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Answer 1

+4 A:

a) It's a GET if the browser sent the GET verb in the HTTP request. Likewise for POST.
b) Both of the situations you describe will result in a GET request.
c) GET and POST are independent of query string, i.e. either can include or not include query string variables.
d) Because the original request included the querystring variables, the postback will again include those variables. The URL with the variables is a "different" URL than the one without.
e) If the form's method is POST, then it's a POST, regardless of what the URL contains. The query string variables are not related in any way to whether it's a GET or a POST.

Mark 2010-08-23 18:06:03

re: d) this is not quite right. It depends on whether or not the FORM tag has an ACTION element.

x0n 2010-08-23 18:07:15

@x0n: Yes, you're technically correct, you could "override" the URL with an action element. That's not the default case, however, and the user would have to specifically set that up.

Mark 2010-08-23 18:10:45

"...you could "override" the URL with an action element. That's not the default case, however, and the user would have to specifically set that up."So if we don't explicitly specify FORM's action attribute, then by default this attribute is set to url of an original request?

flockofcode 2010-08-23 18:28:20

"c) GET and POST are independent of query string, i.e. either can include or not include query string variables."What's the point of browser specifying first request as GET , since GET/POST are used with the way FORM data is submitted, while in my exqample on first request no FORM data was submitted?

flockofcode 2010-08-23 18:34:10

@mark the only type of correct is correct, technical or not. ;-)

x0n 2010-08-23 18:35:02

@flockofcode yes, if the form tag does not have an action (default for asp.net for example) then the postback url will include the querystring, if present.

x0n 2010-08-23 18:37:39

Since GET/POST are used with the way FORM data is submitted and since in my example on first request no FORM data is submitted, is there really a point in browser specifying first request as a GET?

flockofcode 2010-08-24 17:35:45

Every request is a GET unless it's some other kind of request (like POST, HEAD, PUT, etc, etc, etc). In the simple case, you can think of GET as the "default" request type. When you're using a form, the "post" request may be a GET, or it may be a POST, depending on the method="" attribute of the form.

Mark 2010-08-24 18:33:37

thank you all for your help

flockofcode 2010-08-24 19:09:18

Answer 2

+1 A:

a) it knows from the HTTP verb used by the browser

b) it's a GET

c) it's still a GET

d) if the <FORM> tag has no ACTION attribute, it will include the query string. If it has an explicit ACTION attribute, it will be whatever that URL is.

e) it's a POST.

x0n 2010-08-23 18:06:25

"d) if the <FORM> tag has no ACTION attribute, it will include the query string. If it has an explicit ACTION attribute, it will be whatever that URL is." In other words, if we don't explicitly specify FORM's action attribute, then by default this attribute is set to url of an original request

flockofcode 2010-08-23 18:35:06

@flockofcode: correct.

x0n 2010-08-23 19:02:36

Answer 3

+2 A:

The GET or POST info is extracted from the request - the application does not decide what kind of request it it, it reads it from the request itself. For example, the first line of a request may look like this:

GET http://www.mysite.com

The browser send this info to the app. Links are always GET requests. Your app can decide how a browser will respond to form submissions by setting the form's method attribute o GEt or POST.

I suggest you download Fiddler so you can see the raw request data for yourself.

Ray 2010-08-23 18:08:49

+1 for suggesting fiddler

Chris Lively 2010-08-23 18:13:07

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Some confusion with GET/POST requests

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