[RESOLVED] Very Difficult Remote Retrieval

JLHeidecker

I am trying to retrieve information that is only made available on the remote server after I have logged in.

To login, I can submit via POST the username/password, and then retrieve the resulting code. But that initial "members only" page is not what I'm after. It's a sub-page of the "members only" area.

Anyone have a strategy for retreiving remote information that is only accessible after logging in?

Kudose

Check out [man]cURL[/man]

JLHeidecker

Kudose wrote:
Check out [man]cURL[/man]

Unfortunately, my hosting provider does not have cURL as part of their PHP build. So I am stuck learning HTTP. but I think I am moving in the right direction with some http tutorials online. then i can use the PHP socket functions (like fsockopen) to send and receive the headers and stuff i need to.

anyone used sockets and http to send POST data and receive the server's response? do you know of a good book or webpage resource to learn more about this?

JLHeidecker

I found a good tutorial at zend technologies:

"mimic form submissions in php"

http://www.zend.com/zend/spotlight/mimocsumissions.php

JLHeidecker

using Snoopy (snoopy.sourceforge.net) I was able to successfully pass POST variables to a server and get the "members only" data I was looking for.

but I need more. I need more data that is on subpages inside the member area, not just the immediate page returned after login.

how do I stay "logged in" and get this other data? I don't think snoopy will support this.