in reply to Checkboxes with the same name

I looked at the source of HTTP::Request::Form verified that it is indeed a bug in the module. It uses $fieldvals{$name} = $value; to set the value, clobbering any existing value for that name.

HTTP::Request::Common uses the query_form method of URI, whose documentation gives the following example:

$uri->query_form(foo => 1, foo => 2);
$uri->query_form(foo => [1, 2]);
$uri->query_form([ foo => 1, foo => 2 ]);
$uri->query_form([ foo => [1, 2] ]);
$uri->query_form({ foo => [1, 2] });

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so:

$ua->request(POST 'http://somewhere/foo', [
   editions    => [qw( D A H )],
   other_input => 'its value',
]);

[download]

should do the trick

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Re^2: Checkboxes with the same name
by seaver (Pilgrim) on Sep 27, 2004 at 15:44 UTC
    ikegami

    Thanks for your reply, it was certainly what I was looking for

    However, I cant seem to get the right response. I used HTTP::Request::Form to print out the URL, with all the fields I knew I needed to fill, and used it as a guide.

    I've replaced all '&' with '\n' here for easier reading for the encoded URL string from HTTP::Request::Form: 

    Func=Search
Form=HomePage
SID=QVgragrh%40WcAAB5MdZ8
topic=Enter+a+topic
editions=H
editions=H
editions=H
Period=Year+Range
week_selection=LatestWeek
years=2004
start_year=1955
end_year=2004
General+Search.x=2
General+Search.y=2

    [download]
    And the code I'm using to try and replicate this, except for the editions, where Im following your example, is: 
    $res = $ua->request(POST 'http://wos4.isiknowledge.com/CIW.cgi',
            [Func => 'Search',
             Form => 'HomePage',
             SID => $sid,
             topic => 'Enter+a+topic',
             editions => qw[(D A H)],
             Period => 'Year Range',
             week_selection => 'LatestWeek',
             years => 2004,
             start_year => 1955,
             end_year => 2004,
             'General Search.x' => 2,
             'General Search.y' => 2]);

    [download]
    However, this is not producing the right response, and the HTTP::Request::Form method actually produced a better response, something is wrong with my attempt at using HTTP::Request::Common, but I dont know what it is that I'm doing wrong?

    Thanks for any help
    Sam </code>

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      I'm confused as to why you're talking about HTTP::Request::Form again, since we established there was a bug in it.

      I ran a few tests:

      use URI;

my $uri = URI->new("http://www.domain.com/");

$uri->query_form(
   editions => [qw( D A H )],
);

print($uri->as_string(), "\n");
# http://www.domain.com/?editions=D&editions=A&editions=H

      [download]

      so far so good

      use LWP;
use HTTP::Request::Common;

$request = POST 'http://www.domain.com/', [
   editions => [qw( D A H )],
];

print($request->as_string(), "\n");
# POST http://www.domain.com/
# Content-Length: 54
# Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
#
# editions=D&editions=A&editions=H

      [download]

      Working great!

      >perl -MURI -le "print $URI::VERSION"
1.19

>perl -MLWP -le "print $LWP::VERSION"
5.64

      [download]

      I'm not sure what you're trying to do. WWW::Mechanize might be of interest to you.

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        OK, here's the problem

        Below I have two '$request->as_string()' each identical and yet from different sources:

        my $f = HTTP::Request::Form->new($forms[0], $wosURL);
my $boo = $f->press("General Search");
print $boo->as_string;

        [download]
        outputs: 
        POST http://wos4.isiknowledge.com/CIW.cgi
Content-Length: 227
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Func=Search&Form=HomePage&SID=QVhJgArh%40WcAACmJAys&topic=Enter+a+topi
+c&editions=H&editions=H&editions=H&Period=Year+Range&week_selection=L
+atestWeek&years=2004&start_year=1955&end_year=2004&General+Search.x=2
+&General+Search.y=2

        [download]
        and this one 
        my $request = POST 'http://wos4.isiknowledge.com/CIW.cgi', 
            [Func => 'Search',
             Form => 'HomePage',
             SID => $sid,
             topic => 'Enter a topic',
             editions => [qw( D A H )],
             Period => 'Year Range',
             week_selection => 'LatestWeek',
             years => 2004,
             start_year => 1955,
             end_year => 2004,
             'General Search.x' => 2,
             'General Search.y' => 2];

print $request->as_string();

        [download]
        outputs: 
        POST http://wos4.isiknowledge.com/CIW.cgi
Content-Length: 227
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Func=Search&Form=HomePage&SID=QVhJfQrh%40WcAABfkZ3c&topic=Enter+a+topi
+c&editions=D&editions=A&editions=H&Period=Year+Range&week_selection=L
+atestWeek&years=2004&start_year=1955&end_year=2004&General+Search.x=2
+&General+Search.y=2

        [download]
        Because of the bug in HTTP::Request::Form, when I send the first request, the resulting web-page lists the three same editions, BUT if I send using the request I made on my own, the resulting web-page doesnt list ANY edition.

        This tells me there's something different between the request object generated by HTTP::Request::Form, and my own request object, and I'm not sure what it is??

        Thanks
        Sam

        ps I'll check out Mechanize, thanks

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