Re: lynx-dev Lynx -- problem with post content

[Klaus Weide]

On Sat, 18 Sep 1999, Bill White wrote:

> Hello.  I am using Lynx Version 2.8rel.2 (1998).
> My OS is a version of BSD, but for these purposes, I'm not sure this
> matters.

Probably the OS does not matter.  The lynx version might, but I don't
see anything in the trace that would directly indicate that.

> I signed up at url: http://www.ureach.com and have a username and
> password there.  The username is: billw
> 
> before submitting my trace log, my question is:  Why does it say
> "method not allowed" when trying to post the form?  What does the form
> want, if not a posted username, and will a future version of lynx
> handle this other type of submission.

To quote part of their text:
>    JavaScript [12]Top
>    The uReach.com service uses JavaScript technology in its web pages.
>    Therefore you must enable JavaScript in order for the web pages to
>    function properly.

Lynx does not interpret or execute JavaScript.  Their form *relies* on
JavaScript (which is more than "uses JavaScript").  Lynx does what it
is told (what any browser that doesn't support the scripting language
is told by the HTML in the page).  Since there is no explicit ACTION
attibute in the FORM tag, the form gets submitted to the current URL.
That URL is not prepared to accept POSTing to it, thus the message.

They might as well have added:
   [The uReach.com service uses JavaScript technology in its web pages], 
   and we didn't think of providing a way to use the service without
   JavaScript, or to produce at least a meaningful message when the login
   page is used without JavaScript.

You may be able to download a copy of the page's source and "fix it" so
that it "works".  (Adding ACTION="http://www.ureach.com/cgi-bin/login";
to the FORM tags and/or combining the three forms into one might do it.)
Instead, you should contact address@hidden and ask.  It might be
thir service can basically work with lynx once you get past the "front
end".  Then again, probably more likely, maybe it won't.

>    Cookies [14]Top
>    The uReach.com service uses cookies to identify you while you are
>    using the service.  This is the sole purpose for the use of cookies by
>    the uReach.com service.

If you ever get to the step past logging in, a later lynx version than yours
may be better at dealing with the cookies.  (If the cookies require handling
by JavaScript on the browser side you're out of luck anyway.)


>    Are cookies secure?  Yes.  Enabling cookies allows uReach.com to track
>    your sessions within uReach.com.  However, uReach.com will not get
>    access to any other information on your hard disk.

You gotto love how they shrug off valid concerns just like that...

    Klaus