🚀 go-pugleaf

There seems to be some promise in the properties of the IdHTTP component, 
but perhaps if somebody could point me in the right direction that would be 
great.

Specifically, there is a property called HandleRedirects that lets the 
component handle the redirection automatically if set to true.  However, 
since I'm being redirected to an HTTPS location, I need to also do something 
with the Intercept and InterceptEnabled properties (since apparently they 
are required for HTTPS connections).  Am I on the right track? 

"Blake Young" <blakeyoung@mail.utexas.edu> wrote in message
news:42e00af1$1@newsgroups.borland.com...

> Despite the fact that it has a secure URL (hence "https"), a
> username and password is NOT needed to download the file.

Perhaps not, but an SSL negotiation is still required.

> the response to the GET command is a 302 error, saying that
> the file has been moved.

As it should be.  See below.

> I believe the problem is that I cannot get either component to
> connect to the HTTPS location...

Yes, you can.  TIdHTTP has support for HTTPS URLs.

> they only try the HTTP location.

That may be the case for your TClientSocket code, but that is not the case
with TIdHTTP.

> Here is my code:

Your TClientSocket code is not HTTPS-aware at all.

>        ClientSocket1->Host = "webspace.utexas.edu";
>        ClientSocket1->Port = 80;

You are not accessing "https://webspace.utexas.edu" at all.  You are
accessing "http://webspace.utexas.edu" instead.  HTTPS runs on port 443, not
port 80.  That makes a big difference.

> The response I get from ReceiveText() should just be the single line
> of text that makes up the "version.txt" file

No, it should not, because you are not accessing the HTTPS URL at all.  You
can even see in the response from "http://webspace.utexas.edu" (port 80)
that you are being redirected to "https://webspace.utexas.edu" (port 443)
instead.

> The only thing I can think of is that maybe it's originally trying to go
to
> the non-secured URL first (i.e. http://webspace.utexas.edu/...) instead
> of the secure https location.

That is exactly what your TClientSocket code is doing.

> If this is indeed the problem, how can I use the component (either
> TClientSocket or TIdHTTP) to access the https URL?

For TClientSocket, you need to change the Port that is used.

For TIdHTTP, it handles HTTPS automatically, so you do not need to do
anything for it.


Gambit

Thanks for the HTTPS vs HTTP explanation.  I tried doing what you said, and 
in one sense it worked, but in another it didn't.  Using the TClientSocket, 
I changed the port number to 443, but now the response is a flat-out 404 
error.  I have confirmed that the file is still in the correct location, so 
I'm not sure why it can't be found.  For the sake of completeness, I'll post 
my complete and updated code.  Is this a problem with my coding, or is the 
server I'm trying to connect to refusing to let me connect?  You can try 
downloading the file for yourself and you should find that it exists.  I 
also tried using the IdHTTP component and I get the same 404 error, so I'm 
guessing it's a problem with the server.  I'm having the same problem trying 
to download this file from a Tripod site that I uploaded it to 
(http://winboxer.tripod.com/version.txt).

void __fastcall TForm1::Button2Click(TObject *Sender)
{
    if (!ClientSocket1->Active)
    {
        ClientSocket1->Host = "webspace.utexas.edu";
        ClientSocket1->Port = 443;
        ClientSocket1->ClientType = ctNonBlocking;

        ClientSocket1->Open();
    }
}

void __fastcall TForm1::ClientSocket1Connect(TObject *Sender,
      TCustomWinSocket *Socket)
{
    Memo1->Lines->Add("Connected.");

    ClientSocket1->Socket->SendText("GET /youngba2/www/winboxer/version.txt 
HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
}

void __fastcall TForm1::ClientSocket1Read(TObject *Sender,
      TCustomWinSocket *Socket)
{
    Memo1->Lines->Add("Reading...");
    AnsiString response = Socket->ReceiveText();

    Memo1->Lines->Add("Message: " + response);
} 

"Blake Young" <blakeyoung@mail.utexas.edu> wrote in message
news:42e00d5b$1@newsgroups.borland.com...

> since I'm being redirected to an HTTPS location, I need to also
> do something with the Intercept and InterceptEnabled properties
> (since apparently they are required for HTTPS connections).
> Am I on the right track?

There is no InterceptEnabled property anymore.  If your version of Indy has
that, then you are using a VERY old version, like Indy 8.  If so, then
please upgrade to Indy 9 or 10 instead.  Anything older is no longer
supported.

With that said, the only thing you have to do in order to enable HTTPS
support is to assign the IOHandler to a TIdSSLIOHandlerSocket component, and
that is all.  TIdHTTP handles the rest.


Gambit

"Blake Young" <blakeyoung@mail.utexas.edu> wrote in message
news:42e014c4@newsgroups.borland.com...

> Thanks for the HTTPS vs HTTP explanation.  I tried doing what you
> said, and in one sense it worked, but in another it didn't.  Using the
> TClientSocket, I changed the port number to 443, but now the
> response is a flat-out 404 error.

Your TClientSocket code is still not doing anything with SSL at all.  Like
you said earlier, HTTPS is a secure connection.  You need to establish a
secure connection with the server before you can do anything over HTTPS.

I high suggest that you stop using TClientSocket.  Both HTTP and SSL are
very complex to properly code manually.  There are plenty of pre-made
implementations that you should be using instead.

> I'm having the same problem trying to download this file from a Tripod
> site that I uploaded it to (http://winboxer.tripod.com/version.txt).

Works fine when I try it.  But then, I'm using a much newer version of Indy
than you apparently are.


Gambit