Sourcecode in the url

Question

Hello all,

normally you go on a website and by right click you can choose to see the source code. Or you just use firebug and select an element you want to analyse. Is it possible to write the source code in the URL so that it wouldn't be shown by right click + choosing or selecting an element?

I'm asking because I've already seen this phenomenon once by using an iphone simulator in safari.

Any ideas or hints what I'm exactly looking for? Your help would be great.

Edit: Based on wrong information. You can see the sourcecode by rightclicking. But the url still contains all information about the site. I'll get back to you as soon as I got more information to write them down clearly. Sorry for all the confusion.

Edit: This is the code in the url containing information about the site.

data:text/html;charset=utf-8;base64,PCFET0NUWVBFIGh0bWw%2BDQo8aHRtbCBtYW5pZmVzdD0naHR0cDovL25vdm93ZWIubWZ1c2UuY29tL3dlYmFwcC9TcG9ydGluZ2JldC9wb3J0YWwvc3BvcnRpbmdiZXRQb3J0YWwubWFuaWZlc3QnPg0KPGhlYWQ%2BPHRpdGxlPlNwb3J0aW5nYmV0PC90aXRsZT4NCiAgICA8bWV0YSBodHRwLWVxdWl2PSdjb250ZW50LXR5cGUnIGNvbnRlbnQ9J3RleHQvaHRtbDsgY2hhcnNldD11dGYtOCc%2BDQoJPG1ldGEgbmFtZT0ndmlld3BvcnQnIGNvbnRlbnQ9J21heGltdW0tc2NhbGU9MSwgd2lkdGg9ZGV2aWNlLXdpZHRoLCBoZWlnaHQ9ZGV2aWNlLWhlaWdodCwgdXNlci1zY2FsYWJsZT1ubywgbWluaW11bS1zY2FsZT0xLjAnPg0KICAgIDxtZXRhIG5hbWU9J2FwcGxlLW1vYmlsZS13ZWItYXBwLWNhcGFibGUnIGNvbnRlbnQ9J1lFUyc%2BDQogICAgPG1ldGEgbmFtZT0nYXBwbGUtbW9iaWxlLXdlYi1hcHAtc3RhdHVzLWJhci1zdHlsZScgY29udGVudD0nYmxhY2snPg0KICAgIDxzY3JpcHQgdHlwZT0ndGV4dC9qYXZhc2NyaXB0JyBsYW5ndWFnZT0namF2YXNjcmlwdCc%2BDQogIGlmIChkb2N1bWVudC5yZWZlcnJlciA9PSAnJykNCiAgew0KICAgd2luZG93LmxvY2F0aW9uPSdkYXRhOnRleHQvaHRtbDtjaGFyc2V0PXV0Zi04O2Jhc2U2NCxQR2gwYld3JTJCUEdobFlXUSUyQlBHMWxkR0VnYm1GdFpUMG5kbWxsZDNCdmNuUW5JR052Ym5SbGJuUTlKMjFoZUdsdGRXMHRjMk5oYkdVOU1Td2dkMmxrZEdnOVpHVjJhV05sTFhkcFpIUm9MQ0IxYzJWeUxYTmpZV3hoWW14bFBXNXZMQ0J0YVc1cGJYVnRMWE5qWVd4bFBURXVNQ2MlMkJQRzFsZEdFZ2JtRnRaVDBuWVhCd2JHVXRiVzlpYVd4bExYZGxZaTFoY0hBdFkyRndZV0pzWlNjZ1kyOXVkR1Z1ZEQwbldVVlRKejQ4YldWMFlTQnVZVzFsUFNkaGNIQnNaUzF0YjJKcGJHVXRkMlZpTFdGd2NDMXpkR0YwZFhNdFltRnlMWE4wZVd4bEp5QmpiMjUwWlc1MFBTZGliR0ZqYXljJTJCUEUxRlZFRWdhSFIwY0MxbGNYVnBkajBuY21WbWNtVnphQ2NnWTI5dWRHVnVkRDBuTVR0VlVrdzlhSFIwY0hNNkx5OTNaV0poY0hBdWJXWjFjMlV1WTI5dEwxTndiM0owYVc1blltVjBMMmx3YUc5dVpTOXBibVJsZUMxbGJsOUhRaTVvZEcxc1AybGtQVFUzTkRVME1qa3lNRUUwTURRMk1UVXdNVE01TUVaRFFUTTRNREJFTkRnNEpteHZZMkZzWlQxbGJsOUhRaVpoWm1acGJHbGhkR1ZKUkQwblBqd3ZhR1ZoWkQ0OGMzUjViR1UlMkJZbTlrZVh0aVlXTnJaM0p2ZFc1a0xXTnZiRzl5T2lNd01EQTdkR1Y0ZEMxaGJHbG5ianBqWlc1MFpYSTdZMjlzYjNJNkkwWkdSanRtYjI1MExXWmhiV2xzZVRwQmNtbGhiQ3dnU0dWc2RtVjBhV05oTENCellXNXpMWE5sY21sbU8yWnZiblF0YzJsNlpUb3lNSEI0TzMwOEwzTjBlV3hsUGp4aWIyUjVQanh3UG14dllXUnBibWN