Http_referer

[gmdavis]

I have been trying to get $HTTP_REFERER to print or show up somewhere in a script and have had no success. I am convinced that this variable must not be available on the server config I have (but I don't know why). YES I have been accessing this page via a link from a different page (so there is a referer).

Here's some code that doesn't work as expected and what happens. Try it your self on you server and let me know if you get a different result or have another suggestion.

<pre>
<?php 
print_r ($HTTP_SERVER_VARS); //prints an array with many other keys but no referer
print_r ($_SERVER); //prints an array with many other keys but no referer
echo ("$HTTP_REFERER"); //prints nothing
print_r ($HTTP_REFERER); //prints nothing
echo($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']); //prints nothing
echo($HTTP_SERVER_VARS['HTTP_REFERER']); //prints nothing
echo (getenv('HTTP_REFERER')); //prints nothing
?> 
</pre>

Is there some server config setting I should ask my host to enable? They are running PHP4.3.2 on Apache/Intel

[benkillin]

well, your browser just isnt sending the referer header. I have the same problem with my hit log script.

[tuf-web_co_uk]

to get the referer you need to use

$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']

i tried this on 1 page and did a simple link to this page from another page on my web

[gmdavis]

DOH!!

After your helpful relies, I tried again. This time, I put the referring page on my web server rather than opening an html file from my desktop. ALL the lines of code worked as expected.

Files opened form desktop use "file://" in the URL not "http://".
Therefore, there is no HTTP referer.

Thanks again!

How embarasingly obvious!