posted on January 26, 2002 06:54:08 PM new
I need a ride to the rubber room!
When I send a winning bidder e-mail (from my own mail program), I include a link to the auction page in case they want to pay on line. I usually copy the URL from eBay's EOA notice and paste it into my e-mai. It looks like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9999999999&ed=2222222222
(I put in a phony auction number.)
Okay, then I go to my sent mail and open it. The URL reads differently. There is a "amp;" appearing before the "ed", that I did not type in myself. This causes the link to bring up an error message when you click on it.
So I have to write a second e-mail to the winner with the correct link. To do this, I hit "reply all" and blank everything out except the URL, then take out the "amp;" and send the e-mail. I then look at the second sent e-mail and it's correct.
This gets a lot worse, but I thought I would see if anyone had a clue on what I am talking about.
posted on January 26, 2002 10:14:47 PM new
Well you got the simple lessson on this here is a little more detailed lesson.
All Programing Java perl C+ basic flash use control characters, @ , # , $, & / ,\ ,> and * are the most common and basic of them.
SO The people who develop these programing langages Needed to Develop a work Around SO that ASCII or Text didn't Conflict Binary Programs.
This is not a new thing its not Related just to the internet or the web at all because every thing in your Computer is Either a text File or a Binary Program.
Even a Folder or directory is Nothing more then a text File what you name the folder and a binary picture or Icon of a yellow folder.
So any How to get around the Conrol characters getting confused with Normal Text They came up with what most call the Extended characters.
IF you have ever up load files to a website or to a friend with FTP you will know there is Two way a file can be sent you can send it in ASCII (AKA) text mode or you can send it in binary (AKA) Executable .
When you send a file in Text mode it strips out all the Program conrol characters and Replaces them with there Extended Equils Like & = &
All Email Except Attachment are sent in Text mode and Recieved Generally in text mode.
Had you Sent the Email as an attachment it would have been sent in binary mode and recieved in binary there would have been no change in the URL you copied and pasted in your email.
This is the same reason why when you up load a Perl script to your webserver and you goof and send it in ASCII mode the script dont work, A perl script is met to be an exectable program and Needs the Control characters just as they were Put in the file.
I know this may look pretty Confuseing But There is no real simple way to explain why things work the way they do with computers.
The letters ATH+ have a binary code like 11001 01100 100101 0011001, not the real binary but exsample also ATH+ has Extended characters like 0174 789 0234 0675 not the actual extentions I would have to look up the real binary and extended stuff.
Any how as well the characters ATH+ are control codes for your modem I beileve if you type ATH+ in any Terminal tells your modem to hang up This will help you understand the need for Extended keyboard codes
Even Though windows Does a very good job of covering up the fact is a web browser mail program news reader IRC programs are nothing more then terminal windows Used request or send a files from a remote computer all with pretty picture and button build around it.
now if you take time to try and understand this you will truely be ready for that straight jacket.
posted on January 27, 2002 01:17:07 AM new
Thanks very much for the long and short versions. I always get the help need on this board.
What made this so frustrating was when I tried to explain it on eBay's HTML message board and typed both the good and the bad URL in, they both showed up the same. And what do I get for an answer? "Your links work just fine. Don't see what the problem is."
Well I should probably reply to him with "Thanks, but I was just wondering if it might be...." and then sock it to him with the long version.
