Request versus Request.QueryString

Question

What is the difference between these two in VBScript:

Request("startDate")

Request.QueryString["startDate"]

And where is Request("startDate") documented? I don't see this usage here:

http://www.w3schools.com/asp/asp_ref_request.asp

Answer 1

The official documentation for the Request object in ASP classic is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms524948%28VS.90%29.aspx

Quoting the relevant part for this question:

All variables can be accessed directly by calling Request(variable) without the collection name. In this case, the Web server searches the collections in the following order:

• QueryString
• Form
• Cookies
• ClientCertificate
• ServerVariables

If a variable with the same name exists in more than one collection, the Request object returns the first instance that the object encounters.

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EDIT: AnthonyWJones made a great comment on the question: Avoid using the Request("name") syntax. In fact, this is mentioned in the documentation link above:

It is strongly recommended that when referring to members of a collection the full name be used. For example, rather than Request .("AUTH_USER") use Request.ServerVariables ("AUTH_USER"). This allows the server to locate the item more quickly.

Answer 2

See Request() vs Request.QueryString()

From what I understand when you use Request on it's own it will return the first matched item in the request collection. well explained in the attached solution.

Answer 3

Sorry to dredge up this question, but given the warnings against using Request("param"), I had to add my two cents. In this particular case there's a good reason to use Request("param") instead of Request.QueryString("param"): It allows you to write code that will accept parameters as part of a query string or when submitted through a form. I regularly run into situations where that is not only handy, but desirable.