Problem with getenv("HTTP_REFERER")

[k4ghg]

I wrote a php script to determine when folks have visited a page, where they came from and to write the information to a text page. When I test the script it works fine, but, after 24 hours when I check the text file (CHMOD 666) only the date is recorded. Below is the script and an example of the test file data. Can anyone see what I am doing wrong. Thanks... Ronnie

$ref = getenv("HTTP_REFERER");
$ref = $ref . "\r\n";
$dte = date("d/m/y : H:i:s", time());
$dtf = $dte . " ";
$fp = fopen("countlog.db", "a+");
fwrite($fp, $dtf);
fwrite($fp, $ref);
fclose($fp);

File Data:
24/08/11 : 12:16:31
24/08/11 : 12:17:40
24/08/11 : 12:44:19
24/08/11 : 13:13:53
24/08/11 : 13:14:18
24/08/11 : 13:32:36

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...6dfCg10ndJlVGTmGQ&sig2=hFnb_JfKE2X1eAUPpa1hRw

24/08/11 : 14:04:12
24/08/11 : 14:43:55
24/08/11 : 14:54:39

 

[sleipnir214]

HTTP_REFERER is only set when the browser sends the referer data to the server. Many browsers, including Opera, Firefox, Chrome and Safari do not by default report referers.

Could this be what you're seeing?




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[k4ghg]

Thanks for getting back to me. Although, I would think that most referrals would be via a browser, I am not certain what I am seeing and when I checked this morning I had about 30 dates and only one referral. Is there a different PHP function to capture the referral site or something similar? Thanks... Ronnie

 

[prex1]

See

http://php.net/manual/en/reserved.variables.server.php

. HTTP_REFERER is only set (but not always) when the user clicks a link in a page. It is not set when the user writes the address in the address bar or clicks a bookmarked link.

Franco

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http://www.megamag.it

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http://www.levitans.com

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[vacunita]

As has been mentioned, there is no guarantee the referrer will be set in any circumstance, and more often than not browsers won't send it. What you are seeing is that effect, the fact that the value is optional to be set and in many cases is not set at all.

So your script obviously has no value to use to store in your file.

----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
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[k4ghg]

Thanks, what would be the solution? Is there away to track visitors and were they came from?

 

[ChrisHirst]

Not unless you have all links set with a parameter.

Chris.

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[k4ghg]

Thanks again. Does "set with parameter" mean http\\:

http://www...com?item=xyz.

where item=xyz is the parameter? It was interest I tried using some $_SERVER[... functions and discovered that the hits without information were all Google bot visits. Thanks... Ronnie