Detecting if modified since in Classic Asp

Hi

I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But I am
unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty. It is also
excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We are using IIS6.

So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?

Cheers,

Simon.

it's in Request.ServerVariables("ALL_RAW")

http://neural.cs.nthu.edu.tw/jang/sa...s/request5.asp



"Simon" <Simon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:1E72DB38-3971-4A5C-8FC0-3200D137569D@microsoft.com...
> Hi
>
> I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But I am
> unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty. It is also
> excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We are using IIS6.
>
> So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Simon.

Simon wrote:
> Hi
>
> I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But
> I am unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty.
> It is also excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We
> are using IIS6.
>
> So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
>
That is not a standard header so it will not be included when listing
all the server variables (I assume you've done something like this:
http://www.aspfaq.com/2036).

You might want to wade through this thread:
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/6005-2-30.htm

--
Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.

Hi Bob,

Already looked on webmasterworld and that's where I found the following
Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE")

But this can't be correct

--
Cheers,

Simon.


"Bob Barrows [MVP]" wrote:

> Simon wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> > Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But
> > I am unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty.
> > It is also excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We
> > are using IIS6.
> >
> > So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
> >
> That is not a standard header so it will not be included when listing
> all the server variables (I assume you've done something like this:
> http://www.aspfaq.com/2036).
>
> You might want to wade through this thread:
> http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/6005-2-30.htm
>
> --
> Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
> Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
> header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
> quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.
>
>
>

Hi Jon,

Isn't that just the collection of all the headers as one long string. The
page you pointed me to did not appear to show this data anyway.

--
Cheers,

Simon.


"Jon Paal [MSMD]" wrote:

> it's in Request.ServerVariables("ALL_RAW")
>
> http://neural.cs.nthu.edu.tw/jang/sa...s/request5.asp
>
>
>
> "Simon" <Simon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:1E72DB38-3971-4A5C-8FC0-3200D137569D@microsoft.com...
> > Hi
> >
> > I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> > Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But I am
> > unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty. It is also
> > excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We are using IIS6.
> >
> > So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Simon.
>
>
>

I believe it was in there when Jon looked because he got there via a
google search for that variable name, causing it to appear in the
HTTP_REFERRER.

Again, this isn't a standard header and, while you are supposed to be
able to use this syntax:
HTTP_<HeaderName>
to get non-standard headers, the header you are requesting has to exist
in RAW for it to be available. I can't offer more assistance because
I've never used this header, which seems to be useful for google
indexing, correct? I just do intranet apps so I've never gone there.

Simon wrote:
> Hi Jon,
>
> Isn't that just the collection of all the headers as one long string.
> The page you pointed me to did not appear to show this data anyway.
>
> --
> Cheers,
>
> Simon.
>
>
> "Jon Paal [MSMD]" wrote:
>
>> it's in Request.ServerVariables("ALL_RAW")
>>
>> http://neural.cs.nthu.edu.tw/jang/sa...s/request5.asp
>>
>>
>>
>> "Simon" <Simon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:1E72DB38-3971-4A5C-8FC0-3200D137569D@microsoft.com...
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
>>> Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP.
>>> But I am unable to get anything from this, this variable is always
>>> empty. It is also excluded when I try to list all the server
>>> variables. We are using IIS6.
>>>
>>> So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Simon.

--
Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.

Hi Bob,

Yes this task is related to Google indexing, I am surprised there is so
little info out there on this.

--
Cheers,

Simon.


"Bob Barrows [MVP]" wrote:

> I believe it was in there when Jon looked because he got there via a
> google search for that variable name, causing it to appear in the
> HTTP_REFERRER.
>
> Again, this isn't a standard header and, while you are supposed to be
> able to use this syntax:
> HTTP_<HeaderName>
> to get non-standard headers, the header you are requesting has to exist
> in RAW for it to be available. I can't offer more assistance because
> I've never used this header, which seems to be useful for google
> indexing, correct? I just do intranet apps so I've never gone there.
>
> Simon wrote:
> > Hi Jon,
> >
> > Isn't that just the collection of all the headers as one long string.
> > The page you pointed me to did not appear to show this data anyway.
> >
> > --
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Simon.
> >
> >
> > "Jon Paal [MSMD]" wrote:
> >
> >> it's in Request.ServerVariables("ALL_RAW")
> >>
> >> http://neural.cs.nthu.edu.tw/jang/sa...s/request5.asp
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> "Simon" <Simon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:1E72DB38-3971-4A5C-8FC0-3200D137569D@microsoft.com...
> >>> Hi
> >>>
> >>> I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> >>> Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP.
> >>> But I am unable to get anything from this, this variable is always
> >>> empty. It is also excluded when I try to list all the server
> >>> variables. We are using IIS6.
> >>>
> >>> So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
> >>>
> >>> Cheers,
> >>>
> >>> Simon.
>
> --
> Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
> Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
> header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
> quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.
>
>
>

"Simon" <Simon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1E72DB38-3971-4A5C-8FC0-3200D137569D@microsoft.com...
> Hi
>
> I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But I am
> unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty. It is
also
> excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We are using IIS6.
>
> So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
>

Ok mucho confusion in this thread I clear that up first.

All headers that are included in the request are accessible to code via the
ServerVariables accessor. IIS does some additional things with headers and
creates a set of other named variables such as URL and also adds things that
have nothing to do with headers such as REMOTE_ADDR.

IIS does some tranforms on the name of a header before making it available.
It Prepends HTTP_, makes all the characters upper case and it converts any
hyphens to underscore. Hence if a client sends the header x-pink-elephants
it can be access as HTTP_X_PINK_ELEPHANTS.

