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14.3.2. Access Request Information

Request information, resulting from an HTTP POST, is available via the params vector. The params vector is always available for the purpose in a VSP context. Similarly the lines and path vectors are available for the HTTP headers and URL path respectively.

Parameters stored in the params vector are stored in keyword-value pairs, such that keywords are stored in the even elements, values in the odd numbered elements. Vectors and arrays can be accessed using the aref() and aset() functions, however, the exact position of parameters is seldom known. The get_keyword() function can be used to return the value of a given parameter. You can specify a default value to return in case the parameter you are looking for is not found.

get_keyword ('param_name' , vector [, opt_default_value' ]);

If a default value other than '' (empty-string) is not required then a short-hand can be used instead.

{?'param_name'}

is equivalent to get_keyword ('param_name' , 'params' );

Since get_keyword() returns only strings, you will find that cast ing or conversion functions such as atoi() are very useful here.

Example 14.8. Reading the params Vector

Consider retrieving the following page by means of the URL: 

http://myvirtuoso/test.vsp?arg1=1&arg2=test

<html>
 <body>
  <h1>Test Params</h1>
  <?vsp
  declare _arg1 integer; --   the underscore helps to differentiate from
  declare _arg2 varchar; --   the keyword name, whereas the variable names
  declare _arg3 varchar; --   help use remember which is which.

  _arg1 := atoi(get_keyword('arg1', params));
  _arg2 := {?'arg2'};
  _arg3 := get_keyword('arg3', params, 'was empty'};

  ?>
  <p>values returned:</p>
  <p>arg1: <?=_arg1?></p>
  <p>arg2: <?=_arg2?></p>
  <p>arg3: <?=_arg3?></p>
 </body>
</html>

[Tip] See Also:

get_keyword()

atoi()

aref()

aset()

cast

[Note] Note:

Sometimes a POST can supply a large amount of data, such as from an <INPUT type="file">. When the length of the parameter data exceeds 5,000,000 octets the result is stored as a string session in the params array. In these cases the value should not be copied or converted to a string, it is likely to be truncated. The value should be stored as a BLOB or an external file. When processing possibly large input fields in a form either the fourth parameter to get_keyword()/get_keyword_ucase() should be set to 1 or they should be accessed through aref_set_0() .
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