What is the best server var to catch this under IE. Works a dream under firefox / mozilla but fails when IE attempts to get it.

ibbo

ibbo,

Remember that the $_SERVER super-global array is present only on the server and is not affected by the browser. The value of $_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER] is processed on the server by the PHP processing engine and cannot be affected by the browser client. Is there another problem this could be attributed to?

See http://us2.php.net/reserved.variables

I have heard that use of firewalls such as ZoneAlarm might be the problem. ZA can be configured to disable the referer value being passed from the client.

You say that only IE is affected. It is confusing to me also.

Quite simply the HTTP_REFER is empty when i browse to the site from IE. Mozilla and Firefox have it set but not IE.

I am doing a mail a friend section and require HTTP_REFER as the reference to the page that they wish their mate to see.

STRANGE

Ibbo

So

Mozilla/ Firewfox listing for print_r($_SERVER) lists [HTTP_KEEP_ALIVE] => 300 [HTTP_REFERER] => www.myhost.com

These are missing when run from IE. Thats just not funny.

Thankfully i can build the link from HTTP_HOST, PHP_SELF and QUERY_STRING though i am far from impressed with IE over this (makes my work so much harder).

The only shame is its the target browser so no matter how bloody good firefox etc are they will never be used as much as IE (not yet anyway).

Ibbo

Sorry to bump up and old topic, but I found this on a google search and it is exactly the problem I am having!

Does anyone know a good workaround to get the value that appears when you run with with Firefox in Internet Explorer?

Basically, I just want to know what page sent me to the page the code will sit on.

For example HTTP_REFERER was giving me the full URL and I need to compare this page to something, even just page1.php or something would do.

Turn off whatever is blocking the referrer field in IE.

Do you have any guesses where I would turn this off? I can't see anything in internet options.

It won't be in IE, it will be some third party "Internet Security" tool Nortons or AVG Advanced or something similar that is set "hide your tracks" while browsing.

Hmm, interesting, I will look into this tomorrow and see if it makes any odds. Cheers for the advice.

I have turned off and tested pretty much everything I can think of, still no joy.

Thanks anyway!

::bump::
If IE (6, at least) will not carry HTTP_REFERER( or without clever user modifications) then I can't design a PHP process with it that will be accessible to all viewers.

I can't believe this is not mentioned in the most basic of PHP books.

Any further help?

Yep, don't consider ever that you have the referrer.
You could emulate it easily, with something like

PHP Code:

$_SESSION['lastPage']=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; 


at the end of each page, or in an appended file.
That way, you can track which page the user watched on the last access, and you update it at the end of the running script.

The referrer is totally inaccurate and can be modified client side, do not ever trust it.

Yeah, actually was working with a friend on this a couple weeks ago because he was trying to use HTTP_REFERRER to to make sure users were valid. DON'T DO THIS! This value IS set by the browser, and you can actually change it. Only use it as a convenience (for example, you might find sites using Google and find that they highlight your keywords. This is done with HTTP_RERERRER). Never use it if it MUST work.

I wonder if this will pose problems with the IE8 or whatever number their up to now. Seems as if the minute you get your hands around a problem, Microsoft decides to confuse everyone once again by throwing out a new version.