[WEB4LIB] Re: Netscape 6 and FirstSearch

[Dan Lester]

I don't believe this particular problem has been reported on
firstsearch at listserv.boisestate.edu.  Various FS staff do read that
list and they frequently comment on list regarding problems.  I'd
recommend posting the issue there.

cheers

dan

Thursday, November 16, 2000, 9:29:00 AM, you wrote:

>> What you're saying is that the FirstSearch login script cannot handle a
>> correctly hex-encoded colon character.

DF> I'm not saying for sure that this is the problem with FirstSearch, but yes,
DF> that's what's wrong with SiteSearch;  it does not convert %3A back to ":"
DF> (at least not in certain places of the URL).

DF> The example from the SiteSearch list:

DF>   .../WebZ/html/homeframe.html:&context;:name=value:etc...
DF>                               ^
DF> The above URL is problematic because NS6 encodes the ':' so the URL becomes

DF>   .../WebZ/html/homeframe.html%3A&context;...

DF> which SS does not decode properly.  It was suggested the URLs be of the
DF> form:

DF>   .../WebZ/html/homeframe.html?&context;:name=value:etc...
DF>                               ^ notice this

DF> Where the ':' occurs determines if it's a problem.

>> I suppose the good folks in Dublin have a "We don't test on beta browsers"
>> policy.

DF> Umm.  Well, yes that was mentioned.

DF> Hopefully someone at OCLC can provide more detail, and verify if indeed this
DF> is the problem with FS.

DF> - Darryl

DF>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
DF>   Darryl Friesen, B.Sc., Programmer/Analyst    Darryl.Friesen at usask.ca
DF>   Education & Research Technology Services,     http://gollum.usask.ca/
DF>   Department of Computing Services,
DF>   University of Saskatchewan
DF>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
DF>   "Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes"





-- 
Dan Lester, Data Wrangler  dan at RiverOfData.com
3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho  83716-7115 USA
www.riverofdata.com  www.postcard.org  www.gailndan.com