Header Examples

To demonstrate the ability to use the AspTear component in any Automation enviroment, the HTTP headers example is mainly implemented in an Excel worksheet (SessionCookieSample.xls). It is supported by a small ASP file that is teared (session-cookie.asp).

The example shows how to parse headers you get after retrieval, as well as how to set headers before retrieving another page.

The Excel Code

' Written by: Christoph Wille
' Last updated: 5/22/2001

Option Explicit

Const Request_POST = 1
Const Request_GET = 2
Const Request_HEAD = 3

' change this URL to reflect your test environment
Const cstrServerURL = "http://localhost/AspTear/Session-Cookie.asp"

' This sub test the .AddCookie functionality
' First request sets the cookie, second request sends it. To prove it's working, a Session
' variable is used and printed
Sub SendHeaders()
On Error GoTo Err_SendHeaders
    Dim xobj As Object, strRetval As String, strRetVal2 As String
    Dim strHeaders As String, nFoundAt As Integer, nEndOfCookie As Integer, strCookie As String
    Dim arrCookiePair As Variant
    
    Set xobj = CreateObject("SOFTWING.ASPtear")
    
    ' disable caching, force a page reload every time
    xobj.ForceReload = True
    
    ' URL, action, payload, username, password
    strRetval = xobj.Retrieve(cstrServerURL, Request_GET, "", "", "")
    
    ' now get the headers we found and search for the Set-Cookie header with the ASPSESSIONID cookie
    strHeaders = xobj.Headers
    nFoundAt = InStr(strHeaders, "Set-Cookie: ASP")
    If (nFoundAt > 0) Then
        nEndOfCookie = InStr(nFoundAt, strHeaders, ";")
        If (nEndOfCookie > 0) Then
            ' get only the cookie data; forget about path, etc. you shouldn't be that careless
            strCookie = Mid(strHeaders, nFoundAt + 12, nEndOfCookie - nFoundAt - 12)
        End If
    End If
    
    ' now start our second request; the Session variable is now set and we can retrieve it.
    ' first thing to do is to set the Session cookie so we get what we want.
    If (nFoundAt > 0 And nEndOfCookie > 0) Then
        arrCookiePair = Split(strCookie, "=")
        xobj.AddCookie arrCookiePair(0), arrCookiePair(1)
    End If
    
    ' retrieve the page now
    strRetVal2 = xobj.Retrieve(cstrServerURL, Request_GET, "", "", "")
    
    ' display what we got for the first call and now for the second one
    MsgBox "1st Call: """ & Left(strRetval, Len(strRetval) - 1) & """" & _
        vbCrLf & "2nd Call: """ & Left(strRetVal2, Len(strRetVal2) - 1) & """"
    
    Exit Sub
Err_SendHeaders:
    If Err.Number >= 400 Then
        MsgBox "Server returned error: " & Err.Number
    Else
        MsgBox "Component/WinInet error: " & Err.Description
    End If
End Sub

Helper Files

session-cookie.asp

<%  @LANGUAGE=VBSCRIPT %>
<%  
' Written by: Christoph Wille
' Last updated: 5/22/2001

Option Explicit 
Response.Expires = 0

' Shown on second call only
Response.Write "--- " & Session("TestVarValue") & " ---" & vbCRLF

' Set the session variable. Only a user returning with the same ASPSESSIONID cookie
' will be able to see this value
Session("TestVarValue") = "my value is stored here"
%>