Use the CURL libraries, send a CURL request and set the data transmmission to HTTP POST.

(Toggle Plain Text)

$c = curl_init( 'http://www.example.com/submit.php' );
curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_POST, 1 );
curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, 'monkey=uncle&rhino=aunt' );
curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1 ); //return the resulting HTML
$page = curl_exec( $c );
curl_close( $c );

2) You can download and use the PEAR HTTP_Request class to accomplish the same thing, in a slightly more object oriented manner.

(Toggle Plain Text)

$r = new HTTP_Request( 'http://www.example.com/submit.php' );
$r->setMethod( HTTP_REQUEST_METHOD_POST );
$r->addPostData( 'monkey', 'uncle' );
$r->addPostData( 'rhino', 'aunt' );
$r->sendRequest( );
$page = $r->getResponseBody( );
unset( $r );

3) Making a raw socket connection with the HTTP server and posting custom formatted headers which equate to the POST string you want to set along, this is stupidly complex if you have access to one of the above classes and I would recommend not bothering with it, since it tends not to be a very robust solution.

Good luck.

uman · Jan 9th, 2005, 3:41 PM

Thank you for the invaluable help! I don't know PHP at the moment. But this is important enough to me that I will learn it.

Thanks!

Jan 8th, 2005, 7:56 PM	#1
uman Expert Programmer Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 794 Rep Power: 4	I know there is a way for a script to query a web site through POST i.e. to fill out a form. What language should I use to do this and how hard is it to write? __________________ Few people deserve to be compared to (Rush) Limbaugh, most of them were convicted at the Nuremburg trials. --WilliamSChips on Slashdot

Jan 9th, 2005, 1:00 AM	#2
kurifu Expert Programmer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) Posts: 784 Rep Power: 5	Actually I have successfully done this with Perl, PHP, and C++ (using MSIEX controls). You can simulate page form completions via POST and GET, of course GET is a little bit easier to do. If you are using PHP, which is probably the easiest to use here, you have three ways of accomplishing your desired task... 1) Use the CURL libraries, send a CURL request and set the data transmmission to HTTP POST. (Toggle Plain Text) $c = curl_init( 'http://www.example.com/submit.php' ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_POST, 1 ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, 'monkey=uncle&rhino=aunt' ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1 ); //return the resulting HTML $page = curl_exec( $c ); curl_close( $c ); $c = curl_init( 'http://www.example.com/submit.php' ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_POST, 1 ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, 'monkey=uncle&rhino=aunt' ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1 ); //return the resulting HTML $page = curl_exec( $c ); curl_close( $c ); 2) You can download and use the PEAR HTTP_Request class to accomplish the same thing, in a slightly more object oriented manner. (Toggle Plain Text) $r = new HTTP_Request( 'http://www.example.com/submit.php' ); $r->setMethod( HTTP_REQUEST_METHOD_POST ); $r->addPostData( 'monkey', 'uncle' ); $r->addPostData( 'rhino', 'aunt' ); $r->sendRequest( ); $page = $r->getResponseBody( ); unset( $r ); $r = new HTTP_Request( 'http://www.example.com/submit.php' ); $r->setMethod( HTTP_REQUEST_METHOD_POST ); $r->addPostData( 'monkey', 'uncle' ); $r->addPostData( 'rhino', 'aunt' ); $r->sendRequest( ); $page = $r->getResponseBody( ); unset( $r ); 3) Making a raw socket connection with the HTTP server and posting custom formatted headers which equate to the POST string you want to set along, this is stupidly complex if you have access to one of the above classes and I would recommend not bothering with it, since it tends not to be a very robust solution. Good luck. __________________ Clifford Matthew Roche <geek@cliffordroche.com> Web Hosting: http://www.crd-hosting.com Consulting: http://www.crdev-consulting.com

Jan 9th, 2005, 3:41 PM	#3
uman Expert Programmer Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 794 Rep Power: 4	Thank you for the invaluable help! I don't know PHP at the moment. But this is important enough to me that I will learn it. Thanks! __________________ Few people deserve to be compared to (Rush) Limbaugh, most of them were convicted at the Nuremburg trials. --WilliamSChips on Slashdot

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Programming Forums > Web Development and Design > Other Web Development Languages

Talking To Web Pages Through Post...what Language?