Question

a) Based on what information does web application decide whether a particular request is a GET request? Simply by checking whether requested url contains any query string parameters?

b) When page http://some_domain/A.aspx is first requested (either by clicking a link element<a..> or by manually entering URL into address bar), I assume it is neither a POST or a GET request?

c) If users manually enters into Address toolbar url http://some_domain/A.aspx?ID=100, will web application considered a request as a GET request, even though query string values weren’t extracted ( by browser) from FORM elements?

d) Assuming we request http://some_domain/A.aspx?ID=100, will on postback browser request url http://some_domain/A.aspx?ID=100 or just http://some_domain/A.aspx?

e) Assuming page http://some_domain/A.aspx?ID=100 has FORM’s method attribute set to POST, but its url also contains some query string variables, then is on postback a request considered a GET or a POST?

Thank you

Answer 1

• a) It’s a GET if the browser sent the GET verb in the HTTP request. Likewise for POST.
• b) Both of the situations you describe will result in a GET request.
• c) GET and POST are independent of query string, i.e. either can include or not include query string variables.
• d) Because the original request included the querystring variables, the postback will again include those variables. The URL with the variables is a “different” URL than the one without.
• e) If the form’s method is POST, then it’s a POST, regardless of what the URL contains. The query string variables are not related in any way to whether it’s a GET or a POST.