Subject: Cookie problem with IE5 and Windows 2000

From: Wilbur Streett <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 10:34:39 -0400

I created CGI applications a few years ago and set up a state management
system using Cookies.  The application platform worked with all of the
different browsers, so long as they supported cookes.  I created the cookie
headers specifically in agreement with the Netscape specification,
including putting spaces between the variables since it makes them easier
to read.

For some reason, with IE5 and Windows 2000, the cookies no longer work.  I
wrote software into the CGI to verify that the cookies were there, since
the design of the web site requires having some sort of state information
about the user.  Digging around on the internet via the search engines, I
see that other people are finding the same cookie problem, but I haven't
seen anyone specifically figure out what the cause of the problem is or a
generic solution.

Checking Microsoft's web pages, their own cookie tools do not put spaces
after the set-cookie: header, so I rewrote everything to remove all spaces
between variables in the cookie header, and yet the problem still persists.

I have statements that the IE5/W2K platform is working with Amazon.com's
cookies on the same machine, but not with mine.  I could probably compare
the cookies and reverse engine this particular foible of IE5 with W2K, but
I'd rather not.  So I guess that Microsoft tested a few web sites and made
their cookie handler work with them, but didn't write a generic handler.

Anyone else run into these problems?  Anyone have a solution?  I can
provide source if anyone is interested.

Wilbur

     --------------------------------------------
        Putting A Human Face On Technology ;-)
     --------------------------------------------
  Literally!  http://www.monmouth.com/~wstreett/FaceIT/

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From: Wilbur Streett <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 May 2000 22:41:01 -0400

At 10:34 AM 5/18/00 -0400, you wrote:
<snip>

I found the problem.  IE5 requires LOWER CASE domain names in the
Set-Cookie: header or the cookies do not get set at all.

I don't think that I'll say anything more.

Wilbur