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Chapter 2
Request URLs deliver data to the server
Since there’s no domain name in the
URL, the request automatically goes to
the same server that the web page was
served from-the Break Neck web server.
The “?” symbol tells the server that
anything after the “?” should be
passed on to the target of the URL.
This data is sent on to the PHP script. The
script can access the request parameter
by its name (“phone”) and use its value to
lookup the customer’s address.
Here’s the PHP script, named
lookupCustomer.php.
Break Neck’s
web server.
The server gures out exactly what
program it should send the request to,
using the rst part of the URL.
lookupCustomer.php?phone=
The simple little request URL in getCustomerInfo() has a lot
of responsibility. Let’s take a closer look, and see exactly what that
request URL is doing:
The complete request URL.
lookupCustomer.php
phone=
Remember, the server passes
on everything after the “?”
to the program indicated in
the request URL.
7081 Teakwood #24C
Dallas, Texas 75182
Customer Address
Finally, the script
uses the information
in the request
to look up the
customer’s address.
request urls