Extracting Query String From eExteranl

Question

Is it possible (and appropriate) to open a new window to an external URL, have my users process a form on that site (which generates a query string with name/value pairs) and then parse the pairs of that query string back to my parent window so the values can be loaded into variables for subsequent use in a form on my site for further processing? I’ve read about approaches using window.opener in the child window referencing back to the parent (not this situation), techiniques using cURL and screen scrapers grabbing information that exists on other sites but this situation requires the user to make choices on the external URL before the values are generated? Any thoughts or directions to applicable readings would be appreciated. Also, if this approach is inappropriate I’d also appreciate hearing about that as well.

Answer 1

I'm a little confused. You are making users complete a form on one site, which upon successfully saving, displays the new values on that site, and you're planning to then scrape that new information and use it on your site?

It sounds very complicated. Without knowing the exact details or why this is necessary it's tough to give a good answer.

For example, you're making some site about movies, and you want to use IMDB as a source then this idea doesn't make much sense. Why wouldn't the users just use IMDB?

Also this would be very tough to code.

Answer 2

If by external site, you mean a site that you have no control over, then if this would be possible, it would be a security hole.