1TGk0OEwzQSUyQlBDOWliMlI1UGp3dmFIUnRiRDQ9Jw0KCSB9DQogICAgPC9zY3JpcHQ%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%2BPC9zY3JpcHQ%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%2BPC9zY3JpcHQ%2BDQogICAgPHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSd0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQnIHNyYz0naHR0cDovL25vdm93ZWIubWZ1c2UuY29tL3dlYmFwcC9TcG9ydGluZ2JldC9wb3J0YWwvUGFydHMvQnV0dG9uSGFuZGxlci5qcycgY2hhcnNldD0ndXRmLTgnPjwvc2NyaXB0Pg0KICAgIDxzY3JpcHQgdHlwZT0ndGV4dC9qYXZhc2NyaXB0JyBzcmM9J2h0dHA6Ly9ub3Zvd2ViLm1mdXNlLmNvbS93ZWJhcHAvU3BvcnRpbmdiZXQvcG9ydGFsL1BhcnRzL1RyYW5zaXRpb25zLmpzJyBjaGFyc2V0PSd1dGYtOCc%2BPC9zY3JpcHQ%2BDQogICAgPHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSd0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQnIHNyYz0naHR0cDovL25vdm93ZWIubWZ1c2UuY29tL3dlYmFwcC9TcG9ydGluZ2JldC9wb3J0YWwvUGFydHMvU3RhY2tMYXlvdXQuanMnIGNoYXJzZXQ9J3V0Zi04Jz48L3NjcmlwdD4NCjwvaGVhZD4NCjxib2R5IG9uTG9hZD0nbG9hZCgpOyc%2BDQogICAgPGRpdiBpZD0nc3RhY2tMYXlvdXQnPjxkaXYgaWQ9J3NlbGVjdGlvbi1wYWdlJz4NCiAgICAgICAgICAgIDxkaXYgaWQ9J2xhbmRpbmdwYWdlJz4NCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGlkPSdjZW50cmVUb3BCRyc%2BPC9kaXY%2BPGRpdiBpZD0nY2VudHJlQm90dG9tQkcnPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDxkaXYgaWQ9J2xvZ28nPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDxkaXYgaWQ9J2ljb24nPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDxkaXYgaWQ9J2Rpc3BhbHlib3gnPg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGlkPSd0ZXh0cDEnPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGlkPSd0ZXh0cDInPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDxkaXYgY2xhc3M9J3ZpZXcyJyBpZD0naXBob25lJz48L2Rpdj4NCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSd2aWV3MicgaWQ9J2Nhc2lubyc%2BPC9kaXY%2BDQogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgPGRpdiBpZD0nZGlzcGFseWJveDMnPg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGlkPSd0ZXh0cDUnPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGlkPSd0ZXh0cDYnPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGlkPSd0ZXh0cDcnPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8ZGl2IGlkPSd0ZXh0cDgnPjwvZGl2Pg0KICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIC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Answer 1

Even if you restrict right clicking, or viewing the source, it is impossible to hide it from everybody. Also, placing it in the URL would be bad, very bad (I can't even imagine it).

Answer 2

No, it's not possible to hide a website's source code. The reason for that is simply that the browser needs that code to display the website, so whenever you see a website, you'll always be able to see as much code as is needed to make the website look like that.

