Adding Attributes to Servlet Link?

[Kimberley Jones]

I am working on a web-based app. I am trying to avoid showing my parameters in the address bar. Is there any way to link to a servlet using <a href="Example"> and have Example pick up some parameters?

Is submitting a form the only way a servlet can get parameters without showing your params in the address bar?

Thanks in advance for any help/ideas.

[Adeel Ansari]

yeah we can't say like,

<a href="SomeLogger" method="post"> logger </a>

hope somebody knows and comes up with a solution.

[Adeel Ansari]

couldn't we use a hidden field. check that field on the server side and then use forward() or sendRedirect(). but ofcourse this is the other way out.

[Julian Kennedy]

Hi Kimberley,

If you don't mind using JavaScript you could always submit a form with code like the following:

<form name="myForm" action="/myapp/myservlet" method="post">
<!-- your form fields here -->
</form>
 
<a href="javascript:document.myForm.submit()">My Link Text</a>
 
or
 
<a href="#" onklick="document.myForm.submit(); return false;">My Link Text</a>
Note the k in the onklick should obviously be a c

If you want to make your URL parameters inaccessible you need to avoid using HTTP GET.

Jules

[William Brogden]

If you absolutely have to use GET - consider encrypting the added attributes - they will be visible but not understandable. Look at some of the SPAM email messages you get - if they contain URLs with long chunks of gibberish - that may be encrypted attributes.
Bill

[Kimberley Jones]

I will look into both the form and the encrypted attributes ideas...I feel like I've probably seen a lot of encrypted attributes at e-mail and e-commerce sites.

Thanks so much for your help.