How to find the full search url of pons.de

[kirpi]

In order to instant retrieve a word definition, I let a javascript add
the word to the search url of various sites. Example: for the word
"word" I create:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word
- http://www.google.it/search?q=define:word
- http://www.answers.com/word
and so on.

There is a good German online dictionary, www.pons.de/, for which I
couldn't find a way to discover the search url.
All I could find was http://www.ponsline.de/cgi-bin/wb/w.pl which is
the general search form.
But what is the real search url? Is there a way to find it, in order to
let my javascript create a query?

Thank you
Luigi

 

[Laurent Bugnion]

Hi,

In order to instant retrieve a word definition, I let a javascript add
the word to the search url of various sites. Example: for the word
"word" I create:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word
- http://www.google.it/search?q=define:word
- http://www.answers.com/word
and so on.

There is a good German online dictionary, www.pons.de/, for which I
couldn't find a way to discover the search url.
All I could find was http://www.ponsline.de/cgi-bin/wb/w.pl which is
the general search form.
But what is the real search url? Is there a way to find it, in order to
let my javascript create a query?

Thank you
Luigi

view-source reveals that the Pons page uses POST to submit the form
elements. There is no "search URL" (GET) in the way you want.

How are you handling the results? If you just display the result page as
it comes back from the Pons server, then you can create your own HTML
form and submit it to http://www.ponsline.de/cgi-bin/wb/w.pl. The names
of the fields must be the same as the ones in the original search page.
Even then, it won't necessary work, depending on what the Pons server
allows or disallows.

If you want to process the answer, since cross-domain security prevents
you to use XmlHttpRequest, you'll have to use server-side logic.

HTH,
Laurent

 

[kirpi]

How are you handling the results?

Actually, I'm using an extended version of the JS Quicktags
[http://www.alexking.org/software/javascript/js_quicktags/index.html]
approach. The user just selects a word s/he is typing within the
textarea, and press the button.
It helps quite al lot, when your're writing (expecially in a foreign
language, just as I'm doing right now
It opens a new window with the results, nothing special.

If you just display the result page as it comes back from the Pons server,
then you can create your own HTML form and submit it to
http://www.ponsline.de/cgi-bin/wb/w.pl.
The names of the fields must be the same as the ones in the original search page.
Even then, it won't necessary work, depending on what the Pons server
allows or disallows.

I don't really understand, sorry. I'm not that technically skilled.
You mean that I could just replicate Pons' html form and put it behind
my button, so that the query is triggered.
Just that?

Luigi

 

[Laurent Bugnion]

Hi,

How are you handling the results?

Actually, I'm using an extended version of the JS Quicktags
[http://www.alexking.org/software/javascript/js_quicktags/index.html]
approach. The user just selects a word s/he is typing within the
textarea, and press the button.
It helps quite al lot, when your're writing (expecially in a foreign
language, just as I'm doing right now

Don't we all ;-)

It opens a new window with the results, nothing special.

OK. So if you use the Pons form, you could do something like

<form action="http://www.ponsline.de/cgi-bin/wb/w.pl"
target="_blank">

This will open the server's reply in a new window. You can also use the
name of an already opened window if you have one.

I don't really understand, sorry. I'm not that technically skilled.
You mean that I could just replicate Pons' html form and put it behind
my button, so that the query is triggered.
Just that?

Luigi

That's exactly that. But it is not guaranteed to succeed. Also, if Pons
decides to change the form's content or format, your application will be
broken until you replicate the changes.

HTH,
Laurent

 

[kirpi]

<form action="http://www.ponsline.de/cgi-bin/wb/w.pl"

target="_blank">

So, I'll try, tonight.
And let you know.

Thank you, Laurent.

Luigi

 

[kirpi]

And let you know.

I couldn't succeed.
So, most probably, pons.de has lost a customer.
Which is, many customers, for I'll stop advertise their name.
They like hidden things, so, let them alone.

I'll go for leo.org/, where queries are not hidden.
http://dict.leo.org/?search=horse is quite a plain url, and works
automatically for both english and German, while there are also French
and Spanish available.

Luigi