javascript redirect: make filename from query

I currently have a dictionary.

A user enters a word (say, desk) in the "word" box and gets to

http://www.cooldictionary.com/index.mpl?word=desk

I want to change them and get them to

http://www.cooldictionary.com/word.desk.html

I already have mod_rewrite supporting such URLs. What I need is
javascript in the form to go to that address.

Such as (making it up)

onButtonClick ( go to page "http://www.cooldictionary.com/word." +
word + ".html" );

Any thoughts?

i

And lo, Ignoramus21798 didst speak in alt.www.webmaster:

> I currently have a dictionary.
>
> A user enters a word (say, desk) in the "word" box and gets to
>
> http://www.cooldictionary.com/index.mpl?word=desk
>
> I want to change them and get them to
>
> http://www.cooldictionary.com/word.desk.html
>
> Any thoughts?

Don't. Just make "/index.mpl?word=desk" forward you to "/word.desk.html"
using a Location header[1]. People will still be able to just type
"/word.whatever.html" to get a definition, but also
"/index.mpl?word=whatever" will give the same result. Don't complicate
things with a client side script.

While you're at it, drop the .html from your redirected URI.
"http://www.cooldictionary.com/word.desk" looks much cleaner.

Grey

[1] Or if index.mpl is your word-info workhorse, rename it something else
and have change the rewrites for "/word.whatever.html" to point to it.
Your users never need to see the name of this file. Then index.mpl can be
your simple Location director.

--
The technical axiom that nothing is impossible sinisterly implies the
pitfall corollory that nothing is ridiculous.
- http://www.greywyvern.com/ringmaker - Orca Ringmaker: Host a web ring
from your website!

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:58:39 -0400, GreyWyvern <spam@greywyvern.com> wrote:
> And lo, Ignoramus21798 didst speak in alt.www.webmaster:
>
>> I currently have a dictionary.
>>
>> A user enters a word (say, desk) in the "word" box and gets to
>>
>> http://www.cooldictionary.com/index.mpl?word=desk
>>
>> I want to change them and get them to
>>
>> http://www.cooldictionary.com/word.desk.html
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>
> Don't. Just make "/index.mpl?word=desk" forward you to "/word.desk.html"
> using a Location header[1]. People will still be able to just type
> "/word.whatever.html" to get a definition, but also
> "/index.mpl?word=whatever" will give the same result. Don't complicate
> things with a client side script.
>
> While you're at it, drop the .html from your redirected URI.
> "http://www.cooldictionary.com/word.desk" looks much cleaner.
>
> Grey
>
> [1] Or if index.mpl is your word-info workhorse, rename it something else
> and have change the rewrites for "/word.whatever.html" to point to it.
> Your users never need to see the name of this file. Then index.mpl can be
> your simple Location director.
>

All good points. I will do as you say.

i