You can mangle the code a bit, but as you have said yourself, things like Firebug are able to display the current state of a website, so you'll also be able to see the correct code.

edit

Just a note: Just because Safari with an iPhone user agent isn't able to display the source code, it doesn't mean that the code is not there or somehow encrypted into the URL. If you can see the website, the code is there.

I guess it's a bug (or a feature?) that Safari isn't able to display it in iPhone mode (maybe because the iPhone itself isn't able to display the code either).

edit 2

Okay, it indeed set the URL to the following for me:

data:text/html;charset=utf-8;base64,PGh0bWw%2BPGhlYWQ%2BPG1ldGEgbmFtZT0ndmlld3BvcnQnIGNvbnRlbnQ9J21heGltdW0tc2NhbGU9MSwgd2lkdGg9ZGV2aWNlLXdpZHRoLCB1c2VyLXNjYWxhYmxlPW5vLCBtaW5pbXVtLXNjYWxlPTEuMCc%2BPG1ldGEgbmFtZT0nYXBwbGUtbW9iaWxlLXdlYi1hcHAtY2FwYWJsZScgY29udGVudD0nWUVTJz48bWV0YSBuYW1lPSdhcHBsZS1tb2JpbGUtd2ViLWFwcC1zdGF0dXMtYmFyLXN0eWxlJyBjb250ZW50PSdibGFjayc%2BPE1FVEEgaHR0cC1lcXVpdj0ncmVmcmVzaCcgY29udGVudD0nMTtVUkw9aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWJhcHAubWZ1c2UuY29tL1Nwb3J0aW5nYmV0L2lwaG9uZS9pbmRleC1lbl9HQi5odG1sP2lkPTU4NjIwNEE2MEE0MDQ2MTUwMTM5MEZDQTFBQTdGNDFBJmxvY2FsZT1lbl9HQiZhZmZpbGlhdGVJRD0nPjwvaGVhZD48c3R5bGU%2BYm9keXtiYWNrZ3JvdW5kLWNvbG9yOiMwMDA7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXI7Y29sb3I6I0ZGRjtmb250LWZhbWlseTpBcmlhbCwgSGVsdmV0aWNhLCBzYW5zLXNlcmlmO2ZvbnQtc2l6ZToyMHB4O308L3N0eWxlPjxib2R5PjxwPmxvYWRpbmcuLi48L3A%2BPC9ib2R5PjwvaHRtbD4=

This however just encodes to a loading & redirect page that itself redirects to a different webpage with a special session-like parameter. I guess they didn't want to create real server side sessions for this and just put the parameter into the redirect page and encoded the whole junk using the data: URI to not create a custom page for it. This however does neither help the browser (in terms of speed or anything else) nor does it hide the source code, as you can just decode it again to see the original source code.

Answer 3

i don't know what you're trying to achive, but if you want to hide the source code because of "anybody can steal my code": that isn't possible. the sourcecode has to get to the browser in any way, so the browser can display it - and if the code is on the client-machine (in the browser) there will always be a possibility to grab it.

Answer 4

the html is needed for the browser to render the UI. You can't hide it. You could compress and obfuscate the javascript though, to make it difficult to read and understand. But that's evil :)

Answer 5

Internet Explorer has a character limit of 2048 characters, so you would have to compress the content and pray it will fit in the url after it's been base64 encoded. Then you can use javascript to decode it. It will also be extremely difficult to update your pages or allow for bookmarking. It could also result in users exploiting the system.

Chances are nobody will want your sauce code anyway, and if they did, it wouldn't affect you one little bit. Facebook shows it's sauce, I don't see it's popularity dropping. So just stick with serving your pages the normal way.

Answer 6

1. The length of an URL is limited, so that you couldn't write a whole page into it even if it were possible.

2. Once a thing has been displayed at a client machine the code cannot be protected. (well, using javascript right-click disabling could repell a few noobs, but it is still fairly easy to grab the code)

Answer 7

What you're referring to is the data URI scheme, which allows base64 encoded data to be included locally (within a request), where normally http/etc URLs are used to initiate new requests.

The data URI scheme is a URI scheme that provides a way to include data in-line in web pages as if they were external resources. It tends to be simpler than other inclusion methods, such as MIME with cid or mid URIs.

Read the Wikipedia page for more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_URI_scheme