Subj : Please help me with my script for a FF Mycroft search plugin
To   : netscape.public.mozilla.jseng
From : RenegadeX
Date : Sun Jan 30 2005 11:53 am

I've written a Mycroft plugin (for FF search bar) for Zap2it.com tv 
listings. It allows you to enter a query for a tv show name, keyword, or 
show-description, and it will tell you what time that tv show is on, and on 
what stations in your area - for the next week(time range is user 
adjustable). Very handy!

I'm not very good at javascript coding, but am pleased with my progress. A 
couple of issues I've already dealt with:
- I had to use the POST-form redirect trick as the search bar only handles 
GETs natively. I use a html file with javascript to handle it - I found the 
code elsewhere so no problems there.
- I had to use a script to get the current date (for the search 'from' field 
and count forward x-number of days (for the 'search to' field). I found one 
elsewhere and modified it and it works beautifully.

So the plugin works.
However there are 2 issues I still need help with and am hoping someone here 
will be kind enough to have a look and see what can be done:

1) Multi-word queries seem to get the spaces replaced with + signs, which 
unfortunately are invalid search characters on Zap2it's seachpage. Surely 
there must be some javascript trick I can use to take my 'Search' value, 
look for the + character and replace it with a blank space before passing it 
back to the POST sendform ?

2) Zap2It.com uses cookies - the first time you visit you are meant to enter 
your zip/postal code and choose your cable/tv provider so it knows which 
channel lineup you have. Their searchpage reads the cookie information when 
the search page loads. As I'm bypassing the searchpage, I need to read the 
cookie in my script. I thought this would be easy - and copied the source 
over into my file. For some reason, it is not working -- the first time I 
use my plugin during a browser session, a query from the search bar results 
in the Zap2it search page appearing with no query entered (at which point in 
time the cookie is read). Subsequent searches from my plugin work as the 
cookie is now active/read.

If someone could take a look at my code and tell me what I'm doing wrong, 
I'd greatly appreciate it!

I've uploaded all of my files here: 
http://renegadex.miscstuff.cjb.net/zap2it.rar
Please be sure to read the Readme file as the FF path likely will have to be 
changed.

Thanks,
RenegadeX

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