Re: Previous Page

Kee Hinckley ([email protected])
Fri, 23 Jun 1995 20:37:54 -0400


At 11:08 PM 6/22/95, Brother Baker wrote:
>On Thu, 22 Jun 1995, Kee Hinckley wrote:
>
>> Or if you are using a script-driven link, you can see if the browser
>> set the HTTP_REFERER field and send them back to that.
>
>Huh? I mean, I'm sure I sound like an idiot to some people... but what
>HTTP_REFERER field? TIA. :)

=46ield wasn't really the term I wanted.

HTTP_REFERER is a header which some browsers send (including Netscape,
although last time I checked, it doesn't send it on reloads) indicating the
page that they were at before the current one. It's passed via the CGI
interface. So a CGI script can use it to implement a back button. I
would advise, however, that if you use it, you only use it if "Back" goes
back to another page on your site. It would feel pretty odd if pressing
"Back" on your page took me to another organizations web site entirely.

Kee Hinckley Utopia Inc. - Cyberspace Architects=81 617/721-6100
[email protected] http://www.utopia.com/

I'm not sure which upsets me more: that people are so unwilling to accept
responsibility for their own actions, or that they are so eager to regulate
everyone else's.