Form Data

Just wondering the length limit when using the "get" method on a form. Is there a maximum length for a query string that a web browser can handle? And is there a similiar limit for the "post" method.

Thanks.

I'm sure there must be a length limit for a URL query string but I don't know what it is. You could try testing with the maximum amount of data you're expecting to receive.

I know that there's no similar limit for POST as this is just returned into the standard input, so if you're expecting a lot of data this is the way to go.

Also, long, complex query strings confuse the hell out of users when they see it in their browser's address line. POST is much neater.

Thanks. makes sense to me.

I believe that URL strings (in browsers, anyway) are limited to 255 characters and that may be the limit for a get post.

Although the post method looks cleaner for the user, it often doesn't allow the user to refresh the generated page, or does so only with an ugly dialog box.

Also some browsers (NN 4.0x for the Mac, for example) don't work when you choose to save a dynamically post-generated page. (File -> Save As).

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Paul Burney, Webmaster
UCLA GSE&IS
webmaster@gseis.ucla.edu
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Well, as you realize it is browser specific, and in recent releases browser manufacturers have extended the limit on how many characters you can type.

However, in the 5 years I have been working on the web, I have always used a 1000 character limit (which means that in name value pairs (x=y) you could fit somewhere between 250-300 pieces of information.

But, if you need to ask this question, it's pretty damn obvious you shouldn't be using the querystring to do what you're doing. ;-0

Lol.

Best to you,

JD http://theDogPile.com

I'm using NN 4.x for the mac (right now!) and I can save dynamically generated content without a problem. I do ASP, JSP mod_perl, PHP and client side work on this mac. That's not true IMHE. Tell me what specifc version were you using?

But sometimes you do run into bugs in specific browser versions (so you might be right sometimes ;-).

Have a good one.

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Word.
http://theDogPile.com
http://OurBox.com/

Ok.

I just went and checked. IE 5 for the mac (the new IE version) carried 2600 characters without a hitch. I only stopped because my hand got tired (well, actually that and my damn kitten jumped up on my leg after sharpening his claws =B^O )

Someone else post another browsers limits!

JD

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Word.
http://theDogPile.com
http://OurBox.com/

I am not sure that it is browser limited as it is a host or server limitation. The GET method appends the form user data to the end of the URL (everything past the '?' mark), and the server software will put this information in the QUERY_STRING environment variable for use by the script processing the form data. Some servers allow longer QUERY_STRING length for the GET method than others. So you should probably check with your server. And while GET is still the default method if no method is specified, it is not very secure. The POST method opens a 'stream', by standard input, to carry the data to the processing script, and is more secure than GET.
When you use a browser that informs you of an insecure transmission, you may get a notice when using the POST method, while the GET method will not trigger a notice. The POST method, as far as I know, has no noticable length limit.
Hope this helps.
Ed