http header question

bigpikture

In using the "header()" function, I have frequently
found it convenient to use the Location parameter to
"alias" a page (.php) file to force a load of a different page
as in ...

header("Location: " . $HTTP_REFERER);

Now that I have become used to this method of page flow,
I find myself wanting to do the same thing in another program
(non php). My question is ...

What is the analogous text I would put in a .html document
to force a page load of a different page? or said another way ...
What is the text that the header function is producing?

I have seen html content which redirects a page as ...
<META HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" CONTENT="0; URL=http://www.someotherpage.com">

but having used the "header" function, I feel like there is a
"cleaner" header content to send. One that does not REFRESH
but rather forces the direction to the target page.

Any help here is greatly appreciated, and I hope my question
is clear. Thanks in advance.

Steffel

its the only way in html to forward to another page with the redirect
else u could use a javascript like
document.location.href = ...

but the difference betwenn html / JavaScript and PHP is that php is parsed by the SERVER, html/JavaScript only at the client.
so its not possible at all to parse the header in html...

bigpikture

Thanks for your reply. And maybe I should clarify a bit ...

I have a .cgi program on a server which will return a response
when invoked. Can't it send the header as I would like? I mean
isn't the header just a textual paragraph that the .cgi prog
can spit back in response to the invocation of the cgi?

I think I may have been incorrect to say I want to arrange html
text, and better to say, "what http header can I generate to
simulate what php header() function is doing".

Hope this is more clear.

Steffel

I mean isn't the header just a textual paragraph that the .cgi prog
can spit back in response to the invocation of the cgi?

sure, but like i said if the html-page is generated and send to the client u cant make a forward like in php, just a redirect with html
another way would be to forward within the cgi-script
or did i understand u wrong?

bigpikture

Steffel -

First let me thank you for your help.

Now I'll try to clarify ...

Look at it this way. I am in the scope of a .cgi program.
I spit out text from that program in response to my being invoked.
Can I spit out a piece of text which composes the http header?

Or am I not in the proper scope to do such a thing?

I am really trying to make this as clear as possible.

I am encouraged by your "forward within the cgi script" phrase.
It leads me to believe that what I want to do is possible.

Steffel

maybe like this?
so u could use your lovely header function as well
<?php
require("yourScript.cgi");
?>
<html>
...

// yourScript
...
echo "header('Location: '. $yourFile)";

is i am on the wrong way plz show me an example of your code...

bigpikture

Interesting idea, BUT, the cgi program is resident on a server
which does not have php installed.

I'll spare you actual code, since it is an "applescript", but you could
think of it this way ...

// begin mycode.cgi

char somestring[128];

sprintf(somestring, "%s", "PAGEIWANTTOLOAD.php");

// normally ...

printf("<html> blah\n blan\n blah\n</html>");

// question is can I do something in here with "somestring"
// to get PAGEIWANTTOLOAD.php to be loaded
// other than using refresh as mentioned earlier in this thread.
// intuitively it seems to me I could compose a header
// and printf, but I am not sure how to do that.

// end mycode.cgi

Steffel

doesnt matter if its php or perl
any programming language got a output function and u can reqire perl-scripts as well...
so just print out
print "header...";

or if u want to forward from the perl script directly u can write

forward to the html file

print "Content-type: text/html\n";

print "Location: $yourFile\n\n";
print "</BODY></HTML> \n";

bigpikture

yeah, I tried that and what happens is the header
content appears in the page content.

In other words the browser shows me the header

in the window like this ...

Content-type: text/html
Location: mydesired.php

Frustrated.

Steffel

hmm, bad
but if its php4 your working with you can try it with eval()
eval("include('myScript.cgi')");

i hope it works this way...

bigpikture

Well Steffel,

I tried the eval idea, (good suggestion), and then the new problem
is that the header I try to send is behind the already sent header
of the server. Oh well. I am punting and using a "refresh" in the
html. Not the best solution, but its getting the job done.

Thank you again for your input, I appreciate it.😃