The If-Modified-Since header is a standard header but it isn't always
supplied.

A HTTP server when responding to a request may include in the response a
Last-Modified header. When a client such as IE makes a subsequent request
for the _same_ URL it would normally include the If-Modified-Since request
header.

(Side note: a user can suppress the sending of the If-Modified-Since and the
If-None-Match headers by refreshing using Ctrl-F5 in IE).

Active Server Script generated pages would not send a Last-Modified header
in the response unless the developer deliberately created and added it to
the response themselves. Hence you are not seeing a If-Modified-Since
header.

What is it you want to do with this header? Generate a 304 response?

--
Anthony Jones - MVP ASP/ASP.NET

Hi Anthony,

Yes I am trying to respond with the 304 header, I am already generating the
last modifed date, which is been detected by the browser, and I can also see
the browser generate the 'if modified since' header. But the webserver does
not see it with Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE")

From your comments, it appears that this is the correct way to detect this
header, so maybe I have something blocking this header from reaching the
server, since I know it is been generated.

Regards,

Simon.



--
Cheers,

Simon.


"Anthony Jones" wrote:

> "Simon" <Simon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:1E72DB38-3971-4A5C-8FC0-3200D137569D@microsoft.com...
> > Hi
> >
> > I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> > Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But I am
> > unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty. It is
> also
> > excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We are using IIS6.
> >
> > So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
> >
>
> Ok mucho confusion in this thread I clear that up first.
>
> All headers that are included in the request are accessible to code via the
> ServerVariables accessor. IIS does some additional things with headers and
> creates a set of other named variables such as URL and also adds things that
> have nothing to do with headers such as REMOTE_ADDR.
>
> IIS does some tranforms on the name of a header before making it available.
> It Prepends HTTP_, makes all the characters upper case and it converts any
> hyphens to underscore. Hence if a client sends the header x-pink-elephants
> it can be access as HTTP_X_PINK_ELEPHANTS.
>
> The If-Modified-Since header is a standard header but it isn't always
> supplied.
>
> A HTTP server when responding to a request may include in the response a
> Last-Modified header. When a client such as IE makes a subsequent request
> for the _same_ URL it would normally include the If-Modified-Since request
> header.
>
> (Side note: a user can suppress the sending of the If-Modified-Since and the
> If-None-Match headers by refreshing using Ctrl-F5 in IE).
>
> Active Server Script generated pages would not send a Last-Modified header
> in the response unless the developer deliberately created and added it to
> the response themselves. Hence you are not seeing a If-Modified-Since
> header.
>
> What is it you want to do with this header? Generate a 304 response?
>
> --
> Anthony Jones - MVP ASP/ASP.NET
>
>
>

Hi Anthony,

I have since done some tests on a simple asp page, and found that the I can
after all read the value in Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE").

My test is failing on custom 404 pages, where the web page requested does
not actually exist. I use server.transfer method to a template file that gets
its content from a database.

I imagine that the header is been lost somehow in this process. So I need to
investigate down this route I think now.

--
Cheers,

Simon.


"Simon" wrote:

> Hi Anthony,
>
> Yes I am trying to respond with the 304 header, I am already generating the
> last modifed date, which is been detected by the browser, and I can also see
> the browser generate the 'if modified since' header. But the webserver does
> not see it with Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE")
>
> From your comments, it appears that this is the correct way to detect this
> header, so maybe I have something blocking this header from reaching the
> server, since I know it is been generated.
>
> Regards,
>
> Simon.
>
>
>
> --
> Cheers,
>
> Simon.
>
>
> "Anthony Jones" wrote:
>
> > "Simon" <Simon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:1E72DB38-3971-4A5C-8FC0-3200D137569D@microsoft.com...
> > > Hi
> > >
> > > I am trying to read the html header 'if modified since' by using
> > > Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE") in classic ASP. But I am
> > > unable to get anything from this, this variable is always empty. It is
> > also
> > > excluded when I try to list all the server variables. We are using IIS6.
> > >
> > > So please can someone confirm what is the correct syntax?
> > >
> >
> > Ok mucho confusion in this thread I clear that up first.
> >
> > All headers that are included in the request are accessible to code via the
> > ServerVariables accessor. IIS does some additional things with headers and
> > creates a set of other named variables such as URL and also adds things that
> > have nothing to do with headers such as REMOTE_ADDR.
> >
> > IIS does some tranforms on the name of a header before making it available.
> > It Prepends HTTP_, makes all the characters upper case and it converts any
> > hyphens to underscore. Hence if a client sends the header x-pink-elephants
> > it can be access as HTTP_X_PINK_ELEPHANTS.
> >
> > The If-Modified-Since header is a standard header but it isn't always
> > supplied.
> >
> > A HTTP server when responding to a request may include in the response a
> > Last-Modified header. When a client such as IE makes a subsequent request
> > for the _same_ URL it would normally include the If-Modified-Since request
> > header.
> >
> > (Side note: a user can suppress the sending of the If-Modified-Since and the
> > If-None-Match headers by refreshing using Ctrl-F5 in IE).
> >
> > Active Server Script generated pages would not send a Last-Modified header
> > in the response unless the developer deliberately created and added it to
> > the response themselves. Hence you are not seeing a If-Modified-Since
> > header.
> >
> > What is it you want to do with this header? Generate a 304 response?
> >
> > --
> > Anthony Jones - MVP ASP/ASP.NET
> >
> >
> >