[Hartford-pm] Help using LWP to change password Q's?

[Bob Mariotti]

Fellow mongers;

I have a mental block!  I just cannot seem to get this logic to an 
understandable point.  Therefore, I was hoping that some of you could 
explain the process somewhat.

I have several reasonably complex scripts that use LWP to interact with 
a remote secured web site.  Works great and reliably.  Now the remote 
service site has implemented expiring passwords requiring the clients 
(my script) to change passwords periodically before its next access.

Simple I'd say!  So I created a relatively short script to do just that.

Here's where my brain fry comes in:

Q: How does the "submit" button interrelate with the "next" URL?

Example:

Initial https connect to specified page : 
https://xxx.yyy.com/ssp/jsp/blah.jsp

LWP received the resulting page successfully which contains a form that 
has fields for username, current password, new password, new password 
again.  The usual stuff.

By examining the received HTML code I determined the fieldnames used 
above so that I could load them on my next POST operation.  I also noted 
that on the FORM statement the value of the ACTION parameter was 
"ABC123" with NO extension.   Also, the SUBMIT tag has an onClick 
function similar to this:  "onClick="return subrname()".

I assume that if the LWP POST operation is performed it emulates someone 
clicking on the SUBMIT button.  The subroutine is a javascript editing 
routine that issues an alert(msg) and returns false or true.

Assuming the response is true... must the programmer alter the URL for 
the POST operation at all?  Or will LWP and/or HTTP take care of 
manipulating the URL in combination with the ACTION value?

I'm sorry for the somewhat basic basis for this query but sometimes the 
gray cells don't work as well as they should.

Thanks for ANY help and/or advice anyone can supply (please - no 
harassing?).

Bob - Hartford PM
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|Bob Mariotti   | Financial DataCorp     |
|Exec V.P.      | 703 Hebron Avenue      |
|(860) 657-8983 | Glastonbury, CT 06033  |
|email: r.mariotti at financialdatacorp.com |
|Registered Linux User #320395           |
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