Check if data from a url has changed since last time?

Question

For a given URL, I want to check if the content has changed since the last time. The content for the (http) URL is generated by a script which goes through several modifications regularly. Need to see if there are any regressions caused by this changing of the script.

Prac

Answer 1

Barring knowing what language you're using, the simplest solution is to format your request using the If-Modified-Since HTTP header and check for a 304 (not modified) response from your server. If the content is a static file generated by a script, then your webserver will check against the modified timestamp on the file. You'll either get a 304 response, or a 200 (OK) response with the new content page.