Is it possible to change the url the user sees?

dizastix

EDIT: Read this post:

http://www.phpbuilder.com/board/showpost.php?p=10645251&postcount=18

for a more detailed description of what I'm trying to do...

/EDIT

Say I have the following link:

http://www.website.com/file.php?name=bob

Now, is it possible to change the link so the user never sees 'bob'? Maybe encrypt it in some way?

I think this is simple but I am having trouble making it work...

dalar

if that data is being submitted from a form, then you have to change the "method" property of the form... I think its to GET or POST - cant remember which one.

netlynx

One way you can somewhat hide it would be to use a post method as such:

However, in this example, it is only hiding it partially, the user can still do a view source to see the filename. This is also a very messy way of handling it.

dizastix

Thanks for the replies guys, but this is not a form. It's a direct link. I'm not sure if this is even possible to do...

netlynx

The method I described is the only way to hide it from the address bar (or location bar if you prefer). It is always going to be visible if the user wants to look at the html source. The method I desscribed above is just taking a hyperlink and turning it into a form.

LoganK

Encrypt the names in PHP. For example, then do something like:

echo md5("bob");
echo md5("larry");
// Etc. for each page name

Then, you link to the hashed page. Then, in PHP, you check to see what the hash is equal to, and display the corresponding page.

Oersoep

Or base64_encode( serialize( ) ) everything you want to pass.

Then the client will only see something like this:
script.php?data=GH3SDAHSE5RTRGFA2WRE4RTHS.EGR6ER

Weedpacket

Or store it in a session variable and it need never be sent out to the client at all.

redlorry919

...or use some kind of fancy modrewrite trick...

LoganK

...or (insert one of millions of other ways here)!

😃

Oersoep

Or not!

leatherback

// horrible, ugly, not recommended but partly feasable

Use frames

redlorry919

...or use javascript onClick of the hyperlink to submit a form with a hidden field containing the data...

(now we're talking! 🙂 )

netlynx

hey, I think I suggested that one redlorry919 (hahaha), but I kinda liked some of the other suggestions given a little better. That whole form, hyperlink, hidden fields thing is just really sloppy (but does have a purpose in some cases).

redlorry919

netlynx wrote:
hey, I think I suggested that one redlorry919 (hahaha), but I kinda liked some of the other suggestions given a little better. That whole form, hyperlink, hidden fields thing is just really sloppy (but does have a purpose in some cases).

Opps - That'll teach me not to pay attention!

Head hurting, can I go home yet...! :queasy:

dizastix

Wow, thanks for the replies everyone! 😃

I'm goin to try the ones that I think might work for me and get back to you...

Weedpacket wrote:
Or store it in a session variable and it need never be sent out to the client at all.

Can you explain this a bit more?

Thanks again!

LoganK

Weedpacket - wouldn't storing it in a session variable be time-consuming and unneeded? Since it's static links, what's the point of having them on every session? The hashes are built into the program, thus saving more time.

dizastix

Let me explain what I am trying to do. For those of you familiar with AOL Instant Messenger, you know you can use variables in your profile such as %n (the users screename) and %d (the date). I am writing a script for a friend that has a link that users can click who view his profile. When this happens, it records their screename and date and then forwards to the page he wants. Right now I have something like:

http://www.website.com/file.php?name=%n&date=%d

This works fine, but he wants it so the user doesn't know their being tracked (because this link as shown in an AIM profile would show ?name=theirscreenname. Any way to make that happen?

dnast

Do the links have to be a simple URL or can you use tags in the profile? If you can use tags, just use the long URL to store the data and then send a location header to redirect them to the main page. They shouldn't see the real URL unless they look at the status bar (if there is one. I'm not sure where/how the profiles are shown) before clicking.

dizastix

dnast wrote:
just use the long URL to store the data

Hey, thanks for the reply. Could you explain that part a bit more? Thanks.