Re: Need a steer...

[David J N Begley <david@avarice.nepean.uws.edu.au>]

On Sun, 14 Nov 1999, John Lederer wrote:

> Thanks.  In this case I have no control over the browser end. Right now
> the ldap server returns a default web page to a browser enquiry.  How does
> it do that, so that I can intercept the web page creation mechanism and
> modify its behaviour?

I think you'll find that the "default web page" is in fact generated by the
browser, not the server;  same as the browser generates the formatted
directory listings in FTP URLs (except when going via a proxy)...

> David J N Begley wrote:
> 
> > On Sat, 13 Nov 1999, John Lederer wrote:
> >
> > > I would like to control the data that is sent back to a web browser when
> > > it does a ldap url enquiry, i.e. ldap//anldapserver.com/uid=joe . Anybody
> > > have an idea how this is usally done?  i would like to send back a
> > > formatted web page with some of our data.
> >
> > The first question to ask would be how does the LDAP server know it is
> > receiving a request from a Web browser instead of a "normal" LDAP client
> > (since they're both just speaking the same protocol);  if you can't
> > distinguish between the connection types (as I doubt you can) then you can't
> > send back non-LDAP information over the LDAP protocol to a Web browser.
> >
> > The "usual way" is not to use Web browsers to make direct LDAP queries, but
> > have them go to a Web page/script which handles all the LDAP interaction, and
> > formats the return response.

Cheers..


dave