WWW::Mechanize Post Method - Help find error

Agyeya has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Esteemed monks, i require your assistance.
I have written a perl program which uses WWW::Mechanize. I am using a "post" method. But while executing i am getting the following error.
The piece of code that it points to

$request =POST "http://www.abc.com/ChooseZone.aspx?type=A" , [
    '__EVENTTARGET' => "rdlZone_0",
    '__EVENTARGUMENT' => "",
    '__VIEWSTATE' => "dDw0NzUyOTE0NzQ7",
    'rdlZone' => "1",
] ;
[download]

The error is as below

String found where operator expected at stats.plx line 18, near "POST 
+"http://www.abc.com/ChooseZone.aspx?type=A""
        (Do you need to predeclare POST?)
syntax error at stats.plx line 18, near "POST "http://www.abc.com/Choo
+seZone.aspx?type=A""
[download]

Please assist
Note: the code was generated by a javascript monitoring proxy program
UPDATE: PROBLEM SOLVED

Comment on WWW::Mechanize Post Method - Help find error Select or Download Code

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Re: WWW::Mechanize Post Method - Help find error by Corion (Patriarch) on May 18, 2004 at 05:59 UTC
I'm not sure what "javascript monitoring proxy program" you are using, but the output does not look like valid Perl. Maybe you meant the HTTP::Request constructor method `POST`, but you don't show any more relevant code. Check the top of your script for a line like `use HTTP::Request;`. And even then, the generated line should look more like : `$request = HTTP::Request->new( POST => ... );` [download] So to me, it seems like your "javascript monitoring proxy program" doesn't really produce direct Perl code.	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Re: WWW::Mechanize Post Method - Help find error by Agyeya (Hermit) on May 18, 2004 at 06:14 UTC
Thank you for your help, i located the error. The code `$request = new HTTP::Request(POST "http://www.abc.com/ChooseZone.aspx? +type=A" , [ '__EVENTTARGET' => "rdlZone_0", '__EVENTARGUMENT' => "", '__VIEWSTATE' => "dDw0NzUyO", 'rdlZone' => "1", ] );` [download] has been changed to `$request = new HTTP::Request('POST'=> "http://www.abc.com/ChooseZone.a +spx? +type=A" , [ '__EVENTTARGET' => "rdlZone_0", '__EVENTARGUMENT' => "", '__VIEWSTATE' => "dDw0NzUyO", 'rdlZone' => "1", ] );` [download] It was a matter of changing POST to 'POST'=> Thank you for your help	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Re: Re: WWW::Mechanize Post Method - Help find error by revdiablo (Prior) on May 18, 2004 at 16:31 UTC
It was a matter of changing POST to 'POST'=> For future reference, note that the `=>` operator is just like the comma, except it does automagic quoting of its left-hand-side. This is made exactly for the case you've shown, to eliminate the need for quoting. In other words, your line could be written as: `$request = new HTTP::Request(POST => "...", [ __EVENTTARGET => "rdlZone_0", __EVENTARGUMENT => "", __VIEWSTATE => "dDw0NzUyO", rdlZone => "1", ] );` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]