User Guide

CHAPTER 2

The HTTP API

Extensions are not limited to working within the local file system. Macromedia

Dreamweaver 8 provides a mechanism to get information from and send information to a

web server by using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). This chapter describes the HTTP

API and how to use it.

How the HTTP API works

All functions in the HTTP API are methods of the MMHttp object. Most of these functions

take a URL as an argument, and most return an object. The default port for URL arguments

is 80. To specify a port other than 80, append a colon and the port number to the URL, as

shown in the following example:

MMHttp.getText("http://www.myserver.com:8025");

For functions that return an object, the object has two properties: statusCode and data.

The

statusCode property indicates the status of the operation; possible values include, but

are not limited to, the following values:

■ 200: Status OK

■ 400: Unintelligible request

■ 404: Requested URL not found

■ 405: Server does not support requested method

■ 500: Unknown server error

■ 503: Server capacity reached

For a comprehensive list of status codes for your server, check with your Internet service

provider or system administrator.

The value of the

data property varies according to the function; possible values are specified

in the individual function listings.

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